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Asian Journal of Population Sciences [Volume 2, 15 January 2023, pp. 124-128] 124
[OPINION/SHORT COMMUNICATION]
Healthy Ageing: A Basic Concept
Hom Nath Chalise, PhD1,2
Corresponding Author & Email
Hom Nath Chalise; chalisehkpp@gmail.com
1Central Department of Population Studies, Tribhuvan University, Nepal
2Expert Member, WHO (TAG) Advisory Group for Measurement, Monitoring
and Evaluation of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9301-6890
Article History
Submitted 15 October 2022; Reviewed 13 December 2022; Accepted 18 December 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/ajps.v2i1.51096
Abstract
Rapid population aging is a characteristic of
the 21st century, regardless of a nation’s level
of development. An aging global population
results in a burden in medical and social
demographic problems worldwide. Addressing
this problem is the highest priority for the care
of the aging population worldwide. Healthy
aging is an individual lived experience that is
influenced by healthy behaviours over the
course of a lifetime. This includes a person’s
ability to: meet their basic needs; learn, grow
and make decisions; be mobile; build and
maintain relationships, and contribute to
society. For the promotion of healthy aging, a
healthy lifestyle is important. A healthy
lifestyle for older adults includes healthy
eating, regular physical activity, staying at a
healthy weight, improving mental health,
social participation, regular health check-ups
and health screening, no smoking, and taking
steps to prevent falls.
Keywords: Aging, healthy aging, preventing aging, active aging, Decade of
healthy aging
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Department of Population Studies
Prithvi Narayan Campus
Tribhuvan University
Pokhara, Nepal
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Healthy Ageing: A basic concept
Asian Journal of Population Sciences [Volume 2, 15 January 2023, pp. 124-128] 125
Main Text
In the 20th century, aging was occurring mainly in developed countries
and developing countries were less concerned with this. But, now life expectancy
in the world is rising despite some regional differences. Rapid population aging is
a characteristic of the 21st century, regardless of a nation’s level of development
(Chalise, 2019). However, an increased life expectancy does not always imply
improved health and well-being in the later years of older people. Aging often
comes with problems affecting well-being, such as depression, loneliness, and ill
health (Chalise, 2021; Attafuah et al., 2022). As a result, as people in the world
are aging, the well-being of older adults in the world is increasingly becoming an
important issue (Joshi & Chalise, 2021; Chalise et al., 2007).
Aging is a multifaceted process. It involves numerous molecular and
cellular mechanisms in the context of different organ systems. A set of functional
and structural alterations weaken the immune system. Old age is not a disease but
aging is associated with a decline in the immune system and intrinsic capacity
(Chalise & Rosenberg, 2020). An aging population impacts almost every area of
government policy and presents several socioeconomic and health and care
challenges. So, people from the multidisciplinary field are working to find out the
ways how people in old age can also have good health and quality of life.
At the biological level, aging results from the impact of the accumulation
of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time (Attafuah, et al,
2022). Finally, it results in a gradual decrease in physical and mental capacity, a
growing risk of disease, and ultimately death. With increasing age older people
may suffer from geriatric syndrome like cognitive impairment, depression, falls,
pain, urinary incontinence, dizziness, functional dependence, and others (Chalise
& Rosenberg, 2020). It will have a substantial impact on morbidity, disability,
and healthcare of older people (Khanal & Chalise, 2020). Older adults are more
likely to suffer from chronic medical conditions that increase their risk of
developing geriatric syndrome that, in turn, is as prevalent as chronic diseases
and the co-occurrence of both can have a significant effect on older adults’
functional status and their ability to manage their overall health, let alone the
rising costs of care (Inouye, et al., 2007; Lee, 2009). But, having a healthy
lifestyle can help people to deal with age-related changes.
An aging global population results in a burden in medical and social
demographic problems worldwide (Singh, et al., 2021). Addressing this problem
is the highest priority for the care of the aging population worldwide. But, having
a healthy lifestyle can help people deal with those changes. It may also prevent
some health problems and help individuals to make the most of their life. Some
of the benefits of staying active and healthy as people get older include increasing
well-being and participation, recovering from illness more quickly, reducing the
risk of getting a chronic disease, and preventing falls.
