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An investigation of the circumstances of older people with sight loss: analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
- Authors:
- GJONCA Edlira, NAZROO James
- Publisher:
- Thomas Pocklington Trust
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 15p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper aims to describe the socio-demographic characteristics of people with sight loss, their health and wellbeing and their socioeconomic circumstances. The exact number of people in the UK with sight loss is not known. More precise information is necessary for understanding the needs of this group. This study uses data from ELSA, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which surveyed over 11,000 people aged 50 and older living in private households. They were asked to rate their eyesight, among other measures of health and wellbeing.
Social inclusion, social circumstances and the quality of life of visually impaired older people
- Authors:
- NAZROO James, ZIMDARS Anna
- Publisher:
- Thomas Pocklington Trust
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 7p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper summarises findings from research which used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (covering people aged 50 and older living in private households) to examine the drivers of well-being for older people with visual impairment. The summary covers prevalence of visual impairment, health and economic circumstances of those with visual impairments, social networks and social participation, housing and neighbourhoods, and well-being. Key findings included that older people with a visual impairment are more likely to have additional other physical health problems than sighted people, are more likely to be in poor socio-economic circumstances, participate less in social, civic and cultural activities than sighted people, have similar levels of contact with people in their social network as sighted people but the quality of the relationships tends to be poorer, and are more likely to score negatively on measures of well-being than sighted people (but that this is explained by their greater likelihood of being in poor circumstances). The researchers conclude that having fair or poor vision is associated with a more frequent experience of negative outcomes than those experienced by people with good or better vision.
Digital inclusion in later life: cohort changes in internet use over a ten-year period in England
- Authors:
- MATTHEWS Katey, NAZROO James, MARSHALL Alan
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 39(9), 2019, pp.1914-1932.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
The ability to use the internet frequently is likely to provide a useful means of engaging with society and using services in later life, yet older people are the most likely to suffer digital exclusion, with those of the oldest ages at the greatest risk. Using six waves (2002–2012) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we model cohort-specific patterns of frequent internet use for people aged 50 and over. Multi-level growth models are used to observe trajectories of internet use over the ten-year period. Firstly, analyses are stratified by gender and wealth, and secondly we additionally test for health effects. The study finds cohort-specific differences in patterns of internet use. Rates of internet use increase faster among younger cohorts yet, despite initially increasing, begin to decline among older cohorts. Poor health is shown to be a key factor in shaping the trajectory of internet use over time. Rates of internet use are consistently lower for women than men and for those in poorer financial circumstances, independently of age cohort. The findings demonstrate the importance of ensuring older people can remain digitally included throughout later life, including after the onset of poorer health, especially as some of these individuals might benefit the most from some of the services the internet can provide. (Publisher abstract)
Changes in vision in older people: causes and impact
- Authors:
- NAZROO James, WHILLANS Jennifer, MATTHEWS Katey
- Publisher:
- Thomas Pocklington Trust
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 7
- Place of publication:
- London
Summarises findings from research using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) to look at the links between development of visual impairment and older peoples’ social and economic position, and the impact of both deteriorating and improving sight on key aspects of their lives. Findings are presented in the following areas: the relationship between self-reports and objective measures of vision; the relationship between wealth, social status and developing visual impairment; other risk factors for developing visual impairment; uptake of cataract surgery; and consequences of change in vision. The findings showed that older people in the poorest fifth of the population had an almost 80% higher risk of developing severe visual impairment than those from the wealthiest fifth. Deterioration in vision over a two year period was also related to decreases in income, quality of life and social activity. People whose vision deteriorated from good or very good to fair or poor were found to have levels of depression that increased by 29% and a fall in income levels of 19%, compared to the changes for those whose vision remained stable. (Edited publisher abstract)
The circumstances of older people in England with self-reported visual impairment: a secondary analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)
- Authors:
- ZIMDARS Anna, NAZROO James, GJONCA Edlira
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Visual Impairment, 30(1), 2012, pp.22-30.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a survey of 11,392 people aged 50 or older which includes self-reported vision information, this research aimed to investigate potential links between visual impairment and various social and well-being outcomes among older people. The article describes the methodology, data and analysis, and presents the findings. The results showed that self-reported visual impairment was associated with multiple disadvantages, including physical health, cognitive functions, economic well-being, social engagement, and emotional well-being and life satisfaction. The authors suggest that further research is needed to establish causal links between visual impairment and social and well-being outcomes, and that secondary data analysis of ELSA offers a useful and cost-effective research approach.
