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Previous studies have linked higher generativity with better mental well-being. However, most of these studies investigated the predictive role of generativity in well-being, while the converse relation, that is, how mental well-being contributes to generativity, has been ignored. This study first investigated the structure and stability of multidimensional mental well-being, that is, emotional (including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive and negative mood), psychological, and social well-being and the absence of depressive feelings, from age 42 to 61. Second, longitudinal associations between mental well-being and generativity were examined. The data (n = 301) utilized in this study were drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development and were collected using self-report questionnaires and psychological interviews at the ages of 42, 50, and 61. Using structural equation modeling, the multidimensional structure of mental well-being showed partial strong factorial invariance and high stability from age 42 to 61. The associations between mental well-being (both the multidimensional factor and the single indicators) and generativity were tested using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model. Stable, trait-like associations were found between multidimensional, emotional, and psychological well-being and generativity. The longitudinal results showed that social well-being at age 42 predicted generativity at age 50. To conclude, multidimensional mental well-being seemed to remain stable from middle adulthood to the beginning of late adulthood. Furthermore, mental well-being and generativity may be linked at both the between- and within-person levels. In particular, social well-being appeared to be a resource through which individuals could increase their generativity.

This cross-sectional study investigated associations between reasons to go outdoors and objectively-measured walking activity in various life-space areas among older people. During the study, 174 community-dwelling older people aged 75–90 from central Finland wore an accelerometer over seven days and recorded their reasons to go outdoors in an activity diary. The most common reasons for going outdoors were shopping, walking for exercise, social visits, and running errands. Activities done in multiple life-space areas contributed more to daily step counts than those done in the neighborhood or town and beyond. Those who went shopping or walked for exercise accumulated higher daily step counts than those who did not go outdoors for these reasons. These results show that shopping and walking for exercise are common reasons to go outdoors for community-dwelling older people and may facilitate walking activity in older age. Future studies on how individual trips contribute to the accumulation of steps are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background A crucial issue for the sustainability of societies is how to maintain health and functioning in older people. With increasing age, losses in vision, hearing, balance, mobility and cognitive capacity render older people particularly exposed to environmental barriers. A central building block of human functioning is walking. Walking difficulties may start to develop in midlife and become increasingly prevalent with age. Life-space mobility reflects actual mobility performance by taking into account the balance between older adults internal physiologic capacity and the external challenges they encounter in daily life. The aim of the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age (LISPE) project is to examine how home and neighborhood characteristics influence people’s health, functioning, disability, quality of life and life-space mobility in the context of aging. In addition, examine whether a person’s health and function influence life-space mobility. Design This paper describes the study protocol of the LISPE project, which is a 2-year prospective cohort study of community-dwelling older people aged 75 to 90 (n = 848). The data consists of a baseline survey including face-to-face interviews, objective observation of the home environment and a physical performance test in the participant’s home. All the baseline participants will be interviewed over the phone one and two years after baseline to collect data on life-space mobility, disability and participation restriction. Additional home interviews and environmental evaluations will be conducted for those who relocate during the study period. Data on mortality and health service use will be collected from national registers. In a substudy on walking activity and life space, 358 participants kept a 7-day diary and, in addition, 176 participants also wore an accelerometer. Discussion Our study, which includes extensive data collection with a large sample, provides a unique opportunity to study topics of importance for aging societies. A novel approach is employed which enables us to study the interactions of environmental features and individual characteristics underlying the life-space of older people. Potentially, the results of this study will contribute to improvements in strategies to postpone or prevent progression to disability and loss of independence.

