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PARTICIPATION IN THE THIRD AGE UNIVERSITY COURSES AND SATISFACTION WITH LIFE IN LATE ADULTHOOD
H. Liberska
M. Farnicka
Late adulthood is also a period of many developmental changes. Although regressive changes dominate over progressive, especially in the physical aspect, it is still a period of great developmental potential (Liberska, 2008). Progressive changes at this stage of life are related to adaptation to new tasks and new conditions of living, which often accompanies retirement from work. The challenges that have to be faced at this stage include adaptation to limited physical fitness, changes in financial and professional situations, decreasing number of closest family and friends because of their death, taking new social roles e.g. of the eldest family member, pensioner and others, (cf. Havighurst, 1972; Pietrasinski, 1990; Finogenow, 2008; Steuden, 2011). The period of late adulthood is inevitably related to a number of losses accompanying the psychosocial aspects of ageing (the so-called aging losses), including health, physical strength, physical attractiveness, social and economical status, social identity (professional, familial, sexual), temporal orientation, length and contents of perspective for the future (Grabowska, 2011; Bugajska, Timoszyk-Tomczak, 2012 ). A consequence of traumatic experiences related to the sense of the ageing losses, elderly people can suffer drastic limitations to the area of their physical, intellectual and social activity and emotional life (Stras-Romanowska, 2011). In psychological literature, activity is treated as a factor prompting development, as a result of development, aim of development or context of development (Damon, Lerner, 2006, Pietrasinski,1990, Liberska, 2011). Restriction of activity can have negative consequences also for the subjective well-being of persons in late adulthood period (Wojciechowska, 2008). Contemporary studies on functioning in the period of late adulthood have indicated not only a possibility of compensation of certain losses, but a possibility of progressive changes (Baltes, Brim, 1984; Engle, S^dek., von Hecker, McIntosh, 2006). However, realisation of the latter possibility usually needs social support through a system of social care and education in a given society.
Large developmental potential lies in mutual relations between psychological, physical and social activities. At this point the great role of vitality in elderly people should be mentioned as it often has beneficial effect on their sense of well-being. The vitality in this period of life is maintained or stimulated by the engagement in different forms of physical and physico-social activity. Possibilities of such activity are offered by the Third Age Universities, voluntary services and other institutions (Ossowski, Ossowska-Zwierzchowska, 2007; Btachnio, Starostecka, 2011). The first Third Age University was founded in Toulouse, France, in 1973, thanks to the initiative of Pierre Vellas. In Poland, the first Third Age University was founded in Warsaw in 1975 thanks to the efforts of Halina
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Szwarc (Chrapkowska-Zielinska, 2000). At present in Poland we have over 110 such universities. They are most often organised at the academic centres (state and private universities). Each year about 25 thousand people take part in the classes organised by the Third Age Universities. The interest in taking part in the courses provided by such universities is very high and sometimes the candidates have to wait for the enrolment. Participation in the courses addressed to persons in late adulthood can improve their cognitive functioning, development of new or earlier interests, development of new social contacts, emotions and physical fitness. People full of vitality seem to function better than those showing lower level of vigour. Functioning at a higher level of vitality also contributes positively to the sense of satisfaction with life.
The research question was if the level of vitality and satisfaction with life of people in late adulthood who participate in the Third Age University courses is significantly different than that in the people of the same age not participating in such courses. The study was performed on 76 persons aged 60 - 81. The criterion of choice was participation in the Third Age University courses (group 1) or not participation in such courses (group 2). All persons were inhabitants of the city of Bydgoszcz and lived in their own apartments or with families. The evaluation was performed on the basis of the Bydgoski Questionnaire of Vitality (BQV) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (E. Diener, R. A. Emmons, R. J. Larson, S. Griffin adapted by Juczynski).
Statistical analysis was based on descriptive methods. Distribution of results was studied by Shapiro-Wilk test. A correlation between the participation in the Third Age University courses and the level of vitality was verified by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The strength of correlations between the level of vitality and level of quality of life as well as the level of vitality and satisfaction with life was described by the Spearman coefficient rs.
Statistical data on the level of vitality are given in Table.
Level of vitality
Variable N Median Minimum Maximum Geometric mean Standard deviation Skewness Curtosis
Vitality 76 84,00 37,00 181,00 77,46 37,26 0,74 -0,15
As follows from the results, the majority of respondents had a high level of vitality. The differences in this statistical variable between the persons from the two groups studied were found statistically significant (H=46.20, p<0.001). In the persons from the group participating in the Third Age University courses the level of vitality was almost three times higher than in those not participating in such courses.
No statistically significant differences between the groups with respect to sex and education were noted.
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Statistically significant difference in the level of satisfaction with life, measured by SWLS was noted between the two groups studied. The level of satisfaction with life was much higher in the persons participating in the Third Age University courses than in those who did not participate in such courses, (Kruskal-Wallis test: H=45.72, p<0.001). No statistically significant differences between the groups were found with respect to sex and education, although the level of satisfaction with life was higher in women.
The strength of correlations was measured by the Spearman coefficient. Statistical analysis revealed a statistically significant correlation between the level of vitality and the level of satisfaction with life R = - 0,83, p < 0.001). The negative value of R means that the higher the level of vitality the higher the level of satisfaction with life, as - according to the tools used - the lower result obtained by BQV indicates a higher level of vitality and the lower result from SWLS indicates the higher level of satisfaction with life.
Results of my own studies permitted drawing the following conclusions. (1) There are statistically significant differences in the level of vitality between the persons in late adulthood participating and those not participating in the Third Age University courses. (2) There are statistically significant differences in the level of satisfaction with life between the persons in late adulthood participating and those not participating in the Third Age University courses. (3) There is a statistically significant correlation between the level of vitality and the level of satisfaction with life, i.e. the higher the level of vitality, the higher the level of satisfaction with life. According to the results, the persons in late adulthood who participate in the Third Age University courses reveal higher level of vitality than those who do not participate in such courses. The persons participating in the Third Age University make a specific group as their decision to enrol to such courses may itself indicate a higher level of vitality and interest in development of activity. It cannot be excluded that the low level of vitality of the persons who did not take part in the Third Age University courses was just the very cause why they did not enrol to such courses. However, in the majority of respondents the level of vitality was high. In view of that the lack of interest in the Third Age University courses may follow from the fact that the activity of these persons is directed to other areas, like e.g. taking care of grandchildren, work in the garden, travels, Senior Citizen Club activities, learning languages, etc. In general the results imply that persons in late adulthood are interested in their psychological and physical condition. The persons taking part in the Third University courses were also found to show a higher level of satisfaction with life than those from the other group. These results are in agreement with those obtained by other authors. Similar differences have been reported by L.Wojciechowska (2008) who studied the level of satisfaction in elderly women. It seems that particularly beneficial for high level of satisfaction with life are the contacts with other people in similar life situations and the sense of being an active member of society who has control of ones fate and takes care of oneself. Verification of this supposition would require studies on the sense of the locus of control in elderly persons.
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In general, the persons who participate in the Third Age University courses show higher indices characterizing psycho-social functioning. However, it has not been resolved what is the cause and what is the effect, i.e. if the higher level of vitality and higher level of satisfaction with life stimulate the interest in the Third Age University or if the participation in the Third Age University courses stimulated vitality and increases the satisfaction with life. It is probably a two-way relation with a mechanism of positive coupling. Irrespective of the answer to the above question, a great positive significance of such institutions as the Third Age University in the life of persons in late adulthood period should definitely be recognised.
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