Aging & Social Change: Ninth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide problem and one of the biggest public health challenges today with increasing prevalence and incidence in both developed and developing countries. Obesity coupled with the challenges of ageing leads to an unfortunate burden of chronic diseases. The aim of this study is to explore the consequence of obesity among older adults and its association with health, wellbeing, and social care need. The primary objective is to critically analyse different studies carried out in the context of obesity in elderly and its association with health, wellbeing, and social care need to provide a conceptual model that can be tested in subsequent research. The study follows a mixed-methods design by using both quantitative and qualitative data to satisfy the objectives. The quantitative data is extensively analysed to answer some of the research questions from the English Longitudinal Study on Ageing (ELSA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to deal with multiple dependent and independent variables, whether those are numerical or categorical in nature. Qualitative interviews are undertaken on a sample of 30-40 older adults (50+). The qualitative interview data is analysed thematically with the help of NVivo software. A research framework is drawn for the audience to visualise the relationships or links between concepts to shed light on the phenomenon of interest and it is supported by the theoretical background.