Editorial: Aging: Challenges and Opportunities for Inclusion and Active Participation

Ramona Bongelli^1*Chiara Aleffi¹Alessandra Fermani¹Veronica Guardabassi¹Gonzalo del Moral Arroyo²Paola Nicolini¹

• ¹University of Macerata, Macerata, Italy
• ²Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain

In recent decades, the proportion of the population over the age of 65 has increased and, according to United Nations projections, it will reach 16% of the global population by 2050. While this trend reflects improved living conditions in many parts of the world, it also entails a growing prevalence of frailty and, consequently, a greater demand for care, thereby placing significant pressure on social and healthcare systems. Though aging is a heterogeneous process with significant variations between individuals, it is often associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, respiratory diseases, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, as well as cognitive impairments and decline. This frequently results in a growing need for long-term care, often provided by family members and professional caregivers. In other words, population ageing increases the demand for, and the cost of, social and healthcare services, making it even more urgent to ensure that older adults receive timely, targeted care that preserves -as long as possible -their autonomy and well-being, while fostering genuine social inclusion and enabling full participation in society. Defining social inclusion is challenging, because it is a complex concept, that includes numerous components. Some definitions focus on the sense of belonging and recognition within a group, while others place greater emphasis on the procedural, relational, and action-related dimensions. Thus, social inclusion has been defined as "belonging to, identifying with, and feeling included in important and valued social groups (e.g., friendship groups, support groups, work groups, recreation groups)" (Hutchison, P., Ewens, E., 2022: 2162), as well as "a process that enhances opportunities for social participation, strengthens social bonds, and ensures equitable access to opportunities and decision-making" (Tan et al. 2025: 1). Social participation can, instead, be conceived as the concrete opportunity to act, to take part in a social and relational context. It indeed refers to individuals' engagement in activities that foster interaction with other people, taking place within community settings and shared social spaces. Obviously, this involvement evolves over time depending on available personal resources and individuals' perceptions of what is valuable and meaningful. It is also shaped by the opportunities offered by the broader social context (Levasseur et al., 2022).At the same time, it is becoming increasingly urgent to provide adequate support also for their caregivers. The research topic In December 2024, the Research Topic entitled "Aging: Challenges and Opportunities for Inclusion and Active Participation" was launched, inspired by the VITALITY project (Innovation, Digitalisation and Sustainability Ecosystem for the Widespread Economy in Central Italy), funded by the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan). One of the overarching aims of VITALITY was to improve sustainability and quality of life in both urban and rural areas. Within this framework, the University of Macerata focused specifically on Smart solutions and educational programmes for antifragility and inclusivity (SAFINA). "Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better" (Taleb, 2014, p. 3). It enables individuals to benefit and develop not despite, but rather, because of radical uncertainty and adversity (Klisanin, 2022). This capacity is based on interdependence, since "our psyche can withstand shocks and get stronger because we are not isolated" (Klisanin, 2022, p. 338). For older adults, this means overcoming limitations and challenging (e.g., psychical, psychological) that often characterize later life, through active engagement with their social environment. Crucially, antifragility in later life can only be fully developed within inclusive contexts that provide opportunities for participation, recognition, and meaningful social interactions, enabling older individuals to strengthen their adaptive and transformative capacities. This project inspired further reflection on the importance of antifragility, inclusion, participation, and well-being in later life. Thus, the main aim of this Special Issue was to identify, in different contexts, challenges and opportunities to address the needs of this population, as well as that of those who care for them in situations of frailty. More specifically, the goal was to gather contributions that would pay attention to the impact of aging (primarily in psychological, social, relational, and communicative terms, but not only) on older adults, caregivers and the wider community (e.g., Bongelli et al., 2024;Guardabassi, 2025;Santini et al., 2025). For this special issue -the first volume of a two-volume collection -we received many highly interesting papers. Ten of them (nine original papers and one study protocol), authored by 42 researchers from different countries, with a particularly strong representation from China, were successfully published. Specifically, The second thematic area includes papers on how social capital, recreational activities (including the use of the internet and social media), and social relationships influence depression, happiness, and life satisfaction among older adults, with particular attention to mediating mechanisms such as selfperceived aging and life-course experiences. Cheng et al. (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1575099), through the lens of life course theory, conducted a qualitative study with sixteen older adults in China, showing how past experiences of war, famine and political reform have shaped the participants' current well-being and life perspectives. The findings highlight that the life wisdom and happiness of Chinese seniors unfold across three main dimensions: personal (rooted in education, family bonds and active social participation); social (characterized by an ambivalent perception, combing gratitude for social welfare with concerns about contemporary issues, especially corruption); temporal (linked to expectations for younger generations, with a strong sense of responsibility for guiding them, and an emphasis on resilience and the transmission of accumulated wisdom). Overall, the study reveals that older adults transform early-life experiences of suffering into a form of life wisdom, which not only contributes to their own well-being, but is also transmitted to younger generations, thereby reinforcing cultural continuity. Ye et al. (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1571977) focused instead on the role of social capital in psychological well-being. They conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,809 community-dwelling older adults in Chengdu and found that levels of depression not only varied according to certain sociodemographic variables (age, marital status, chronic illness, insurance coverage and income), but that social capital was negatively associated with both self-perceived ageing and depression. These results suggest that strengthening social capital -through initiatives such as senior universities, dance and chorus groups, or community sports -and fostering positive perceptions of ageing may help to prevent depression.Also Tao et al. (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1570653) -analysing data from three periods of the China Health and Aged Care Tracking Survey (CHRLS), collected between 2015 and 2020 on 3,762 adults aged 60 and above -found that both leisure-oriented social activities, as well as internet use have significant protective effect against depression in older adults.Similarly, Xia et al. (https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1552180), analysing data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which covered 36,934 adults aged 45 and over, found that playing Mahjong or Bridge was linked to higher subjective levels of well-being, specifically among those subjects (retired individuals, women, and participants from rural areas and eastern regions of the country) who engaged in these activities more frequently. Promoting diverse cultural and sporting activities within older adult communities could foster socialisation, prevent cognitive decline, and ultimately enhance well-being. These studies all emphasize the importance of fostering social relationships and community involvement among older adults. Participating in cultural, recreational, and digital activities, as well as feeling like an active part of a community, is essential for reducing the risk of depression and promoting an active and fulfilling life, even in later years. The Although the articles in Volume I of this special issue cover diverse topics, a common theme emerges: active ageing is closely linked to a sense of belonging to a community (social inclusion) and to social participation, through involvement in recreational, educational, sporting and cultural activities, both in person and online via the internet and digital technologies. Perceiving oneself as an integral part of and taking an active role in a community, both offline and online, appears to be a key factor in enhancing psychological well-being, reducing depression and counteracting negative perceptions of the ageing process, promoting simultaneously antifragility. While the contributions collected in this special issue highlight a series of conditions that can promote active ageing, they also emphasise the persistence of significant obstacles to its achievement, including ageism (i.e., "the tendency to be prejudiced against older adults, to negatively stereotype them -e.g., as unhealthy, helpless, or incompetent-, and to discriminate against them, especially in employment and health care", APA Dictionary), socio-economic inequalities, the intergenerational gap and the digital divide. Addressing these challenges requires integrated strategies, that combine educational, social and cultural interventions.