Prospective memory (PM), the ability to form a specific intention and remember to carry it out at an appropriate future time, is critical in health-related contexts and has been found to decline significantly with age. Further, motivation plays a vital role in PM and previous research indicated that older adults are particularly motivated by the social relevance of PM tasks. However, little is known about the role of perceived social impact in older adults’ health intentions. The current study aimed to explore the motivation behind carrying out future intentions. Participants (n=116, Mage= 70.78) self-rated their motivation for health-related tasks with either a social (remind your partner to take medications) or non-social (remember to take your own medications) aspect. Quantitative results indicated that some aspects of motivation (impact on others, effort, and enjoyment) were enhanced by social context, while others (personal reward and relatedness) were not. We also gathered qualitative information on health-related PM tasks in their daily lives and links to social motivation. Most participants reported helping someone else to remember their health-related PM tasks and experiencing positive emotions as a result of helping others. The findings may have implications for motivating people to remember health tasks, which could aid independent living and quality of life for older adults.
The inclusion of older adults in civic and political life is an important dimension of sustainable ageing, yet digitalisation increasingly shapes how such engagement is organised and accessed. This article examines the participation of adults aged 65 and over in Budapest’s participatory budgeting (PB) during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 cycles. In these two rounds, administrative participation data with age information were available, and participation was organised predominantly online. The descriptive analysis shows that older adults were underrepresented in both idea submission and voting relative to their share of Budapest’s population, and that their representation was even lower in the voting phase than in the idea-submission phase. To contextualise these results, the article also draws on survey-based data on parliamentary election turnout from an earlier period. These data provide limited and indirect contextual evidence on age-differentiated civic engagement in selected electoral districts, indicating that older adults’ participation was higher than that of younger adults. Taken together, the findings are consistent with the interpretation that digitally mediated participation requirements, in a context of age-related digital inequalities, may have contributed to age-differentiated patterns of inclusion in a formally open civic process. As a descriptive case study based on limited administrative participation data, the article contributes to debates on sustainable ageing by highlighting that digital institutional design may affect inclusion in later life. It concludes with policy implications for making participatory budgeting more accessible through more inclusive and hybrid forms of participation.
Unmet long-term care (LTC) needs are a critical policy indicator for aging societies. Using repeated cross sectional data from the nationally representative National Survey of Older Koreans (2014 and 2023), we examined changes in unmet LTC needs among community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and over with at least one limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) or instrumental ADL (IADL). The analytic samples comprised 1754 and 1648 individuals in 2014 and 2023, respectively. Guided by Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, we employed Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition to quantify the contributions of predisposing, need, and enabling factors—including sociodemographic factors, health status, and caregiving arrangements—to the observed changes in unmet care needs and family caregiving. Unmet LTC needs rose sharply from 20.1 to 54.7
Previous research suggests that people belonging to social categories not typically associated with loneliness are less likely to admit feeling lonely. Drawing upon this research, we hypothesized that men, those in good health, partnered individuals, and migrants are less likely to admit feeling lonely than women, those in poor health, single individuals, and non-migrants, respectively. Using data from Dutch, Moroccan, and Turkish individuals aged between 55 and 66 years in the Netherlands (N = 1,383), we examined this by assessing respondents’ reported loneliness on direct measurements of loneliness while controlling for an indirect measurement of loneliness. Findings showed that men, those in good health, and partnered individuals were less likely to admit feeling lonely when asked directly than women, those in poor health, and single individuals. Migrants were less likely to admit loneliness on the direct measurement than non-migrants, but only when they had a high score on the indirect measurement of loneliness. We recommend future studies to be cautious when using direct loneliness measurements, and professionals to be aware of the tendency of specific groups to underreport loneliness.
The association between long-term care use and mental health is ambiguous: informal care is generally negatively related to depressive symptoms, while formal care use is positively associated. As both care use and mental health are highly gendered, this study explored gender differences in the association between care network types and depressive symptoms and examined two potential explanatory mechanisms based on Self-Determination Theory: loneliness (indicating relatedness) and care sufficiency (indicating autonomy). The data are from ten observations of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (N = 18,954 observations from 4,925 older Dutch adults, between 1992 and 2022). Six types of care networks are considered (partner, informal, formal, institutionalised, privately paid and no care). A mixed-model hierarchical regression analysis was applied across care network types, stratified by gender, using hybrid models that disentangle between inter-individual differences (context related) and intra-individual changes. Results from between and within effects show that, for both men and women, users of partner, privately paid and no care reported fewer depressive symptoms than formal care users. This also applied to informal care for women, but not for men. These differences between care network types were (partly) explained by loneliness (both between- and within-person effects) and care sufficiency (only between-person effects), for both men and women. Changes in loneliness and care sufficiency impacted women’s depressive symptoms more than men’s. Results that formal care users have more depressive symptoms are very robust and imply that formal care must align more with the needs for emotional support.
