Top

Published in:

01-12-2004 | Original Investigation

Challenges of cross-national housing research with older persons: lessons from the ENABLE-AGE project

Authors: Susanne Iwarsson, Hans-Werner Wahl, Carita Nygren

Published in: European Journal of Ageing | Issue 1/2004

Abstract

Although it is generally acknowledged that housing is a major issue regarding health in old and very old age, most empirical research still tends to treat the role of the housing environment in a rather superficial manner. The cross-national project Enabling Autonomy, Participation, and Well-Being in Old Age: The Home Environment as a Determinant for Healthy Ageing (ENABLE-AGE) seeks to make a substantial contribution to this shortcoming. The main objective of the project is to examine subjective and objective aspects of housing and their impact on health in very old age, while health is understood mainly in terms of autonomy, participation and well-being. The project involves five European Union member countries, i.e. Sweden (coordinating unit), Germany, the United Kingdom, Latvia and Hungary. The total sample includes 1,918 older adults in the age range of 75–89 years and living in single households. We provide a systematic analysis of major challenges coming with cross-national research in the housing and ageing domain based on the experience of the ENABLE-AGE Project. Treated are: challenges related to sampling and data collection procedures, challenges related to inclusion and exclusion criteria based on housing characteristics, challenges related to differences in housing legislation, norms, and guidelines, challenges related different availability of professional expertise for person-environment assessments, challenges related to valid and reliable person-environment assessments, and challenges related to the interpretation of housing-related findings.

Acsády J, Kucsera C, Széman Z (2004) ENABLE-AGE survey study T1: national report Hungary. Project QLRT-2001-0, delivered to the European Commission. Institute of Sociology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest

Baltes PB, Smith J (1999) Multilevel and systemic analyses of old age: theoretical and empirical evidence for a fourth age. In: Bengtson VL, Schaie KW (eds) Handbook of theories of aging. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 153–173

Brandt Å, Iwarsson S, Ståhl A (2004) Older people’s use of powered wheelchairs for activity and participation. J Rehabil Med 36:70–77CrossRefPubMed

Charmaz K (1996) Grounded theory. In: Smith JA (ed) Rethinking methods in psychology. Sage, London, pp 27–49

Charmaz K (2003) Grounded theory. In: Smith JA (ed) Qualitative psychology. A practical guide to research methods. Sage, London, pp 81–110

Fänge A, Iwarsson S (2003) Accessibility and usability in housing—construct validity and implications for research and practice. Disabil Rehabil 25:1316–1325CrossRefPubMed

Gitlin LN (1998) Testing home modification interventions: issues of theory, measurement, design, and implementation. In: Schulz, Maddox, Lawton (eds) Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics. Interventions research with older adults. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 190–246

Gitlin LN (2003) Conducting research on home environments: Lessons learned and new directions. Gerontologist 43:628–637PubMed

Glaser B, Strauss A (1967) The discovery of grounded theory. Aldine, Chicago

Harkness J (1999) In pursuit of quality: issues for cross-national survey research. Int J Soc Res Methodol 2:2:125–140

Iwarsson S (2004) Assessing the fit between older people and their home environments—an occupational therapy research perspective. In: Wahl H-W, Scheidt R, Windley P (ed) Environments, gerontology and old age. Annu Rev Gerontol Geriatr 23:85–109

Iwarsson S, Slaug B (2001) The Housing Enabler. An instrument for assessing and analysing accessibility problems in housing. Veten & Skapen HB & Slaug Data Management, Nävlinge and Staffanstorp

Iwarsson S, Isacsson Å (1996) Development of a novel instrument for occupational therapy assessment of the physical environment in the home—a methodologic study on “the Enabler”. Occup Ther J Res 16:227–244

Iwarsson S, Ståhl A (2003) Accessibility, usability and universal design—positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships. Disabil Rehabil 25:57–66PubMed

Iwarsson S, Sixsmith J, Oswald F, Wahl H-W, Nygren C, Sixsmith A, Széman Z, Tomsone S (2004) The ENABLE-AGE Project: multi-dimensional methodology for European housing research. In: Wilkinson N, Hurol Y (eds) Housing research methodologies. Urban International, Mersin

Iwarsson S, Nygren C, Slaug B (2004) Cross-national and multi-professional inter-rater reliability of the Housing Enabler. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy (in press)

Jackson J (2002) Conceptual, methodological linkages in cross-cultural groups, cross-national aging research. J Soc Issues 58:4:825–835

Kahana E (1982) A congruence model of person-environment interaction. In: Lawton, Windley, Byerts (eds) Aging and the environment. Theoretical approaches. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 97–121

Kohn ML (1987) Cross-national research as analytic strategy. Am Sociol Rev 52:713–731

Kovács M (2000) Housing conditions of the elderly. In: Szücs Z (ed) The situation of the elderly in Hungary in the 90s (in Hungarian). HU, Budapest, pp 47–56

