Defining health and lifestyle characteristics of the age 50+ population: cluster analysis of data from the PROTECT...

The proportion of older people in the world is increasing and evidence suggests that older adults interact differently with products. Understanding this change is necessary to develop products that satisfy this cohort's needs. Chronological age is typically used to segment older consumers however, given the diversity of ageing, a multi-dimensional approach considering other factors contributing to this behavior change is important. Using data from the PROTECT study in the UK, this research aimed to identify clusters of older people with distinct characteristics and investigate whether chronological age was fundamental in defining these groups.

Twelve variables, covering measures related to physical capabilities, mental health and lifestyle choices, were derived from the baseline questionnaire data from the PROTECT study and subjected to a k-means cluster analysis. Subsequent analyses investigated the association between participants' cluster membership and other key variables.

Cluster analysis identified 8 unique clusters of older adults differentiated on factors such as physical health (physical activity, pain, BMI and sleep quality), mental health (cognitive decline, depression and anxiety) and lifestyle (social events, puzzle and technology use and vitamin intake). Age was considered to be an important contributory factor to some clusters however did not explain all differences observed between the groups.

Our findings indicate that in addition to chronological age, health and lifestyle variables are important in defining the unique characteristics of different clusters of those in the 50+ cohort. Future research should consider the multi-dimensional nature of ageing when conducting research with older consumers.