Positive and negative ageing perceptions account for health differences between older immigrant and native populations in the Netherlands

Anna P Nieboer,Jane M Cramm,Thijs Van Den Broek

doi:10.1186/s12877-021-02119-8

Anna P Nieboer, Jane M Cramm + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02119-8

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Journal: BMC Geriatrics	Publication Date: Mar 18, 2021
Citations: 3	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Erasmus University Rotterdam

Abstract

BackgroundThis study assessed the extent to which persistent differences in self-rated health (SRH) between older immigrants and natives are attributable to negative and positive ageing perceptions.MethodsThe study was conducted with three population groups in Rotterdam, the Netherlands: native Dutch people aged ≥70 years (n = 1150), Turkish immigrants aged ≥65 years (n = 680) and Moroccan immigrants aged ≥65 years (n = 292). To assess participants’ internal ageing representations, we used the short Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, which distinguishes negative (consequences, chronic and cyclical timeline awareness, and emotional representations) and positive (positive consequences, positive and negative control) dimensions and has been validated in native and immigrant populations. We analysed differences in ageing perceptions between immigrants and natives and the associations of ageing perceptions with SRH. We used Karlson–Holm–Breen decomposition to assess ageing perceptions’ mediation of the relationship between migration background and SRH.ResultsOlder immigrants had stronger negative and weaker positive ageing perceptions (excepting the positive consequences of ageing) than did Dutch natives. Ageing perceptions mediated the relationship between migration background and SRH. SRH differences between Turkish immigrants and native Dutch older persons were explained mainly by differences in negative consequences and cyclical timeline awareness. SRH differences between Moroccan immigrants and native Dutch older persons were attributable mainly to differences in negative consequences and positive control.ConclusionsDifferences in positive and negative ageing perceptions between older immigrants and natives in the Netherlands largely explained SRH differences between these population groups.

Highlights

This study assessed the extent to which persistent differences in self-rated health (SRH) between older immigrants and natives are attributable to negative and positive ageing perceptions
Less than good self-rated health was reported by 44.7% of native Dutch, 72.6% of Turkish immigrants and Native Dutch (n = 1150)
This study suggests that ageing perceptions may play crucial roles in persistent health differences between older immigrants and natives

Summary

Introduction

This study assessed the extent to which persistent differences in self-rated health (SRH) between older immigrants and natives are attributable to negative and positive ageing perceptions. Older migrants report poor health, functional limitations and chronic diseases, and make more use of health care than do older natives, in the Netherlands [3,4,5,6] and in Europe overall [7,8,9] These persistent health differences can be attributed only partly to differences in socioeconomic status, and research has highlighted the potential importance of ageing perceptions [10,11,12,13]. According to Barker et al [17], ageing perceptions are multidimensional, as people build complex schemas to make sense of the multifaceted ageing process These dimensions of ageing perceptions can be positive (e.g. related to ongoing personal growth and development, leading to better outcomes [15, 16]) and negative (e.g. related to coping with declines [18]). Inspired by Leventhal et al.’s [19, 20] self-regulation model (SRM), Barker and colleagues [17] identified ageing perceptions in the following dimensions: i) the timeline, referring to a person’s awareness and longitudinal experience of ageing, which can be chronic (constant), acute or cyclical (varying over time, e.g. ‘I go through phases of feeling old’); ii) consequences, referring to the believed impact of ageing on various life domains, which can be positive (e.g. ‘as I get older, I get wiser’) or negative (e.g. ‘as I get older, I can take part in fewer activities’); iii) control, referring to beliefs about personal ways of managing one’s experience of ageing, which can be positive (e.g. ‘whether I continue living life to the full depends on me’) or negative (e.g. ‘slowing down with age is not something that I can control’); and iv) emotional representations, referring to negative emotional reactions to ageing (e.g. ‘I get depressed when I think about getting older’)

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