Temporal Patterns of Daily Occupations Related to Older Adults' Health in Northern Sweden

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of temporal patterns of daily occupations that could be related to high and low subjective health among older adults in Northern Sweden. A cross-sectional design imprinted by time-geographic methodology was used and participants 70 years and older were purposively selected and divided into groups of high and low health using the SoC-29 and SF-36 questionnaires. Daily occupations data were registered and analysed using VISUAL Time-PAcTS and related to health conditions using SPSS. The results showed that the participants in the high- and low-health groups showed similar patterns of participation in occupations during the 24-hour sequences describing their daily routines. Some differences in patterns of frequency and duration of occupations were shown between health groups during the 24-hour sequences as well as within six intervals. The low-health group showed higher frequencies and longer durations for “care for oneself” and “reflection and recreation” occupations and lower for “house-keeping” and “procure and prepare food” occupations compared to the high-health groups. There were few significant differences between the high- and low-health groups' mean durations for occupations. The results of this study could contribute to the support and assistance of occupations of older adults in society.

Keywords:

• Older adults
• Real time-use
• Health
• Temporal patterns of daily occupations
• Time-geographic method

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Professor Mats Westerberg, Department of Business Administration, Technology and Social Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, for valued contributions and assistance with the statistical analysis.