Older adults from the Circumpolar North may define healthy aging differently than the rest of the world

Howell BM, Peterson JR. "With age comes wisdom:" A qualitative review of elder perspectives on healthy aging in the Circumpolar North Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. 2020 May;35:113-131. 

Review question

How do older adults living in the Circumpolar North define healthy aging? 

Background


The Circumpolar North comprises the Arctic and subarctic regions covering Canada, Finland, Denmark, Alaska, Iceland, Russia, Sweden, and Norway.

Older adults living in the Circumpolar North are more likely to experience chronic health conditions that can be exacerbated by the lack of access to care in comparison with their southern counterparts. 

There is currently no universal definition for “healthy aging,” which makes its definition dependent on the context and community. Healthy aging is most commonly described in relation to three main components: low probability of disease, high cognitive and physical capacity and active engagement in life. 

It is important to adapt the definition of this term according to the community to ensure that older adults are engaged in activities that they find most meaningful to their health and well-being. 

This review explores how older adults living in the Circumpolar North define healthy aging, since their perspectives are unique to this region of the world.

How the review was done

A detailed search of nine electronic databases for studies published between 2000 and 2018 was conducted. Studies were included if they focused on the experiences of older adults living in the Circumpolar North and how they define healthy aging. The definition of older adult was loosely defined as over the age of 50 years but there were exceptions depending on the study. 

A total of 194 studies were assessed for eligibility and 23 studies were included in the final review. 

This review was funded by the Alaska EPSCoR National Science Foundation award and the state of Alaska.

What the researchers found

Among the included studies, the age of the participants ranged from 38 years old to 98 years old. A few themes relating to healthy aging were identified, including the psychosocial and biomedical aspects of aging, as well as the importance of social interactions.

In terms of the psychosocial aspects of aging, older adults valued autonomy, independence, spirituality and having meaning in their life to achieve healthy aging. 

The biomedical aspects of healthy aging included the management of biological changes in the body, the role of pain and their level of disability with everyday tasks. 

Social interactions and the maintenance of interdependent relationships with families, caregivers and friends were found to be very important in avoiding isolation in older adults living in the Circumpolar North. It was also very important for older adults to feel as if their wisdom was respected by the community. 

Healthy coping strategies adopted by older adults included recognizing the importance of living in harmony with other members of the community, living a “rich and balanced” life, forgiving people who had done them wrong in the past, and adjusting based on their body’s evolving capacities.

Conclusion

This review identified some important considerations when defining healthy aging for older adults living in the Circumpolar North. They highlighted physical, mental, and cognitive autonomy, having a purpose in life, social relationships and community engagement as important factors in their aging experiences. Societal views on the wisdom that elders carry was also important. Since this population has unique perspectives on aging, it is imperative to better understand their experiences to help improve their quality of life.