Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand

© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved.Background: as the longevity of the population increases, attention has turned to quality of life of older people as a component of healthy ageing. The objective of this study was...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yeung, Polly, Breheny, M.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Oxford University Press 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/62311
_version_ 1848760828234301440
author Yeung, Polly
Breheny, M.
author_facet Yeung, Polly
Breheny, M.
author_sort Yeung, Polly
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved.Background: as the longevity of the population increases, attention has turned to quality of life of older people as a component of healthy ageing. The objective of this study was to use Welch Saleeby's model of the capability approach to explore the determinants of subjective well-being among older people. Methods: this analysis used data from a sample of older people, aged 50-87, from 2012 wave of the New Zealand Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NZLSA) (n = 2,793). Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships between the commodities (number of chronic conditions reported, physical and mental health), and personal and environmental factors (economic living standard and discrimination), on the capabilities of older people to achieve well-being. Results: the findings supported Welch Saleeby's model. Capabilities mediated the relationship between commodities and wellbeing, indicating that increasing the range of real opportunities available to older people is a key step in increasing well-being. Age and gender were also found to be significant moderators of these relationships. The relationship between economic living standards and well-being was weakest for the oldest participants, but experiences of discrimination had a stronger effect on well-being in this age group. Conclusion: Welch Saleeby's model of the capability approach provides a useful framework for advancing the ethics of care as it highlights the multidimensional nature of well-being in later life. Focusing on expanding capabilities for older people enables policymakers and practitioners to understand the resources and supports required to enable well-being in the context of health challenges.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T10:21:59Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-62311
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T10:21:59Z
publishDate 2016
publisher Oxford University Press
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-623112018-02-01T05:57:28Z Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand Yeung, Polly Breheny, M. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved.Background: as the longevity of the population increases, attention has turned to quality of life of older people as a component of healthy ageing. The objective of this study was to use Welch Saleeby's model of the capability approach to explore the determinants of subjective well-being among older people. Methods: this analysis used data from a sample of older people, aged 50-87, from 2012 wave of the New Zealand Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NZLSA) (n = 2,793). Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships between the commodities (number of chronic conditions reported, physical and mental health), and personal and environmental factors (economic living standard and discrimination), on the capabilities of older people to achieve well-being. Results: the findings supported Welch Saleeby's model. Capabilities mediated the relationship between commodities and wellbeing, indicating that increasing the range of real opportunities available to older people is a key step in increasing well-being. Age and gender were also found to be significant moderators of these relationships. The relationship between economic living standards and well-being was weakest for the oldest participants, but experiences of discrimination had a stronger effect on well-being in this age group. Conclusion: Welch Saleeby's model of the capability approach provides a useful framework for advancing the ethics of care as it highlights the multidimensional nature of well-being in later life. Focusing on expanding capabilities for older people enables policymakers and practitioners to understand the resources and supports required to enable well-being in the context of health challenges. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/62311 10.1093/ageing/afw002 Oxford University Press unknown
spellingShingle Yeung, Polly
Breheny, M.
Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand
title Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand
title_full Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand
title_fullStr Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand
title_full_unstemmed Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand
title_short Using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in New Zealand
title_sort using the capability approach to understand the determinants of subjective well-being among community-dwelling older people in new zealand
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/62311