Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness
Background: Vitality is a relatively unresearched concept and defined in existing literature either on the premise of one's functioning, or in terms of feeling alive. There is, however, little known about the significance of a sense of connectedness to life for vitality, especially from the per...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-06-01
|
| Series: | Aging and Health Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667032124000064 |
| _version_ | 1797220483119185920 |
|---|---|
| author | Anneke G. Julien Wendy P.J. den Elzen Prof Ria Reis Dorothea P. Touwen Prof Jacobijn Gussekloo Yvonne M. Drewes |
| author_facet | Anneke G. Julien Wendy P.J. den Elzen Prof Ria Reis Dorothea P. Touwen Prof Jacobijn Gussekloo Yvonne M. Drewes |
| author_sort | Anneke G. Julien |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Vitality is a relatively unresearched concept and defined in existing literature either on the premise of one's functioning, or in terms of feeling alive. There is, however, little known about the significance of a sense of connectedness to life for vitality, especially from the perspective of older adults. This research aims to explore the association between the concept of connectedness and the perspective of vitality as a sense of aliveness, in order to formulate a theoretical understanding grounded in the subjective perceptions that older adults themselves hold of vitality. Methods: Following a constructivist grounded theory approach and theoretical sampling, constant comparative analysis was performed on the transcripts of 15 semi-structured interviews, conducted in the Netherlands with older adults (mean age 73 years, eight females and seven males), regarding their vitality. Concurrently, empirical and theoretical findings were translated into a theoretical conceptualisation. Results: According to the older participants, connecting to life itself enhanced their sense of vitality. This connection was achieved through internal connectedness (connecting to one's own life, intrinsic stimuli and intrinsic goals in an independent manner) and external connectedness (social connectedness, environmental connectedness, engagement with the external world). Furthermore, our findings revealed distinct interactions between internal and external connectedness and facilitating tools, such as freedom from physical constraints, financial freedom and adaptation. Conclusions: Our findings provide a holistic concept of vitality and connectedness and consolidate existing perspectives on vitality into an overarching framework, which can contribute to the development of effective care policy, healthcare interventions and welfare services. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:50:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a6a63363619d46ef8628f666c7f83f19 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-0321 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:50:15Z |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aging and Health Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-a6a63363619d46ef8628f666c7f83f192024-04-06T04:40:40ZengElsevierAging and Health Research2667-03212024-06-0142100185Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectednessAnneke G. Julien0Wendy P.J. den Elzen1Prof Ria Reis2Dorothea P. Touwen3Prof Jacobijn Gussekloo4Yvonne M. Drewes5Department of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Laboratory Specialized Diagnostics & Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the NetherlandsDepartment of Medical Ethics and Health Law, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Section Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the NetherlandsBackground: Vitality is a relatively unresearched concept and defined in existing literature either on the premise of one's functioning, or in terms of feeling alive. There is, however, little known about the significance of a sense of connectedness to life for vitality, especially from the perspective of older adults. This research aims to explore the association between the concept of connectedness and the perspective of vitality as a sense of aliveness, in order to formulate a theoretical understanding grounded in the subjective perceptions that older adults themselves hold of vitality. Methods: Following a constructivist grounded theory approach and theoretical sampling, constant comparative analysis was performed on the transcripts of 15 semi-structured interviews, conducted in the Netherlands with older adults (mean age 73 years, eight females and seven males), regarding their vitality. Concurrently, empirical and theoretical findings were translated into a theoretical conceptualisation. Results: According to the older participants, connecting to life itself enhanced their sense of vitality. This connection was achieved through internal connectedness (connecting to one's own life, intrinsic stimuli and intrinsic goals in an independent manner) and external connectedness (social connectedness, environmental connectedness, engagement with the external world). Furthermore, our findings revealed distinct interactions between internal and external connectedness and facilitating tools, such as freedom from physical constraints, financial freedom and adaptation. Conclusions: Our findings provide a holistic concept of vitality and connectedness and consolidate existing perspectives on vitality into an overarching framework, which can contribute to the development of effective care policy, healthcare interventions and welfare services.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667032124000064Successful ageingHolistic frameworkEudaimonic well-beingConnectednessQualitative methods |
| spellingShingle | Anneke G. Julien Wendy P.J. den Elzen Prof Ria Reis Dorothea P. Touwen Prof Jacobijn Gussekloo Yvonne M. Drewes Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness Aging and Health Research Successful ageing Holistic framework Eudaimonic well-being Connectedness Qualitative methods |
| title | Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness |
| title_full | Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness |
| title_fullStr | Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness |
| title_short | Vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness |
| title_sort | vitality of older adults through internal and external connectedness |
| topic | Successful ageing Holistic framework Eudaimonic well-being Connectedness Qualitative methods |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667032124000064 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annekegjulien vitalityofolderadultsthroughinternalandexternalconnectedness AT wendypjdenelzen vitalityofolderadultsthroughinternalandexternalconnectedness AT profriareis vitalityofolderadultsthroughinternalandexternalconnectedness AT dorotheaptouwen vitalityofolderadultsthroughinternalandexternalconnectedness AT profjacobijngussekloo vitalityofolderadultsthroughinternalandexternalconnectedness AT yvonnemdrewes vitalityofolderadultsthroughinternalandexternalconnectedness |