Healthy ageing in a multi-ethnic population: A descriptive cross-sectional analysis from the HELIUS study

Marilyne Menassa; Oscar H Franco; Henrike Galenkamp; Eric P Moll van Charante; Bert-Jan H van den Born; Esther M C Vriend; Pedro Marques Vidal; Karien Stronks

doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.107972

Healthy ageing in a multi-ethnic population: A descriptive cross-sectional analysis from the HELIUS study

Maturitas. 2024 Jun:184:107972. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.107972. Epub 2024 Mar 13.

Authors

Marilyne Menassa¹, Oscar H Franco², Henrike Galenkamp³, Eric P Moll van Charante⁴, Bert-Jan H van den Born⁵, Esther M C Vriend⁶, Pedro Marques Vidal⁷, Karien Stronks⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse, 43 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse, 43 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Department of Global Public Health & Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Science and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: m.menassa@umcutrecht.nl.
² Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Mittelstrasse, 43 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Department of Global Public Health & Bioethics, Julius Center for Health Science and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: O.H.Franco@umcutrecht.nl.
³ Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: h.galenkamp@amsterdamumc.nl.
⁴ Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: e.p.mollvancharante@amsterdamumc.nl.
⁵ Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: b.j.vandenborn@amsterdamumc.nl.
⁶ Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: e.m.vriend@amsterdamumc.nl.
⁷ Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Rue du Bugnon 46, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: Pedro-Manuel.Marques-Vidal@chuv.ch.
⁸ Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: k.stronks@amsterdamumc.nl.

PMID: 38507885
DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.107972

Abstract

Objective: We investigated ethnic health disparities in the Healthy Life in an Urban Setting multi-ethnic cohort using the multidimensional Healthy Ageing Score.

Study design: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the study baseline data (2011-2015) collected through questionnaires/physical examinations for 17,091 participants (54.8 % women, mean (SD) age = 44.5 (12.8) years) from South-Asian Surinamese (14.8 %), African Surinamese (20.5 %), Dutch (24.3 %), Moroccan (15.5 %), Turkish (14.9 %), and Ghanaian (10.1 %) origins, living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Main outcome measures: We computed the Healthy Ageing Score developed in the Rotterdam Study, which has seven biopsychosocial domains: chronic diseases, mental health, cognitive function, physical function, pain, social support, and quality of life. That score was used to discern between healthy, moderate, and poor ageing. We explored differences in healthy ageing by ethnicity, sex, and age group using multinomial logistic regression.

Results: The Healthy Ageing Score [overall: poor (69.0 %), moderate (24.8 %), and healthy (6.2 %)] differed between ethnicities and was poorer in women and after midlife (cut-off 45 years) across ethnicities (all p < 0.001). In the fully adjusted models in men and women, poor ageing (vs. healthy ageing) was highest in the South-Asian Surinamese [adjusted odds ratios (95 % confidence intervals)] [2.96 (2.24-3.90) and 6.88 (3.29-14.40), respectively] and Turkish [2.80 (2.11-3.73) and 7.10 (3.31-15.24), respectively] vs. Dutch, in the oldest [5.89 (3.62-9.60) and 13.17 (1.77-98.01), respectively] vs. youngest, and in the divorced [1.48 (1.10-2.01) and 2.83 (1.39-5.77), respectively] vs. married. Poor ageing was inversely associated with educational and occupational levels, mainly in men.

Conclusions: Compared with those of Dutch ethnic origin, ethnic minorities displayed less healthy ageing, which was more pronounced in women, before and after midlife, and was associated with sociodemographic factors.

Keywords: Ethnicity; Healthy Ageing Score (HAS); Healthy ageing; The HELIUS study.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Chronic Disease / ethnology
Cognition
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethnicity* / statistics & numerical data
Female
Healthy Aging* / ethnology
Humans
Male
Mental Health / ethnology
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Quality of Life
Social Support
Surveys and Questionnaires