Abstract
The value of tourism has been included in studies of active aging, and the existing public health implications of the physical and mental health effects of tourism among seniors are recognized as important issues. This study uses a mixed methods research approach to explore the effects of tourism value on the health and mortality risk of older adults, referred to in this paper as seniors. Survival analysis and cohort analysis are combined with the narrative analysis of in-depth interviews with eight convenience-sampled seniors to construct a narrative framework of seniors’ active aging tourism and its intrinsic drivers. The study found that the intrinsic framework of active aging tourism values for seniors has a three-stage continuum, an interaction, and orientation characteristics. There are six intrinsic key value drivers of tourism value and public health for seniors. In addition, this study identifies the personal characteristics and strengths of seniors as important influences on tourism value practices for active aging and public health. This study provides a positive psychological and behavioral research direction for existing research on the value of tourism in active aging. It provides an empirical basis for exploring the intrinsic mechanisms of tourism and public health.
Highlights
Previous research has identified aging as a problem associated with the decline and loss of physical and psychological health in later life [1]
Building on the results of previous research (Ashrafi et al [38] and Li et al [39]), this study explored the mechanisms underlying the health effects and mortality risks of travel by seniors using an applied survival analysis model oriented to a longitudinal data cohort on time-to-event orientation
Based on the narratives of the eight participating seniors, this study identified a number of factors that constitute the key value elements that influence active aging, and the mechanisms for realizing seniors’ tourism value practices
Summary
Previous research has identified aging as a problem associated with the decline and loss of physical and psychological health in later life [1]. The process of active aging acknowledges the value and importance of maintaining good health for older adults while remaining in their usual environment [3]. This view has stimulated research into active aging, with emphasis on the development and maintenance of abilities and skills that lead to a greater sense of well-being. To understand the travel behavior of older adults, referred to as seniors in this paper, mainstream psychological theories, such as disengagement theory, activity theory, and aging, have been developed and applied [4]. Given the potential for active aging to generate positive improvements in the overall health of all seniors, including their physical and mental health, activities that stimulate active aging, including tourism, have emerged as an important research area in factors related to seniors’ health
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