Objectives: To validate the Finnish version of the 42-item Scales of Psychological Well-Being among community-dwelling older people. The study also examined the test–retest reliability and usability, i.e. user experience, of the scales in this age group. Method: The 42-item version of the SPWB was administered as part of a face-to-face interview among 968 men and women aged 75, 80 or 85 years. The subsample for test–retest analyses comprised 42 participants, who in addition to 11 interviewers also answered questions concerning the usability of the scales. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach's alpha coefficients, Pearson and intra-class correlation coefficients, and Kendal's Tau B were used in the analyses. Results: The factor analyses did not support the theory-based six-factor structure of the scales. The Cronbach's alphas showed high internal consistency reliability for the total scale, but modest for the subscales. The intercorrelations between the subscales were moderate. The total score and the subscale scores of the SPWB correlated positively with quality of life and life satisfaction, and negatively with depressive symptoms. The interviewers reported that while most of the participants responded to the scales without marked difficulties, others could only answer after clarifications of some statements. Discussion: The reliability of the 42-item version of the SPWB was modest. The factor structure was inconsistent among the three age groups studied, but the scales were feasible to use. The current results call for further methodological consideration to optimize assessment of eudaimonic well-being in old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the associations of personal goals with exercise activity, as well as the relationships between exercise-related and other personal goals, among older women. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs were used with a sample of 308 women ages 66-79 at baseline. Women who reported exercise-related personal goals were 4 times as likely to report high exercise activity at baseline than those who did not report exercise-related goals. Longitudinal results were parallel. Goals related to cultural activities, as well as to busying oneself around the home, coincided with exercise-related goals, whereas goals related to own and other people’s health and independent living lowered the odds of having exercise-related goals. Helping older adults to set realistic exercise-related goals that are compatible with their other life goals may yield an increase in their exercise activity, but this should be evaluated in a controlled trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience, the ability to bounce back after adverse events may be an important factor in active aging. The 10-item version of the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10) seems suitable for aging research owing to its low participant burden; however, its psychometric properties have not been comprehensively reported for older people. For example, no estimate exists of the test–retest reliability of the scale when used with older adults. Hence, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of the CD-RISC10 in a large population-based sample of community-dwelling older people. The scale's internal consistency, factor structure, construct validity, test-retest reliability, and user experience were analyzed among 1018 Finnish older adults (57% women) aged 75 (45%), 80 (33%) and 85 years (22%). The internal consistency of the CD-RISC10 was good (Cronbach's α = 0.85), test-retest reliability moderate (ICC = 0.61), and the scale was unidimensional. However, a two-factor solution was found among the 75-year-olds, where the ability to deal positively with change (e.g. using humor) explained an additional part of resilience. While no differences by gender, age, or education were observed in total scores, very good perceived financial situation was associated with higher resilience. The scale showed good construct validity, and user feedback indicated that administering the scale in research is quick and easy. In general, the CD-RISC10 is a valid method to study older adults' psychological resilience. However, the present test–retest reliability values suggest caution in using the scale as an outcome measure in intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to report preplanned secondary analyses of the effects of a 12-month individualized active aging counseling intervention on six mobility and physical activity outcomes. Methods: A two-arm, single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted among 75- and 80-year-old community-dwelling people. The intervention group (IG, n = 101) received counseling aimed at increasing self-selected, primarily out-of-home activity. The control group (CG, n = 103) received general health information. Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations. Results: Physical performance improved in the IG more than that in the CG (group by time p = .022), self-reported physical activity increased in both groups (time p = .012), and autonomy in outdoor mobility declined in the IG and was enhanced in the CG (group by time p = .011). No change was observed for life-space mobility, proportion of persons perceiving difficulty walking 2 km, or monitored physical activity. Discussion: Individualized counseling aiming at increasing self-selected out-of-home activity had nonsystematic effects on mobility and positively affected physical performance only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fatigue related to task standardized by duration and intensity, termed fatigability, could manifest as shortening of activity bouts throughout the day causing daily activity to accumulate in a more fragmented pattern. Our purpose was to study the association of activity fragmentation with physical and mental dimensions of fatigability.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 485 community-dwelling 75-, 80-, and 85-year-old people using a thigh-worn accelerometer for 3-7 days. Activity fragmentation was studied as Active-to-Sedentary Transition Probability for 2 operational definitions of physical activity: accelerations equivalent to at least light physical activity and for upright posture. Physical fatigability was assessed as perceived exertion fatigability, performance fatigability severity, and with the Physical Fatigue Subscale of the Situational Fatigue Scale. Mental fatigability was assessed with the Mental Fatigue Subscale of the Situational Fatigue Scale and as a decrease in perceived mental alertness after a 6-minute walk test.Results: Higher activity fragmentation was associated with higher self-reported physical fatigability, perceived exertion fatigability, and performance fatigability severity, independent of total activity minutes (β = 0.13-0.33, p < .05 for all). Higher activity fragmentation was not associated with mental fatigability in the fully adjusted models. The associations with fatigability indices were similar for both activity fragmentation indicators. Associations of activity fragmentation and performance fatigability severity were similar also among those with the highest intensity-based physical activity volume.Conclusions: The findings provide support that studying fragmented activity patterns can be useful in identifying those at risk for high fatigability, even among those with relatively high physical activity level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Assimilative and accommodative coping strategies have hardly been studied in relation to leisure activities in old age. We investigated whether tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA) influence the association between physical performance and participation in leisure activities. