Active Engagement
Preliminary Findings of Music Participation and Quality of Life in Senior Centers in the United States
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Victor Fung, Lisa Lehmberg
This is a preliminary report of an ongoing study of senior centers in the United States. The centers included in this report are located in four different parts of the country, from big city to small town, attended by seniors with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The study determines the role of music participation in the quality of life of senior citizens who utilize public senior citizen centers and the role of music within the operation of these centers. The researchers observed a wide range of activities, musical and nonmusical, in these centers and interviewed a sample of senior citizens who participated in these activities. Preliminary findings suggest that music participation promotes a sense of meaning and purpose in life that is connected to their past and present. Music participants reported numerous benefits in the social, physical, and psychological arenas. The centers collectively offer a wide variety of musical activities. Both staff members and participants of the centers feel that music is an essential contributor to quality of life. There is always a way to participate in music if one chooses to take advantage of the musical offerings at these centers.
The Effect of Social Activity Participation of the Older Adults on the Elderly Age Norms: Focusing on Mediating Effect of Exercise Practice
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kim Sueyeon, Young Shin Won, Jin Won Kim
'Age Norms' can be defined as expectation of behavior style and social role of people of a certain age in a society. These norms of the older adults are indicators of their status in society. In the past, the perception of the older adults was negative. However, in recent years, it is gradually becoming more positive. As the life span of the old age grows longer, interest in the quality of life and welfare of the older adults is increasing. Participating in social activity is important for older adults because such activity is associated with mortality rate and subjective well-being. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether social activity participation of older adults affects the recognition of the older adults age norm through the exercise practice. The subjects for this study are 10,451 elderly who participated in 2014 Korean National Survey on Older Adults. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN(ver. 21.0) program, and frequency analysis, descriptive analysis, multiple regression, and Sobel test were utilized. The results reveal that exercise practice has a partial mediating effect between elderly age norm and social activity participation of older adults. Based on these findings, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
An Exploration of the Influence of Social Ballroom Dancing on Health and Well-being for Older Adults
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sarah Chipperfield
The aim of this study is to explore the influence of social ballroom dancing on the health and well-being of community-dwelling older adults. A qualitative-dominant, concurrent mixed-methods design was utilised. Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was collected using clinical outcome measures for physical function, balance, falls risk and well-being over a 12-month period. Twenty-six older adult ballroom dancers were recruited at baseline; twenty-three completed the study. Four qualitative key themes were identified amongst the sample. ‘Active-ageing’, ‘class commitment and congruence’, ‘social dance community’ and ‘enjoyment’, with a common theme of ‘pleasure’ inter-linking these themes. In addition to the current literature, ‘pleasure of practice’ and ‘pleasure of community’ are two types of pleasure suggested. Over the 12-month period there were no significant changes in physical function, balance and wellbeing scales; with 97.5% of recordings within the ‘healthy’ well-being score range. Group scores for falls risk tests were significantly lower than normalised scores for their age group, indicating possible substantive findings for clinical practice. This study demonstrated a low attrition rate and no adverse effects due to ballroom dancing. The findings suggest that ballroom dancing should be promoted by health professionals as a socially inclusive, safe physical activity. Ballroom dancing enhances physical, psychological and social resilience in older adults by resisting age-related physical decline and assisting with acceptance of the ageing body. It also enhances well-being by providing opportunities to experience considerable pleasure and encourages the formation of supportive social communities.
