Australian Catholic University has embarked on an international research partnership that will investigate how healthy ageing can be promoted from an intercultural and intergenerational perspective.
The Shared Healthy Ageing Perceptions and Expectations (SHAPE) project is a collaboration between ACU and the University of Bayreuth in Bavaria, Germany.
Funded as part of a Seed Grant by the Queensland-Bavaria Collaborative Research Grant Program through the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science, and Innovation in Queensland and the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts, the SHAPE project will focus on perceptions of ageing and their influence on individual behaviour and systemic expectations.
"The project addresses a key research gap in the field of healthy ageing through a person-centred approach," ACU Associate Dean of Research and Enterprise Professor Joy Parkinson said.
"The aim is to develop a validated, scalable instrument for assessing perceptions of healthy ageing that can be adapted for other population groups."
In many societies, rising life expectancy is not accompanied to the same extent by a corresponding increase in healthy years of life. This places a considerable burden on both individuals and healthcare systems.
"The project aims to identify local and global barriers and factors that promote healthy ageing and to derive recommendations for action for policymakers and the healthcare system," University of Bayreuth Professor of Medical Management and Health Sciences Professor Michael Lauerer said.
The project will involve return visits between Queensland and Bavaria where researchers will conduct workshops on healthy ageing.