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 187 community-dwelling people aged 79 to 93 years. TGP, FGA, and leisure activity participation were asked with questionnaires. Physical performance was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Results: TGP moderated the relationship between physical performance and leisure activity participation. Despite low physical performance, people with high TGP had close to mean level of leisure activity participation, whereas low TGP was associated with very little activity. Most notably, people without high TGP had fewer outdoor activities and group activities outside home. Similar effects were not found for FGA. Discussion: Persistency, rather than flexibility, in goal pursuit appears to help older people be active in their leisure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the associations of personal goals with exercise activity, as well as the relationships between exercise-related and other personal goals, among older women. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs were used with a sample of 308 women ages 66-79 at baseline. Women who reported exercise-related personal goals were 4 times as likely to report high exercise activity at baseline than those who did not report exercise-related goals. Longitudinal results were parallel. Goals related to cultural activities, as well as to busying oneself around the home, coincided with exercise-related goals, whereas goals related to own and other people’s health and independent living lowered the odds of having exercise-related goals. Helping older adults to set realistic exercise-related goals that are compatible with their other life goals may yield an increase in their exercise activity, but this should be evaluated in a controlled trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop an assessment method of active aging for research on older people. Method: A multiphase process that included drafting by an expert panel, a pilot study for item analysis and scale validity, a feedback study with focus groups and questionnaire respondents, and a test–retest study. Altogether 235 people aged 60 to 94 years provided responses and/or feedback. Results: We developed a 17-item University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale with four aspects in each item (goals, ability, opportunity, and activity; range 0-272). The psychometric and item properties are good and the scale assesses a unidimensional latent construct of active aging. Discussion: Our scale assesses older people's striving for well-being through activities pertaining to their goals, abilities, and opportunities. The University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging Scale provides a quantifiable measure of active aging that may be used in postal questionnaires or interviews in research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We studied the combined effects of cognitive performance and lower extremity function on self-reported walking modifications and walking difficulty and on self-reported walking difficulty incidence over a 2-year follow-up.Methods: A total of 848 community-dwelling older people aged 75-90 years participated at baseline, 816 at the 1-year follow-up, and 761 at the 2-year follow-up. Baseline lower extremity function was measured with the Short Physical Performance Battery (<10 vs. ≥10) and cognitive performance with the Mini-Mental State Examination (<24 vs. ≥24). Difficulty in walking 2 km was self-reported and categorized into no difficulties, no difficulties but walking modifications, and prevalent difficulties. Data were analyzed with multinomial and Cox regressions and a mediation analysis.Results: At baseline, 33% reported no walking difficulties, 25% walking modifications, and 42% walking difficulty. Poorer lower extremity function and lower cognition increased the odds for walking difficulty. For those with both, the odds were almost eightfold higher for walking difficulty and threefold higher for walking modifications compared with having neither. Poorer lower extremity function mediated the association between low cognition and poorer perceived walking ability. Of those with no walking difficulty at baseline, 31% developed walking difficulty during the follow-up, the risk being almost twofold higher among those with poorer lower extremity function at baseline (hazard ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval = 1.28-2.59).Conclusion: Older people with poorer lower extremity function and cognitive performance are likely to have walking difficulties, rendering them especially vulnerable to further disability. Cognitive performance should be considered in interventions aimed at preventing mobility disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Walking is the most popular form of physical activity among older people and for community-dwelling older people walking for errands is especially important. The aim of this study is to examine the association between self-reported environmental mobility barriers and amount of walking for errands among older people who live alone compared to those who live with others. Methods This observational study is based on cross-sectional data on 657 people aged 75-81 living in Jyväskylä, Central Finland. Self-reports of environmental mobility barriers were collected under four categories: Traffic, Terrain, Distances and Entrance. Persons who reported walking for errands ≤ 1.5 km/week or at most once a week were categorized as having low amount of walking for errands (LOWER). High walking for errands (HIGWER) was defined as the highest quartile of kilometers walked per week (cut-off 8.5 km, referent). The rest were defined as having moderate amount of walking for errands (MODWER). Multinominal regression analysis was used to compare the odds for LOWER vs. HIGWER and MODWER vs. HIGWER, which were formed for each environmental mobility barrier separately. Results Participants walked on average 6.5 km (SD 5.2) and 4.0 times (SD 2.2) per week and 14% reported LOWER. Persons living alone (57% of the participants) reported environmental mobility barriers more often than those living with others. LOWER was more common among those living with others. Among those living with others, all the environmental mobility barriers increased the odds for LOWER. In turn, among those living alone, only Distance- and Entrance- related environmental mobility barriers increased the odds for LOWER. People living alone typically run errands by themselves and become better aware of the barriers to environmental mobility, while those living with others have less exposure to environmental mobility barriers, as their walking for errands is more likely to be low. Conclusions These findings emphasize the need to take living arrangements into account when analyzing the association between environmental mobility barriers and walking for errands. