Home living older adults' subjective perceptions, evaluation, and interpretations of various welfare technology: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Objectives: This paper aims to map home-living older adults' subjective perceptions, evaluations, and interpretations of various welfare technologies. Study design: Systematic literature review. Methods: The study was designed as a systematic literature review of qualitative studies. This systematic literature review was carried out according to the PRISMA statement and was prospectively registered in PROSPERO registration number CRD42020190206. The international electronic bibliographic databases included AMED, Academic, CINAHL, Cochrane Reviews, EMBASE, Google Scholar, MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The scientific evidence was synthesized using qualitative analysis. All aspects of the study method followed COREQ guidelines. Results: Following a detailed systematic search and screening of 1405 studies, 10 were included in the systematic review. The study shows that implementing Welfare Technology seems to prolong older adults' independent living in their own homes and was perceived as a complement to face-to-face contact with health care providers. Conclusions: This study indicated that older adults consider accepting Welfare Technology as it contributes to a sense of security and empowerment in their everyday lives.

The Impact of Digital Technology on the Physical Health of Older Workers: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies have penetrated most workplaces. However, it is unclear how such digital technologies affect the physical health of older workers. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aims to examine and summarize the evidence from scientific literature concerning the impact of digital technology on the physical health of older workers. METHODS: This scoping review will be conducted following recommendations outlined by Levac et al and will adhere to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines for reporting. Peer-reviewed papers written in English will be searched in the following databases: MEDLINE, Cochrane, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, APA PsycInfo, and ERIH PLUS. The web-based systematic review platform Covidence will be used to create a data extraction template. It will cover the following items: study and participant characteristics, health measures, digital tool characteristics and usage, and research findings. Following the Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework, our review will focus on studies involving older workers aged 50 years or older, any form of digital technology (including teleworking and the use of digital tools at work), and how digital technologies affect physical health (such as vision loss, musculoskeletal disorders, and migraines). Studies that focus only on mental health will be excluded. Study selection based on title and abstract screening (first stage), full-text review (second stage), and data extraction (third stage) will be performed by a group of researchers, whereby each paper will be reviewed by at least 2 people. Any conflict regarding the inclusion or exclusion of a study and the data extraction will be resolved by discussion between the researchers who evaluated the papers; a third researcher will be involved if consensus is not reached. RESULTS: A preliminary search of MEDLINE, Epistemonikos, Cochrane, PROSPERO, and JBI Evidence Synthesis was conducted, and no current or ongoing systematic reviews or scoping reviews on the topic were identified. The results of the study are expected in April 2025. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review will seek to provide an overview of the available evidence and identify research gaps regarding the effect of digital technology and the use of digital tools in the work environment on the physical health of older workers. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/59900.

Differences in self-rated health among older immigrants--a comparison between older Finland-Swedes and Finns in Sweden.

AIMS: Research has shown a tendency among immigrants and ethnic minorities to have a lower health status compared with the majority population. This applies to Finnish immigrants in Sweden. This group, however, also consists of persons who belong to a small ethnic minority in Finland, the Finland-Swedes, who speak Swedish as their mother tongue. In Finland, this minority has been shown to have better health and longer lives than the majority of Finnish-speaking people. Most of the previous research has studied the objective health of immigrants and minorities, while less is known about their subjective health. The aim of this study was to describe and compare self-rated health in older Finland-Swedes and Finns living as immigrants in Sweden. METHODS: The study was carried out as a sample-based cross-sectional study. Data was collected by a postal structured questionnaire. The response rate among the Finland-Swedes was 47% (n = 169) and among the Finns was 54% (n = 643). Data was analyzed descriptively and tested with Pearson's chi-square test. RESULTS: The results showed significant differences between the language groups in self-rated health, age of retirement and causes for retirement. The Finland-Swede immigrants rated their health as better than the Finnish-speaking ones. They had retired at an older age and less frequently because of health problems. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that there may be significant differences in health, at least in subjective health, between immigrant groups. Due to the low response rate, the results cannot be generalized.

Experiential health from an ageing and migration perspective: the case of older Finland-Swedes.

Research has shown that immigrants and minority groups tend to have a lower health status compared to the majority population. The Finnish immigrants in Sweden are no exception. The Finland-Swedes, i.e., persons living in Finland who have Swedish as their mother language, seem to be an exception, however. They have been found to have better health and longer life expectancy compared to the Finnish majority. Research on health among migrated Finland-Swedes is scarce. The aim of this study was to describe and deepen the understanding of how older Finland-Swedes living as immigrants in Sweden, as well as re-migrants in Finland, experienced their health. Data was collected through 39 qualitative interviews with 29 older Finland-Swedes aged 65 or more. Data was analysed through qualitative thematic content analysis. The analysis resulted in five themes: Ageing means becoming frail and closer to death; Despite frailty and old age it is possible to feel well and experience peace; Being grateful for health as a source of life; Health comes from inner strength and external sources; Migration meant a mental and physical burden to health. Overall, both ageing and migration were experienced as jeopardising health.

Health resources and health strategies among older Swedish-speaking Finns--a hermeneutic study.

Research has shown that the Swedish-speaking Finns have better health than the Finnish-speaking majority. The aim of this paper was to explore the health resources and health strategies among home-dwelling Swedish-speaking Finns aged 75 or older. The objective was to develop health-promotive nursing care for this group. Data was collected through recorded semistructured conversations with 22 older persons. The conversations were transcribed and interpreted through a hermeneutic approach. The material was read through several times and compiled into 22 narratives with relevant quotations. The narratives were subsequently summarised into one core narrative under each major category, to present the health resources and health strategies. Six categories were found: the Positive, the Social, the Active, the Adaptable, the Stubborn and the Passive. Within the Positive category, morale played an important role as a health resource and health strategy. Within the Social category, social activities were regarded as both health resources and health strategies, whereas their absence was a health obstacle. Within the Active category, a wide range of physical activities played an important role. Within the Adaptable category, contentment was a health resource. Within the Stubborn category, stubbornness itself was a health resource, whereas strong belief was a health strategy. Within the Passive category, although health obstacles permeated the life context, contentment and caution were seen as health resources. The vision of the future varied from the confidence found in the Positive category to the uncertainty prevalent in the Passive category. The main health resources and strategies used by the elderly Swedish-speaking Finns were related to social and other activities as well as to personality. Transforming health obstacles into resources could be an important health-promotive nursing strategy.