Healthy Ageing and Associated Factors among the Older Adults Living in Government Social Welfare Home for Older Persons in Southern Thailand: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Institutionalized older adults tend to experience higher levels of impaired health conditions compared to older persons living in the community. Healthy ageing is a global objective, however, there is limited knowledge about promoting healthy ageing specifically among older persons in social welfare homes. Objective: To examine the prevalence and factors associated with healthy ageing among institutionalized older adults in government social welfare home for older persons (GSWHOP) in the complex societies of the Southern region of Thailand. Materials and Methods: The present study was an analytical cross-sectional study that included 126 older participants aged 60 years or older capable of self-help activities. The present study defined healthy ageing as having independent physical function, good mental health status with no depression, normal nutrition status, and good quality of life. Results: Approximately 33.3% of the older residents who were capable of self-help activities achieved healthy ageing. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of healthy ageing between men at 36.2% and women at 30.9% (p>0.05). After controlling for other covariates, the present study found that factors such as length of institutional stay, knowledge of health promotion behavior (HPB), perceived stress, received HPB related information, and exercise were significantly associated with healthy ageing (p<0.05 to p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study revealed that approximately one in three institutionalized older residents in southern Thailand met the criteria for healthy ageing. The findings indicate the importance of social welfare staff, administrators, and policymakers in implementing effective solutions. These include providing practical knowledge of HPBs, promoting regular exercise, and implementing stress management strategies for institutionalized older adults. Targeting individuals after their first year of institutional stay is crucial. These measures can improve the health and well-being of institutionalized older adults in the region. Keywords: Healthy ageing; Institutionalized older adults; Health promotion behaviors; Educational and ecological factors; Quality of life; Southern Thailand