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to better understand the temporal order of events and to find ways to enhance walking for errands among older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective: This study investigated subgroups of adults with particular health behavior patterns, their stability over 19 years, and the role of sociodemographic and personality characteristics in these.Methods and Measures: Data on smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity were collected at ages 42, 50, and 61 in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (n = 205–302). Latent class, latent transition, and logistic regression analyses were used.Results: Four similar classes of health behaviors were identified at each age. A class named low alcohol consumption (AC)–high physical activity (PA) included individuals with the lowest levels of alcohol consumption and the highest levels of physical activity, and a class named high AC–low PA vice versa. Classes between these extremes of alcohol consumption and physical activity levels were nonsmokers with the lowest proportion of smokers, and smokers vice versa. Although transitions emerged, class memberships were relatively stable. Women, those who were married, held a degree, had higher occupational status, and certain personality traits at age 42 were more likely to belong continuously to healthier classes compared to a stable membership in high AC–low PA.Conclusion: Health behaviors exist in patterns, are relatively stable across adulthood, and associated with sociodemographic and personality characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Methods and Measures Results Conclusion Emotional well-being may predict future health and vice versa. We examined the reciprocal associations between emotional well-being and subjective health from age 36 to 61.The data were drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development and included information from 36-, 42-, 50- and 61-year-olds (N = 336). The emotional well-being indicators included life satisfaction and negative and positive mood. The subjective health indicators were self-rated health and psychosomatic symptoms. The analyses were conducted with random intercept cross-lagged panel models.Within-person cross-lagged associations were found between emotional well-being and subjective health. Fewer psychosomatic symptoms at ages 36 and 50 predicted higher life satisfaction at ages 42 and 61, respectively. A lower negative mood at age 42 and a higher positive mood at age 50 predicted fewer psychosomatic symptoms at 50 and 61, respectively. Conversely, a higher negative mood at ages 36 and 50 predicted better self-rated health at ages 42 and 61, respectively.The relationship between emotional well-being and subjective health appears to be reciprocal. Both emotional well-being and subjective health predicted each other even 6–11 years later. However, associations may depend on the variables and age periods investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Walking is the most popular form of physical activity among older people and for community-dwelling older people walking for errands is especially important. The aim of this study is to examine the association between self-reported environmental mobility barriers and amount of walking for errands among older people who live alone compared to those who live with others.Methods: This observational study is based on cross-sectional data on 657 people aged 75-81 living in Jyväskylä, Central Finland. Self-reports of environmental mobility barriers were collected under four categories: Traffic, Terrain, Distances and Entrance. Persons who reported walking for errands ≤ 1.5 km/week or at most once a week were categorized as having low amount of walking for errands (LOWER). High walking for errands (HIGWER) was defined as the highest quartile of kilometers walked per week (cut-off 8.5 km, referent). The rest were defined as having moderate amount of walking for errands (MODWER). Multinominal regression analysis was used to compare the odds for LOWER vs. HIGWER and MODWER vs. HIGWER, which were formed for each environmental mobility barrier separately.Results: Participants walked on average 6.5 km (SD 5.2) and 4.0 times (SD 2.2) per week and 14% reported LOWER. Persons living alone (57% of the participants) reported environmental mobility barriers more often than those living with others. LOWER was more common among those living with others. Among those living with others, all the environmental mobility barriers increased the odds for LOWER. In turn, among those living alone, only Distance- and Entrance- related environmental mobility barriers increased the odds for LOWER. People living alone typically run errands by themselves and become better aware of the barriers to environmental mobility, while those living with others have less exposure to environmental mobility barriers, as their walking for errands is more likely to be low.Conclusions: These findings emphasize the need to take living arrangements into account when analyzing the association between environmental mobility barriers and walking for errands. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to better understand the temporal order of events and to find ways to enhance walking for errands among older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased older people's opportunities to lead an active life. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether walking difficulties predict changes in leading an active life during the COVID-19 social distancing recommendation compared to 2 years before, and whether self-rated resilience moderates this association among older people. Data were collected during social distancing recommendation in May and June 2020 and 2 years before (2017-18) among community-living AGNES study participants initially aged 75, 80, or 85 years ( n  = 809). Leading an active life was assessed with the University of Jyväskylä Active Aging Scale (UJACAS; total score range 0-272) and resilience with the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (0-40). Self-reported walking difficulties over a 2 km distance were categorized into no difficulty, difficulty, and unable to walk. The total UJACAS score declined 24.9 points (SD 23.5) among those without walking difficulty, 27.0 (SD 25.0) among those reporting walking difficulty and 19.5 (SD 31.2) among those unable to walk 2 km. When adjusted for baseline UJACAS score, those unable to walk 2 km demonstrated the greatest decline. Baseline resilience moderated this association: Higher resilience was associated with less declines in UJACAS scores among persons with or without walking difficulty, and with more declines among persons unable to walk 2 km. When opportunities for leading an active life are compromised, those with less physical and psychological resources become particularly vulnerable to further declines in activity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have no conflict of interest to declare., (© The Author(s) 2021.)