Everyone should have the opportunity to live a long and healthy life. The
environment we live in can favour for health or it may be harmful. Environments
directly influence to every one’s behaviour, such as, exposure to health risks,
access to quality health and social care, and the opportunities that aging brings. In
simple words, healthy aging is about creating the environments and opportunities
Healthy Ageing: A basic concept
Asian Journal of Population Sciences [Volume 2, 15 January 2023, pp. 124-128] 126
that enable people to be and do what they value throughout their lives. Everybody
can experience healthy aging. For healthy aging being free of disease or infirmity
is not a requirement, as many elderly have one or more health conditions that,
when well-controlled, have little influence on their well-being (WHO, 2015). The
World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthy aging as the process of
developing and maintaining the functional ability to enable well-being in older
age (WHO, 2015). Functional ability is the actual or potential capacity of an
individual person’s ability to: meet their basic needs; learn, grow and make
decisions; be mobile; build and maintain relationships, and contribute to society
(WHO, 2020).
Healthy aging is an individual lived experience. It is influenced by
healthy behaviours over the course of a lifetime. For example, nutrition quality,
physical activity, access to high-quality healthcare, and social engagement
influence healthy behavior. From early in life the intent to age well should be
fostered. Further, well-being is the birthright of every human being that
incorporates physical, mental, and social health. A common misconception about
the healthy aging requirement is the absence of disease or infirmity. But many
older people experience one or more health conditions that when well-managed,
have little impact on their well-being (WHO, 2002).
According to WHO, Key Principles behind healthy aging are “1. Older
people are an intrinsic value to society 2. Evidence indicates that health
promotion interventions can extend both length & quality of life 3. It is never too
late to promote health, even in very old age 4. Tackling health inequalities should
be at the core of any healthy aging strategy 5. Respect autonomy and personal
control – involve older people in the design of healthy aging strategies 6. Respect
individuality and heterogeneity” (WHO, 2002).
Further, healthy aging refers to the process of optimizing opportunities for
health, participation, and security, to enhance the quality of life as people age.
Active aging, successful aging, productive aging are other terms that is often used
interchangeably with “Healthy aging”. Health professionals prefer the term
“healthy aging”, because the World Health Organization (WHO) defines “health”
as including not only physical and mental health but also social well-being
(WHO, 2014). Everybody can experience Healthy Ageing. Healthy aging does
not mean being free of disease or infirmity as many older adults have one or more
health conditions that, when well-controlled, have little influence on their well-
being. The benefit of healthy aging is that it helps to reduce the pressure on
health care and social services. Older people also make important contributions to
their families, their communities, the economy, and their nation. We can learn
these things from Japan.
According to WHO, four elements of healthy aging are functional
abilities, intrinsic capacities, environments, and well-being (WHO, 2015). WHO
further explains: fixed personal characteristics (e.g., gender or ethnicity), social
norms (e.g., occupation, education, wealth, or social security), and other factors
(e.g., smoking, drinking, deprivation, or air pollution) across our life span can
affect later health characteristics. Later health characteristics include
physiological risk factors, diseases, injuries, and broader geriatric syndromes.
Healthy Ageing: A basic concept
Asian Journal of Population Sciences [Volume 2, 15 January 2023, pp. 124-128] 127
The cumulative effects of these health characteristics determine one’s intrinsic
capacity. Intrinsic capacity and its interaction with the environment determine an
individual’s functional ability and consequently govern the attainment of well-
being (WHO, 2015).
For the promotion of healthy aging, a healthy lifestyle is important. A
healthy lifestyle for older adults includes healthy eating, regular physical activity,
staying at a healthy weight, improving mental health, social participation, regular
health check-ups and health screening, no smoking, and taking steps to prevent
falls. Even if people have never done them before, it's never too late to start
taking care of their health. Older people, who stay independent, active, and
healthy, can continue to contribute their skills, knowledge, and experience to
society. Finally, it will positively impact overall socioeconomic and health and
care challenges related to older people (Khanal & Chalise, 2020).
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