7: Social Health & Aging Flashcards
what type of health is less intuitive & hard to measure
social health
What Makes a Person to Feel Socially Healthy (society & individual)
Living in a healthy society:
- Rule of law
- Equity
- Social capital
Individual:
- Ability to access available social resources
- Be able to contribute
social/leisure activities after retirement, depends on
○ Financial security
○ Availability
○ Access
what is the best target for intervention
Leisure Activities in Old Age
- people often keep the leisure preferences (athletic activity, socializing, or travelling) in older age that they had when younger
T or F: Religion as a Leisure Activity is increasing
F: declining
- older age groups show the highest rates of participation in religious activities
________/_______ remains one of the most diverse practices
Religion/spirituality
benefits of volunteering
○ Stronger social networks
○ Sense of purpose
○ Increases life satisfaction, wellbeing, psychosocial health
○ Physical health
Main issue with Social health & aging
STRUCTURAL LAG
- Mismatch between changes in the aging process (better health for older people, more active lifestyles, better educated) and the roles/places in the social structure that can meet the needs of this new older person
regarding senior’s use of time, what increases (2) and decreases with age?
(+) passive leisure activities (TV, reading, music)
(+) time spent sleeping (~9.3 hrs)
(-) participation in activities reduces with physical function decline
what 3 factors leads to less social engagement and more passive leisure
- Widowhood
- Living alone
- Low income
Life-course respite hypothesis
older people have more flexibility in how they can spend their time
What 4 factors influences activity preferences
- Income
- Gender
- Region
- Social status
Views of leisure activity in rural communities
- value placed on productive activity
- Housework, walking to stores and working in gardens can constitute as physical activity
Continuity theory of aging
people often keep the leisure preferences in retirement that they had in middle age
- Most research on aging and leisure activity support
Lifespan developmental perspective
people can change, grow and develop at every age
CONTRACTORS
- Stopped at least 1 outdoor activity in the past year, and have not learned any new activity since 65
- Continued same activities they learned in childhood
**fits continuity & disengagement theory (engage in non-demanding activities)
EXPANDERS
- Have not stopped any activities in the past year, and had added at least 1 new outdoor activity since 65
- Continued to add activities throughout life
- fits lifespan developmental perspective
T or F: you can predict contractor/expander group membership by income, age, race, gender
F
what are health benefits of physical training in later life
○ improvements in memory/intelligence/cognitive speed
○ brain structure and function
○ benefits to executive mental functioning
○ can prevent declines due to aging and the development of neurological disease
important functions served by senior centres
- meals
- provide socialization
- volunteer opportunities
- peer networking
- healthcare services
Who gains special benefit from senior center programs
Marginalized seniors
- women
- low-income adults
- ethnic minorities
Naismith Men’s Shed
an informal club of retired men having weekly social gatherings and working together on community projects
○ Growing international movement to help combat loneliness and social isolation
Gerotranscendence
the self begins to expand its boundaries and reflect on the meaning of human life in later life
- Shift from materialism and a practical view of life to a more contemplative, cosmic view
What is this:
“an inner, subjective region of life that revolves around individual experiences of being, transcending the personal self, and connecting with the sacred”
Spirituality
