TY - JOUR
T1 - Successful ageing in Singapore
T2 - Prevalence and correlates from a national survey of older adults
AU - Subramaniam, Mythily
AU - Abdin, Edimansyah
AU - Vaingankar, Janhavi A.
AU - Sambasivam, Rajeswari
AU - Seow, Esmond
AU - Picco, Louisa
AU - Chua, Hong Choon
AU - Mahendran, Rathi
AU - Ng, Li Ling
AU - Ann Chong, Siow
PY - 2019/1
Y1 - 2019/1
N2 - INTRODUCTION The current study aimed to estimate the overall prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of successful ageing, as defined by Rowe and Kahn, among a national sample of multiethnic adults aged 60 years and older in Singapore. METHODS Data from older adults who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study was analysed. Successful ageing was defined with five indicators: no major diseases; no disability; high cognitive functioning; high physical functioning; and active engagement with life. RESULTS The prevalence of successful ageing was 25.4% in this older population. Older adults aged 75–84 years and ≥ 85 years had 0.3 times and 0.1 times the odds of successful ageing, respectively, than those aged 60–74 years. Compared to older adults of Chinese ethnicity, those of Malay (odds ratio [OR] 0.6) and Indian (OR 0.5) ethnicities were less likely to be associated with successful ageing. Older adults with lower education levels, who had no formal education (OR 0.2), some schooling but did not complete primary education (OR 0.4) or only primary education (OR 0.5), had lower odds of ageing successfully than those with tertiary education. CONCLUSION Older adults in Singapore tend to have much more active engagement with life as compared to their counterparts from other countries. Further research into this population is needed, both in terms of qualitative research to gain a better understanding of successful ageing from the older adult’s perspective, as well as longitudinal studies that explore behavioural determinants of successful ageing.
AB - INTRODUCTION The current study aimed to estimate the overall prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of successful ageing, as defined by Rowe and Kahn, among a national sample of multiethnic adults aged 60 years and older in Singapore. METHODS Data from older adults who participated in the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly study was analysed. Successful ageing was defined with five indicators: no major diseases; no disability; high cognitive functioning; high physical functioning; and active engagement with life. RESULTS The prevalence of successful ageing was 25.4% in this older population. Older adults aged 75–84 years and ≥ 85 years had 0.3 times and 0.1 times the odds of successful ageing, respectively, than those aged 60–74 years. Compared to older adults of Chinese ethnicity, those of Malay (odds ratio [OR] 0.6) and Indian (OR 0.5) ethnicities were less likely to be associated with successful ageing. Older adults with lower education levels, who had no formal education (OR 0.2), some schooling but did not complete primary education (OR 0.4) or only primary education (OR 0.5), had lower odds of ageing successfully than those with tertiary education. CONCLUSION Older adults in Singapore tend to have much more active engagement with life as compared to their counterparts from other countries. Further research into this population is needed, both in terms of qualitative research to gain a better understanding of successful ageing from the older adult’s perspective, as well as longitudinal studies that explore behavioural determinants of successful ageing.
KW - Asian
KW - Multiethnic
KW - Prevalence
KW - Successful ageing
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85062602237
U2 - 10.11622/smedj.2018050
DO - 10.11622/smedj.2018050
M3 - Article
C2 - 29774358
AN - SCOPUS:85062602237
SN - 0037-5675
VL - 60
SP - 22
EP - 30
JO - Singapore Medical Journal
JF - Singapore Medical Journal
IS - 1
ER -