Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37225934›Full record

ArticleAging clinical and experimental research2023

Being actively engaged in life in old age: determinants, temporal trends, and prognostic value.

Ulla L Aalto, Mia Knuutila, Tuuli Lehti, Anu Jansson, Hannu Kautiainen, Hanna Öhman, Timo Strandberg, Kaisu H Pitkälä

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ulla L AaltoDepartment of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. ulla.aalto@fimnet.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9918-5556
Mia KnuutilaDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Tuuli LehtiDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Anu JanssonDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Hannu KautiainenDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Hanna ÖhmanDepartment of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Timo StrandbergDepartment of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Kaisu H PitkäläDepartment of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
University of Helsinki · FIHelsinki University Hospital · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRecently, the concept of successful ageing has shifted from healthy ageing to active ageing, the latter emphasising even more the subjective perspective. Active agency is a marker for better functioning. However, the concept of active ageing lacks a clear definition so far. The specific aims of the study were to identify the determinants of being actively engaged in life (BAEL), to explore the changes in BAEL over 3 decades, and to explore the prognostic value of BAEL.

methodsThis is a repeated cross-sectional cohort study of older (≥ 75 years) community-dwelling people in Helsinki in 1989 (N = 552), 1999 (N = 2396), 2009 (N = 1492), and 2019 (N = 1614). The data were gathered by a postal questionnaire at each time point. Being actively engaged in life was defined by two questions "Do you feel needed?" and "Do you have plans for the future?", which was further converted into BAEL score.

resultsAn increasing temporal trend in BAEL score was observed through the study years. Male sex, good physical functioning and subjective health, and meaningful social contacts were determinants for higher BAEL score. Active agency measured by BAEL score predicted lower 15-year mortality.

conclusionsOlder home-dwelling, urban Finnish people have become more actively engaged in recent years. The underlying causes are diverse but improved socioeconomic status observed over the study years was one of them. Social contacts and not feeling lonely were found to be determinants for being actively engaged. Two simple questions describing active engagement in life may help to predict mortality among older people.

Indexed as

AgingIndependent LivingAgedCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMalePrognosisSurveys and QuestionnairesActive ageingActive engagementAgedMortalitySurvival

Identifiers

PMID37225934
PMCPMC10285005
OpenAlexW4378071539

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.