Impact of a person-centred group intervention on life satisfaction and engagement in activities among persons aging in the context of migration^‡

Abstract

Background: There is a growing need to support the health and wellbeing of older persons aging in the context of migration.

Objectives: We evaluated whether a group-based health promotion program with person-centred approach, maintained or improved life satisfaction and engagement in activities of older immigrants in Sweden.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial with post-intervention follow-ups at 6 months and 1 year was conducted with 131 older independently living persons aged ≥70 years from Finland and the Balkan Peninsula. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group (4 weeks of group intervention and a follow-up home visit) and a control group (no intervention). Outcome measures were life satisfaction and engagement in activities. Chi-square and odds ratios were calculated.

Results: The odds ratios for maintenance or improvement of life satisfaction (for social contact and psychological health) were higher in the person-centred intervention group. More participants in the intervention group maintained or improved their general participation in activities compared with the control group. However, no significant between-group differences were found.

Conclusion: Person-centred interventions can support older person’s capability to maintain their health in daily life when aging in migration. Further research is needed with a larger sample and longer intervention period to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.

Keywords:

• Capability
• health promotion
• interdisciplinary
• leisure interest
• migration old age
• peer-learning
• wellbeing

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Hjalmar Svensson Foundation and University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centerd care (GPCC), (www.gpcc.gu.se). GPCC is funded by the Swedish Government's grant for Strategic Research Areas, Care sciences (Application to Swedish Research Council nr 2009-1088) and co-funded by the university of Gothenburg. This study was accomplished while first author was affiliated with the Swedish National Graduate School for Competitive Science on Ageing and Health (SWEAH), which is funded by the Swedish Research Council.