The social life and attitudes of 80 year olds in Iceland and Sweden - A comparison of two city populations

• Published in: Hallym International Journal of Aging
• Main Authors: Samuelsson, G, Svensson, T, Jonson, J.E
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Baywood Publishing Company 2008
• Subjects: Aged; 80 and over; Quality of Life; Iceland; Sweden; Longitudinal Studies; Attitude to Health
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2336/21812; https://doi.org/10.2190/85M2-443K-H211-7027

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field The 80+ Studies are collecting longitudinal data regarding medical, psychological, and sociological aspects of 80-year-old people in Lund, Sweden and Reykjavik, Iceland. Methods and Samples: The research design and instruments were identical at the two cites. The number of participants was 139 and 151 respectively. Results: The Icelandic sample had a lower level of educational attainment, a higher ratio with working class back-ground, a higher retirement age, a higher level of single living participants, and more often received home health care. They also had fewer close friends, provided a lower level of support to their children, and, to a lower extent, thought their income met their needs. The Swedish participants reported a higher divorce rate, a lower number of children, siblings, and grandchildren, a higher level of satisfaction with family contacts, and a higher level of loneliness. Summary: Many significant differences concerning demographic and social network variables were found between the two samples. Possible macro-social and cultural explanations of the differences are discussed.