[How has life expectancy without functional limitations developed in Germany? An analysis with data from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS)]. / Wie hat sich die Lebenserwartung ohne funktionelle Einschränkungen in Deutschland entwickelt? Eine Analyse mit Daten des Deutschen Alterssurveys (DEAS).

INTRODUCTION: The long-term increase in life expectancy raises the question of whether the increased life expectancy is accompanied by an extension of years without health limitations. The study analyzes how life expectancy without functional and mobility limitations from the ages of 46 and 65 and their proportions of remaining life expectancy have changed since 2008. METHODS: We analyze data from the German Ageing Survey of the 2008, 2014, and 2020/21 waves. Life expectancy without functional limitations (disability-free life expectancy-DFLE) was calculated using the Sullivan method. Severe functional limitations (using the Global Activity Limitation Indicator-GALI) and mobility limitations (climbing stairs, walking more than 1 km) were examined. RESULTS: Compression of morbidity in the GALI has been observed in 46- and 65-year-old men since 2014, but not in women of the same age. In terms of mobility, 46- and 65-year-old men show trends towards compression when climbing stairs and 46-year-old men when walking more than 1 km since 2014. The values for women have stagnated for the first two indicators mentioned, but not for 46-year-old women since 2014 when walking more than 1 km. DISCUSSION: Our analyses show different trends in DFLE depending on the indicator, age, and gender and do not allow a clear answer to the question of morbidity compression or expansion. We tend to see morbidity compression in men, whereas trends of stagnation or expansion tend to be seen in women. These results signal challenges in maintaining functional health, especially in women, and point to the need for targeted interventions to improve quality of life and healthy life expectancy.

Mobility restriction and barrier-reduced housing among people aged 65 or older in Germany: Do those who need it live in barrier-reduced residences?

Introduction: Older people spend a lot of time at home and in the area near where they live. Housing conditions ensure their ability to participate in social life, especially when they suffer from mobility restrictions. Barrier-free access to the residence and to rooms within the residence is a key condition for their everyday mobility. As a result, this is what we define as minimal criteria for barrier-reduced residences. This article examines the extent to which people aged 65 and over (including people with mobility issues) live in barrier-reduced housing and what factors influence the chance of living in such residences. Data and method: Cross-sectional data from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) 2020/21 (persons aged 65 and over, n = 2,854) were used. The DEAS is a representative cross-sectional and longitudinal survey of the population aged 40 and over in Germany. In our analyses, we used logistic regression models to investigate the probability of living in a barrier-reduced residence. We defined housing as barrier-reduced when the apartment/house and the rooms inside it can be reached without steps or stairs. As explanatory variable, we considered mobility restrictions, defined as limited ability to climb a flight of stairs. In addition, the model includes other individual factors (age, gender, equivalized household income), regional factors (living in East vs. West Germany, in urban vs. rural region) and moving to the current residence after the age of 65. Results and discussion: Of all individuals aged 65 or older, 19.3 percent live in a barrier-reduced residence. Also, of mobility-restricted elders, only 21.4 percent have such residences. The logistic regression results show that mobility restrictions are associated with a higher probability of living in a barrier-reduced residence. Compared to the lowest income group, older people in the highest income group are more likely to live in barrier-reduced housing. East Germans and people in urban areas are less likely to live in a barrier-reduced home. The likelihood of barrier-reduced living is higher among seniors who moved into their current residence after age 65. No significant differences were found for age groups and gender. The findings show that not enough seniors have barrier-reduced access to their homes and rooms, even if they suffer from mobility restrictions. Preventing functional restrictions must therefore also include improvements in the residential environment, especially in disadvantaged residential areas.

[Older adults in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: health-related findings of the German Ageing Survey (DEAS)]. / Ältere Menschen im ersten Jahr der COVID-19-Pandemie: Gesundheitsrelevante Befunde aus dem Deutschen Alterssurvey (DEAS).

