Exploring Well-Being in Older Adults: Challenges and Strategies

In contemporary society, the concept of happiness continues to generate engagement, prompting international observances like the UN SDG International Day of Happiness. This year, the emphasis of that event is on constructing a resilient, inclusive world, integrating sustainable practices universally.

Our “happiness” is a concept that is sometimes difficult to pin down. It is recognized that ‘wellbeing’ is a multi-dimensional construct including not just positive affect and satisfaction with life components but also social wellbeing, ‘eudaimonic wellbeing’ , ‘flourishing’ or the generation of meaning and purpose from life. The latter components of wellbeing are particularly important in older generations given their associations with age-related health outcomes.

This Research Topic delves into how aging populations can maintain wellbeing and health, exploring what we mean by “happiness”, how it relates to other concepts such as “wellbeing” and its relevance to “healthy/successful aging” both theoretically and empirically. We will also explore how the integration of wellbeing into health outcomes will influence the planning of public health and the design of interventions from a resilience and inclusivity angle.

This Research Topic also aims to determine and analyze public health tactics that bolster wellbeing, and resilience in older adults, considering the varied and multicultural environments in which they emerge. Aging societies face unique challenges in promoting well-being due to the diversity and demographic changes in our society. Our goal is to examine the plethora of cultural perspectives on aging and happiness, assessing both traditional and contemporary methods that uphold mental and physical health in later life.

The Scope of this Research Topic includes:

o Examining the relevance of recent definitions of ‘wellbeing’ to aging populations and the development of appropriate measures for use in them.

o Exploring interventions that positively impact upon wellbeing, as well as conjoined health and wellbeing outcomes (physical, mental, emotional and social health) and delivered across the spectrum of population health. For example:

o Self-management initiatives that are evidence-based yet engaging and accessible by large numbers of the population

o Clinically focused initiatives that integrate positive wellbeing approaches into existing care pathways.

o Community-driven initiatives that promote health and wellbeing but particularly focused on social inclusion, social connectivity and active or ‘healthy’ aging.

o Exploring the role of technology (including but not restricted to wearables, telemedicine, social media, online communities, AI) in delivering interventions across the spectrum of interventions described above, facilitating the access to information, support and services in aging populations, contributing to their sense of positive wellbeing and health.

o Identifying best practices for integrating public health policies that respond to the health and wellbeing needs of an aging demographic.

o Identifying how the cultural diversity of aging populations has implications for the design, delivery or evaluations of interventions to enhance wellbeing

This multidisciplinary research approach will offer insights into effective population health and wellbeing strategies (across self management, clinical and community levels) to cater to aging populations, implying a significant alignment with the global targets of the UN SDG International Day of Happiness. Acknowledging these connections enhances the discourse on sustainability, happiness, and health, aiming for a comprehensive strategy that enriches life quality in later years.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Aging populations, Well-being interventions, Public health policy, Happiness measurement, Technological aids in aging

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.