This study investigates the determinants of and disparities in life expectancy (LE) with unmet long-term care needs among older people in China. The data come from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a nationally representative survey conducted between 2013 and 2020 (N = 42,480). Continuous time multi-state Markov modelling is combined with the life table approach to estimate the total life expectancy and life expectancy with met and unmet needs. Chinese older people aged 60 are expected to spend an average of 2.02 years with unmet care needs, comprising about one-third of their LE with care needs (6.44 years). LE with unmet needs is significantly longer among women, single people, older people with a lower level of education, and those living in rural areas. The duration of unmet needs over the remaining lifetime is estimated to be more than three times longer among the most disadvantaged group than the most advantaged group of older people (3.40 years vs 1.07 years). Life expectancy with unmet needs provides important information about older people’s quality of life and, like (un)healthy life expectancy, can be used for health economic evaluations and to monitor the performance of a health and care system. Targeted policies and interventions designed to support disadvantaged groups are essential to reduce the lifetime disparities in unmet needs.
Area deprivation is a key contextual determinant of health, yet the consistency of effects on ageing processes over the adult life span remains insufficiently investigated. This study investigated associations between area deprivation and different ageing measures across the entire adult age span in Great Britain. We used data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. A total of 13,174 participants in Health Assessment (2010–2012) and a DNA methylation subsample of 3,636 participants were included for cross-sectional analyses, as well as repeated measures of subjective functioning from subsequent 13-year follow-up for longitudinal analyses. Area deprivation was measured using the quintile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation, Townsend index, and Carstairs index. Ageing measures included DunedinPACE DNA methylation algorithm, Biological Health Score, cognitive function, and self-reported physical and general health. Linear regression models were used for cross-sectional analyses, and growth curve models were applied to examine longitudinal associations in subjective functioning. Subgroup analyses explored effect modification by individual-level sociodemographic characteristics. Higher area deprivation was associated with accelerated biological ageing, poorer cognitive performance, and worse subjective health, with clear and consistent social gradients across all deprivation measures. Longitudinally, individuals living in more deprived areas experienced persistently worse trajectories of physical and general health over time. Subgroup analyses suggest that area-level associations operate broadly across population groups, with few exceptions. These findings suggest that area-level socioeconomic disadvantage is a consistent contextual correlate of unequal ageing across adulthood that is associated with both baseline differences and, for some outcomes, divergent health trajectories over time.
The ageing-in-place experiences of widowed mothers caring for adult children with intellectual disabilities remain underexplored in gerontology and long-term care research. This study compares the experiences of widowed mothers aged 80 and over in Taiwan, an East Asian context in which filial piety continues to shape housing and care arrangements, among those with and without adult children with intellectual disabilities. Drawing on Clapham's Housing Pathways framework-personal control, identity, social support, and inequality-we analyse semi-structured interviews with 24 widowed mothers (17 with and 7 without adult children with intellectual disabilities) using an abductive thematic approach. Across both groups, ageing in place was strongly preferred, but this preference carried different meanings. For mothers of children with intellectual disabilities, remaining at home was tied to long-term co-residential caregiving, reciprocal interdependence, and concern for their children's future. For mothers with non-disabled children, it was more closely associated with maintaining independence, supported by family and, in some cases, migrant care workers. Homeownership and community ties fostered stability and belonging, while inequality shaped the extent to which ageing in place could be sustained. These findings show that later-life housing pathways are shaped not only by personal preference but also by caregiving histories, gendered family relations, and culturally embedded expectations of care. The study highlights the need for policies that better support older women with diverse care trajectories in East Asian familialist welfare contexts.
The increasing number of older adults with functional limitations has significant implications for care policy in rapidly ageing societies. This study examined trends in informal care, formal care, and unmet care needs among older Koreans, considering both individual characteristics and broader societal change. Using four waves of the National Survey of Older Koreans from 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2023, we analysed community-residing adults aged 65 and older with functional limitations and estimated survey-weighted multinomial regression models. Adjusted results showed a substantial rise in unmet care needs, from 20.4
Unpaid care for ill, disabled, or frail older family members (hereafter ‘family care’) is most common in late career. Because caregiving can be difficult to reconcile with paid work, it may reduce pension contribution records and later-life financial well-being. Many European countries therefore provide pension care credits, yet eligibility is selective and many caregivers remain uncredited. Against this background, we examine how late-career pension accumulation differs between non-caregivers, credited caregivers, and uncredited caregivers across different late-career employment trajectories. Detailed information on pensions, family care and employment of individuals between the ages of 55 and 65 (N = 814), covering those born between 1946 and 1955, is derived from SOEP-RV, a novel data linkage of administrative records of the German pension insurance (RV) with the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP, waves 2001–2020). By means of linear regressions, preceded by sequence and cluster analyses to typify late-career employment trajectories, we found no statistically significant associations between uncredited low-intensity care and lower pension accumulation. Uncredited high-intensity caregivers accumulate fewer pension entitlements within full-time and part-time trajectories. Moreover, credited caregivers accumulate more pension entitlements than non-caregivers, but only within part-time, homemaking, and early retirement trajectories. These findings suggest that the German pension care credit scheme provides selective and uneven compensation and that uncredited high-intensity caregivers tend to face pension penalties.