Aim: To determine the relevance of features located close to home and further away, our aim was to study associations between older adults' physical activity and self-reported neighborhood destinations and barriers to outdoor mobility categorized by presence and maximal distance from home. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses comprising men and women 79-94 years old (57%) living independently in Central Finland ( n = 185). Self-reported physical activity was categorized into lower (≤3 h moderate activity a week) and higher (≥4 h moderate or intense activity a week) activity. Assisted by interviewers, participants located on an interactive map destinations perceived to facilitate and barriers perceived to hinder outdoor mobility in their neighborhood. Participants' home addresses were geolocated. Euclidean distances between home and reported locations were computed, and the maximal distance from home to neighborhood destinations and barriers, respectively, was categorized based using four common buffer distances, i.e., 250 m, 500 m, 750 m, and 1 km. Participants reporting destinations or barriers within and beyond the respective distance were compared with those reporting none. Results: About 80% of participants reported neighborhood destinations and 55% neighborhood barriers to outdoor mobility. Barriers were generally located closer to home than destinations [median 166 m (range 25 m-6.10 km) vs. 492 m (5 m-2.7 km)]. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and physical performance showed that neighborhood destinations increased the odds for higher physical activity when located beyond 500 m from home [OR 2.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-8.54], but not when located solely within 500 m (OR 1.70, 95% CI 0.30-9.61), in comparison with when reporting no destinations. In contrast, neighborhood barriers decreased the odds for higher physical activity when solely located within 500 m (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.14-0.72), but not when any barrier was located beyond 500 m (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.23-3.99), compared with when reporting no barriers. Associations were similar for 250-m buffer distances, but not robust for 750-m and 1,000-m buffers because of lower prevalence. Conclusion: Neighborhood barriers to outdoor mobility located close to home were associated with lower physical activity of older adults, whereas barriers further away were not. Attractive destinations for outdoor mobility located further away from home correlated with higher physical activity, potentially by motivating one to go out and be physically active. Temporal relationships warrant further study., (Copyright © 2020 Portegijs, Keskinen, Eronen, Saajanaho, Rantakokko and Rantanen.)

Active aging refers to striving for well-being through preferred activity and may be restricted with declining mobility. We investigated whether psychological resilience, i.e., the ability to tolerate hardship, can aid older people in being active despite mobility limitations. Participants were 961 community-dwelling persons aged 75, 80, or 85 years living in Jyväskylä, Central Finland. Mobility limitations were indicated as self-reported difficulty in walking 2 km. Categories were no difficulty (reference), difficulty, and unable to walk. Resilience was assessed with the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and active aging with the University of Jyvaskyla Active Aging scale. Data were analyzed with OLS regression analyses, which were stratified by age. In all age-groups, having difficulties walking or being unable to walk 2 km was associated with lower active aging scores. Resilience moderated this association especially among the 75-year-olds, but not among the 85-year-olds: The higher the resilience score, the higher the active aging score among those reporting no or some walking difficulties. Those unable to walk 2 km had lower active aging scores irrespective of resilience level. Psychological resilience may alleviate the negative effects of early phase walking difficulties on active aging but may be insufficient to compensate for more severe walking limitations that restrict not only function but also autonomy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

This cross-sectional study investigated associations between reasons to go outdoors and objectively-measured walking activity in various life-space areas among older people. During the study, 174 community-dwelling older people aged 75-90 from central Finland wore an accelerometer over seven days and recorded their reasons to go outdoors in an activity diary. The most common reasons for going outdoors were shopping, walking for exercise, social visits, and running errands. Activities done in multiple life-space areas contributed more to daily step counts than those done in the neighborhood or town and beyond. Those who went shopping or walked for exercise accumulated higher daily step counts than those who did not go outdoors for these reasons. These results show that shopping and walking for exercise are common reasons to go outdoors for community-dwelling older people and may facilitate walking activity in older age. Future studies on how individual trips contribute to the accumulation of steps are warranted.