Leisure activities and retirement: do structures of inequality change in old age?
- Authors:
- SCHERGER Simone, NAZROO James, HIGGS Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 31(1), January 2011, pp.146-172.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study highlighted the relationship between old age, retirement and social inequalities, as represented by participation in leisure activities. It considered whether old age, and particularly the transition into retirement, have an effect on participation in three selected activities (having a hobby, being a member of a club, and an index of participation in cultural events), and also whether the social inequalities underlying these activities change with older age and retirement. The empirical investigation uses data from the first two waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Findings suggested that different socio-economic backgrounds of different age groups explained a considerable part of the observed age differences in these activities. Analyses showed that respondents tended to continue their activities regardless of changes in work and age, with two exceptions, namely that retirement was positively related to having a hobby, and those who stopped working because of an illness experienced a significant decline in all three of the examined categories of activity.
Changes in older people’s experiences of providing care and of volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Authors:
- CHATZI Georgia, DI GESSA Giorgio, NAZROO James
- Publisher:
- English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 14
- Place of publication:
- London
Engagement in socially productive activities, such as care provision and voluntary work, make important contributions to society, and may have been especially important during the coronavirus pandemic. They have also been associated with better health, well-being, and longer survival for older people. The ELSA COVID-19 Substudy provided data to allow for an exploration of how changes in caring and volunteering may have occurred during the pandemic, and to examine this in relation to factors such as sex, age, employment status, wealth, COVID-19 vulnerability and symptoms, and pre-pandemic experiences of health. Overall, there have been important changes in both the level of care provided by older people and the extent of their involvement in volunteering, with, on average, care provision more likely to have increased or stayed the same (65% of older carers reported this), and volunteering more likely to have decreased or stopped (61% of older volunteers reported this). However, a large number of older people took on new caring roles for someone outside the household (12%) and 4% of older people registered to volunteer as part of the NHS scheme. Both economic characteristics (such as paid employment and wealth) and health-related characteristics (such as being vulnerable, self-isolating, having experienced COVID-19 symptoms, and reporting functional limitations) were related to changes the frequency of caring and voluntary work. It is yet unclear how these changes in caring and volunteering have influenced older people’s health and well-being during the coronavirus outbreak. Investigating the impact of the pandemic on broader health and well-being outcomes for older people, the role of changes in care provision and volunteering in this, and how we might respond to this, is a crucial next step. (Edited publisher abstract)
The dynamics of ageing: evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing 2002-10: wave 5
- Editors:
- BANKS James, NAZROO James, STEPTOE Andrew
- Publisher:
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 337
- Place of publication:
- London
This and previous English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) reports present a detailed picture of the lives of people in England aged 50 and over. This report of wave 5 uses data based on interviews with 10,274 people (including 9,000 "core" participants), collected from July 2010 to June 2011 inclusive, a period of considerable change with the installatoin of the Coalition government and the start of a period of austerity. The report discusses three main themes: pension wealth; social detachment in older age; and health and psychological well-being. A chapter on methodology explains the sample design, interview content and the approach to fieldwork. Reference tables on the economic, social and health domains summarise important variables collected by ELSA. Design and collection was carried out as a collaboration between the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London (UCL), the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), and the School of Social Sciences at the University of Manchester. (Original abstract)
Inequalities in health in an ageing population: patterns, causes and consequences: full research and report
- Authors:
- NAZROO James, et al
- Publisher:
- Economic and Social Research Council
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 9p.
- Place of publication:
- Swindon
The increase in life expectancy raises a complex set of challenges for policy. Among these are the need to respond to the heterogeneity that remains in life expectancy within the older population. This study was based on analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and aimed to further understanding of patterns and determinants of health inequalities. Objectives included to: describe levels of morbidity, disability and well-being in the English population aged 50 and older and how these are distributed according to key demographic and socioeconomic characteristics; examine cross-sectional relationships between markers of health and economic position, social factors and psychosocial factors. Some selected key findings are summarised. The report notes that to date 14 other papers have been submitted for publication and highlights future research priorities.