Development of a composite healthy ageing score: evidence from middle-to-older aged Australians

Eme Eseme John; Thomas Astell-Burt; Ping Yu; Chris Brennan-Horley; Xiaoqi Feng

doi:10.1093/heapro/daad043

Development of a composite healthy ageing score: evidence from middle-to-older aged Australians

Health Promot Int. 2023 Aug 1;38(4):daad043. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daad043.

Authors

Eme Eseme John^{1

2}, Thomas Astell-Burt^{1

2}, Ping Yu³, Chris Brennan-Horley⁴, Xiaoqi Feng^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Population Wellbeing and Environment Research Lab (PowerLab), Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² School of Health and Society, Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
³ Centre for IT Enabled Transformation, School of Computing and Information Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
⁴ School of Geography and Sustainable Communities, and Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.
⁵ School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

Abstract

We developed and validated a composite healthy ageing score (HAS) to address the absence of a definitive composite score comprising multiple health domains that measure healthy ageing in epidemiology. The HAS is developed from 13 health domains reported to influence healthy ageing. Data to measure these domains was extracted from the 45 and Up Study baseline. We applied best practices for scale validation and development. Physical functioning, cognitive function, mental health, sleep, quality of life, balance, social connections and overall health were retained. Functional capacity and resilience were uncovered as underlying latent structures. The HAS ranges from 0 to 16 with higher scores indicating a better health profile. This research contributes a comprehensive measuring tool, HAS, It enables examination and comparison of individual or collective health profiles and the investigation of the factors that influence their chances of living healthy for longer.

Keywords: functional capacity; healthy ageing; healthy ageing score (HAS); resilience.

Plain language summary

The proportion of the population living longer is increasing, but longevity does not necessarily imply ageing well. Advancements in medicine have made it possible for people to live longer even while managing multiple ailments. The determinants of how well one age result from a complex interaction of various factors. This paper examined thirteen factors that can influence healthy ageing to construct a healthy ageing score comprising the crucial health domains relevant to ageing well. We found that 8 of the 13 health domains, namely: physical functioning, cognitive function, balance and falls, overall health, mental health, quality of life, sleep and social connections were crucial to ageing well. Individuals were scored a 2, a 1 or 0 based on whether they met recommended levels for each domain item and aggregated as the healthy ageing score. The score ranges from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating a healthier ageing profile.

Publication types

Validation Study

MeSH terms

Aged
Australia
Cognition
Health Status Indicators*
Healthy Aging*
Humans
Middle Aged
Quality of Life

Supplementary concepts

Australians