Lawton MP (1983) Environment and other determinants of well-being in older people. Gerontologist 23:349–357PubMed

Lawton MP, Nahemow L (1973) Ecology and the aging process. In. Eisdorfer C, Lawton MP (eds) The psychologist of adult development and aging. American Psychological Association, Washington

Lawton MP, Simon B (1968) The ecology of social relationships in housing for the elderly. Gerontologist 8:108–115PubMed

Lynn P (2003) Developing quality standards for cross-national survey research five approaches. Int J Soc Res Methodol 4:323–336CrossRef

Morgan K (1998) The Nottingham Longitudinal Study of Activity and Ageing: a methodological overview. Age Ageing 27:5–11PubMed

Nygren C, Johannisson A, Iwarsson S (2004) ENABLE-AGE Survey Study T1: national report Sweden Project QLRT-2001-00334, delivered to the European Commision. Lund University, Lund

Oswald F, Wahl H-W, Mollenkopf H et al (2004) ENABLE-AGE. Survey study T1. Preliminary descriptive findings from Germany. Report no 18. German Centre for Research on Ageing, Heidelberg

Preiser WFE, Ostroff E (eds) (2001) Universal design handbook. McGraw-Hill, New York

Scheidt RJ, Norris-Baker C (2004) The general ecological model revisited: evolution, current status, continuing challenges. In: Wahl H-W, Scheidt RJ, Windley PG (eds) Aging in context: socio-physical environments. Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics, vol 23. Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 34–58

Singh J (1995) Measurement issues in cross-national research. J Int Business Studies 26:3:597–619

Sixsmith A, Sixsmith J, Green S et al (2004) ENABLE-AGE Survey Study T1: national report United Kingdom. Project QLRT-2001-00334, delivered to the European Commision. University of Liverpool, Liverpool

Slaug B, Iwarsson S (2001) Housing Enabler 1.0—a tool for housing accessibility analysis. Software for PC. Veten & Skapen HB & Slaug Data Management, Nävlinge and Staffanstorp

Steinfeld E, Danford GS (1999) Theory as a basis for research on enabling environments. In: Steinfeld E, Danford GS (eds) Enabling environments. Measuring the impact of environment on disability and rehabilitation. Kluwer/Plenum, New York

Stuck AE, Walthert JM, Nikolaus T, Büla CJ, Hohmann C, Beck JC (1999) Risk factors for functional status decline in community-living elderly people: a systematic literature review. Soc Sci Med 48:445–469CrossRefPubMed

Tomsone S, Litvjakova N, Teibe U (2004) ENABLE-AGE Survey Study T1: national report Latvia. Project QLRT-2001-00334, delivered to the European Commission. University of Riga, Riga

Treloar C, Graham ID (2003) Multidisciplinary cross national studies: a commentary on issues on collaboration, methodology, analysis, publication. Qual Health Res 13:7:924–932

Verbrugge LM, Jette AM (1994) The disablement process. Soc Sci Med 38:1–14CrossRefPubMed

Wahl HW (2001) Environmental influences on aging and behavior. In: Birren JE, Schaie KW, (eds) Handbook of the psychology of aging. Academic, San Diego, pp 215–237

Wahl H-W, Weisman GD (2003) Environmental gerontology at the beginning of the new millennium: reflections on its historical, empirical, and theoretical development. Gerontologist 43:616–627PubMed

Wahl HW, Oswald F, Zimprich D (1999) Everyday competence in visually impaired older adults: a case for person-environment perspectives. Gerontologist 39:140–149CrossRefPubMed

Wahl H-W, Scheidt R, Windley P (eds) (2004) Annual review of gerontology and geriatrics, vol 23. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

World Health Organisation (2001) International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). WHO, Geneva

Title: Challenges of cross-national housing research with older persons: lessons from the ENABLE-AGE project
Authors: Susanne Iwarsson
Hans-Werner Wahl
Carita Nygren
Publication date: 01-12-2004
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: European Journal of Ageing / Issue 1/2004
Print ISSN: 1613-9372
Electronic ISSN: 1613-9380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-004-0010-5

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Challenges of cross-national housing research with older persons: lessons from the ENABLE-AGE project

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2004

Societal trends, mobility behaviour and sustainable transport in Europe and North America: the European Union network STELLA

Social and behavioural science perspectives on out-of-home mobility in later life: findings from the European project MOBILATE

European Association for Population Studies Working Group on Demographic Change and Care of Older People/Institut National D’Études Démographiques: European networks and projects

Prevention of Falls Network Europe: a thematic network aimed at introducing good practice in effective falls prevention across Europe

National context of healthcare, economy and religion, and the association between disability and depressive symptoms in older Europeans: results from the EURODEP concerted action

Social inequality in the later life: cross-national comparison of quality of life