Comparison and correlates of participation in older adults without disabilities

This study was conducted to compare, by age group and gender, the level of participation of older adults who had no disabilities, and to determine which characteristics are most associated with participation. This study involved 350 randomly recruited community-dwelling older adults. Participation in daily activities and social roles were measured with the Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H). Demographic, health-related and environmental data were also collected. A decline with age was observed in four of the six daily activities domains and two of the four social roles domains of participation. However, these lower scores are mainly explained by the 85+ group, which consistently scored lower than the 65-69-year-old group. No differences were found between the 65-69, 70-74 and 75-79 years old groups. Some participation domains differed according to gender. Satisfaction with participation was high and did not differ between age groups. Characteristics most associated with participation vary according to the domains; generally, age and marital status are the best determinants of participation. This study found that most of older adults have an unrestricted level of participation which decreases only late in the aging process. This reduction in participation in very old adults was not accompanied by a decrease in satisfaction, supporting the hypothesis that they can participate satisfactorily in valued activities.