Internet use plays an important role in social participation in later life, yet little is known about how different domains of Internet use are linked to social outcomes or which factors shape engagement in these domains. Using an integrative approach, this study examines cognitive and affective attitudes toward Information and Communication Technology (ICT), age, and gender as predictors of social, informational, and entertainment-related Internet use and investigates how these domains relate to subjective (loneliness) and objective (social activity) indicators of social participation. Data were drawn from the baseline assessment of the SMART-AGE randomized controlled trial, comprising 648 community-dwelling adults aged 67–93 years (M = 75.0, SD = 5.63; 52
Social participation in old age is beneficial for the individual and the community. However, very old adults are confronted with specific challenges regarding their resources, values, and social networks. In a rapidly changing society, very old adults may experience conflicts resulting in individual experiences of anomie which we understand as feelings of disorientation. They can have negative effects on their social participation. Using data from the population-based survey Old Age in Germany (D80+), we examined whether individual experiences of anomie played a mediating role in explaining very old adults’ social participation. Based on the civic voluntarism model and theories of anomie and ageing, hypotheses were derived and tested using a structural equation model (SEM). Predictors included in the model were socio-economic and health resources, individual values, and social relationships. The SEM revealed significant indirect effects through anomie for education, income, and health. Direct effects on social participation were significant for all predictors except income. While mediation through anomie played a minor role for education and health, its importance for income was greater. Furthermore, model results showed a significant direct effect of all predictors on anomie and of anomie on social participation. While the predictors of social participation according to the civic voluntarism model could be confirmed for very old age, individual experiences of anomie seemed to play a crucial mediating role only for income. The model indicated that not income itself, but rather the insecurities caused by relative deprivation, influenced the social participation of very old adults.
Although mental health in later life has gained increasing attention, research on how early-life adversity (ELA) affects older adults remains limited. This study examined whether ELA exposure relates to mental health via a linear dose–response effect or a curvilinear association as proposed by the Steeling Effect Theory. ELA and past-year mental health disorders were assessed in N = 211 older adults (M = 69.8 years; 46.4
Caregiving can be time-consuming, and it can be challenging for caregivers to combine caregiving tasks with other obligations. While we know a lot about the problems of combining informal care with employment and family obligations, past employment and family histories are seldom discussed. This study tries to fill this gap by examining the association between employment and family histories and caregiving in later life. We used pooled data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, waves 1 and 2) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, waves 2 and 3) and combined them with the life history interviews from both surveys conducted in wave 3. First, we used sequence analysis and cluster analysis to analyze employment, partnership, and children histories between 25 and 50 years of age, separately for men and women. Then, we used logistic regression analysis to examine the relationships between these clusters and informal caregiving at ages 50 and above. Results indicate that women who stayed home (homemakers) and those who were self-employed were more likely to provide informal care in later life. Partnership histories matter only for men. Men who were separated were less involved in in-household caregiving and more in care provision outside of the household. Furthermore, childless men and women were more likely to be caregivers. Finally, differences in long-term care policies across countries significantly affected the likelihood of informal caregiving for men and women.
Population aging poses major challenges to the health and social systems of all countries. It also affects the labor force participation of older adults, shifting toward delayed retirement. However, older workers are more likely to face health issues, leading to productivity loss through sickness absence. To explore factors associated with illness-related absence while considering the significant amount of time spent at work, we conducted a systematic review assessing the effects of physical and psychosocial working conditions on sickness absence among older workers aged ≥ 50 years. A systematic search was conducted in the MEDLINE, CINAHL Ultimate, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science databases on December 3, 2025. Additionally, a forward and backward reference search was performed. Research that focused on older working adults was scarce. In total, 24 articles were included. Results showed that high physical job demands, physical job hazards, high psychosocial job demands, low job control, low rewards, effort–reward imbalance, low collegial and high managerial social support, low procedural justice, medium role clarity, high role conflicts, skill variety, certain work-time-related characteristics (e.g., shift work, long working hours, and non-flexible work hours), and—among women—sexual violence were all associated with a higher risk of sickness absence among older workers. However, some of the presented findings were based on single studies. We identified significant work-related factors for designing interventions and a supportive environment to reduce sick leave in elder workers. Nevertheless, further age-stratified research is necessary to strengthen the evidence and accommodate the needs of the aging, economically active population.
Socioeconomic inequalities may act on affective and cognitive health from early life through later life. This study tested to what extent the association of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) with later-life cognitive ageing is explained by life course accumulative affective problems. We used data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (n = 1,593; 52.6
Age discrimination at work is negatively associated with older workers’ labour market attachment. High levels of social capital between colleagues (horizontal social capital) and between employees and management (vertical social capital) may prevent age discrimination. Methods: We examined the prospective association between social capital at work and perceived age discrimination among 7640 workers aged 50 years or older participating in two waves of the Danish SeniorWorkingLife cohort study. Results: Low levels of vertical (risk ratio 3.51 (95