This narrative review brings together findings from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) on the health situation of people in the second half of life during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, this review answers the question of whether older adults (i.e., people in late adulthood) were indeed more vulnerable in the early days of the pandemic than younger adults (i.e., people in middle adulthood). Findings on the following health indicators are presented: perceived threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, perceived age discrimination, self-reported changes in physical activity, loneliness, and self-rated health.The results show that a higher age should not be considered as a universal risk factor for particularly severe indirect health consequences due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most older adults did not perceive the COVID-19 pandemic as very threatening and rarely experienced discrimination based on their age. By contrast, many younger and older adults reported to be less physically active and they showed an increase in loneliness that was equally distributed across age groups. Moreover, self-rated health deteriorated compared to pre-pandemic levels-but only among older adults. This deterioration, however, seems to be associated with individual ageing rather than the pandemic situation.It can be concluded that older people in private households did not show a particularly unfavorable health situation in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Well-being trajectories of middle-aged and older adults and the corona pandemic: No "COVID-19 effect" on life satisfaction, but increase in depressive symptoms.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to profound changes in individuals' lives and might have meaningful implications for well-being. We investigated if and how two major indicators of well-being (life satisfaction and depressive symptoms) changed in Germany from a prepandemic measurement occasion (2017) to June/July 2020, the time of the fading first wave of COVID-19. This change was compared with prepandemic change between 2014 and 2017. We also analyzed whether change in well-being varied according to age, self-rated health, corona-specific attitudes, and subjective standard of living. Ten thousand seven-hundred and ninety three individuals had taken part in at least one of the measurement occasions between 2014 and 2020 (mean age in 2014: 64.30 years; SD = 11.58 years). Based on latent change score models controlling for baseline well-being and sociodemographic indicators, we found, across both time intervals (2014-2017, 2017-2020) and independent of individuals' age, a small mean-level increase in life satisfaction. In contrast, depressive symptoms increased from 2017 to 2020, particularly among older participants, whereas they remained, on average, stable between 2014 and 2017. Individuals with a poorer self-rated health, who felt more threatened by the pandemic and whose subjective standard of living was lower revealed a decrease in life satisfaction and a steeper increase in depressive symptoms between 2017 and 2020. Our findings thus suggest that whereas life satisfaction remained quite stable, the pandemic was, already 3-4 months after its onset in Germany, accompanied by an increase in depressive symptoms, particularly among adults who were older, felt less healthy and were more concerned about COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Feeling younger as a stress buffer: Subjective age moderates the effect of perceived stress on change in functional health.

Feeling younger than one's chronological age is associated with various beneficial health outcomes. However, apart from these direct health effects, little is known about the role of subjective age as a potential "buffer" and compensatory resource that might counteract the detrimental effect of health risk factors. We investigated whether the effect of perceived stress as a major health risk factor on change in functional health is smaller among individuals who feel younger. Additionally, we analyzed whether this "stress buffer effect" of subjective age varies by chronological age. Longitudinal data from the German Ageing Survey comprising 3 years (2014-2017) were used (N = 5,039; mean age at baseline: M = 63.91 years, SD = 10.80 years, range 40-95 years). Latent change score models revealed that, controlling for baseline functional health as well as for sociodemographic variables, greater perceived stress was associated with a steeper decline in functional health. This effect increased in size with advancing chronological age. Moreover, a younger subjective age was associated with a less steep decline in functional health. Subjective age additionally exhibited a stress buffer effect: Among individuals who felt younger, the association of greater perceived stress with steeper functional health decline was weaker. This stress buffer effect of subjective age became larger with increasing age. Our findings thus suggest that, particularly among older adults, a younger subjective age might help to buffer functional health decline, not only by directly affecting functional health, but also by compensating and counteracting the detrimental effect of stress on functional health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Regional Impact of Population Aging on Changes in Individual Self-perceptions of Aging: Findings From the German Ageing Survey.

Background and Objectives: The importance of self-perceptions of aging (SPA) for health and longevity is well documented. Comparably little is known about factors that contribute to SPA. Besides individual factors, the context a person lives in may shape SPA. Research has so far focused on country-level differences in age stereotypes, indicating that rapid population aging accompanies more negative age stereotypes. The present study expands previous research by investigating the impact of district-specific population aging within one country on different facets of SPA. Research Design and Methods: Based on a large representative survey in Germany, the study investigates changes in SPA as ongoing development as well as the SPA of physical loss over a 12-year period in adults aged 40+. The study uses several indicators of population aging (e.g., population development, average age, greying index), to identify four clusters differing in their pace of population aging. Based on three-level latent change models, these clusters were compared in their impact on changes in SPA. Results: Compared to districts with an average rate of population aging, the study shows that persons living in regions with a fast population aging rate (C1) hold more negative SPA in both facets (ps = .01). Districts with slow population aging (C2) have significantly higher SPA ongoing development (p = .03). Discussion and Implications: The study underlines the importance for regional differences in population aging on the development of SPA. In particular, societies should be aware that fast population aging may result in more negative SPA.

[Small Area Variation in Demographic Aging - Informal and Formal Nursing Care Ratios and Care Preferences of Senior Citizens Inform Health Care Planners]. / Regionale Unterschiede bei demografischer Alterung.

Objective Demographic aging affects the number of older individuals potentially in need of care and age groups of younger individuals potentially providing formal and informal care. This study examines the current and future demographic aging and care preferences on a county level in Saxony. Methods To analyze demographic aging, formal (FISR) and informal intergenerational support ratios (IISR) based on population data from the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) were used. Ratios were calculated for every county in Saxony from 2012 to 2035. Care preferences for care settings of senior German citizens in Saxony were determined by a representative telephone survey (n = 101; 65+). Results FISR and IISR tend to progress in similar ways and are reduced by 50 % by 2035. Regarding nursing care preferences, the majority preferred being cared for at home. Implications Upcoming care ratios may inform community health care planners and decision makers on critical constellations in advance. Strategies to ensure the future elderly care are to be developed and implemented.