Social quality as a multidimensional construct for Active Ageing: evidence from Structural Equation Modeling

Authors

  • Adriana Cerasuolo Università degli studi di Napoli

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71014/sieds.v80i4.498

Abstract

Active Ageing policies in Europe often focus on elderly’s productivity, overlooking broader structural and relational factors. To address this gap, we propose Social Quality (SQ) as a theoretical and methodological framework encompassing four dimensions: Social Empowerment, Social Cohesion, Social Inclusion, and Socioeconomic Security. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) on data from the Italian ISTAT “Aspects of Daily Life” survey (2022), we validated a new SQ measure in a sample of adults aged 55–74. Results show robust links between SQ and subjective well-being, highlighting the importance of network resources and institutional support for older individuals’ participation and overall quality of life.

References

BAGOZZI R.P., YI Y. 1988. On The Evaluation Of Structural Equation Models, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 74-94.

BROWN T.A. 2015. Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Applied Research (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

BYRNE B.M. 2016. Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS: Basic Concepts, Applications, and Programming (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge.

CERASE F.P. 2024. Sulla sostenibilità sociale dell’invecchiamento della popolazione: gli anziani possono essere una risorsa?, Rassegna Italiana di Sociologia, Vol. 65, No.1, pp. 57-90.

CHEUNG G.W., RENSVOLD R.B. 2002. Evaluating Goodness-of-Fit Indexes for Testing Measurement Invariance, Structural Equation Modeling, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 233-255.

DE SÃO JOSÉ J.M., TIMONEN V., AMADO C.A.F., SANTOS S.P. 2017. A Critique of the Active Ageing Index, Journal of Aging Studies, Vol. 40, pp. 49-56.

FOSTER L., WALKER A. 2015. Active and Successful Aging: A European Policy Perspective, The Gerontologist, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 83-90.

GEORGE L.K. 2010. Still Happy After All These Years: Research Frontiers on Subjective Well-Being in Later Life, Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Vol. 65B, No. 3, pp. 331-339.

HU L.T., BENTLER P.M. 1999. Cutoff Criteria for Fit Indexes in Covariance Structure Analysis: Conventional Criteria Versus New Alternatives, Structural Equation Modeling, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-55.

KLINE R.B. 2011. Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

LIN K., HERRMANN P. 2022. Social Quality Theory: A New Perspective on Social Development. New York: Berghahn Books.

MCNEISH D., STAPLETON, L. M. 2016. The Effect of Small Sample Size on Two-Level Model Estimates, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 404-436.

MEREDITH W. 1993. Measurement Invariance, Factor Analysis and Factorial Invariance, Psychometrika, Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 525-543.

MOULAERT T., PARIS M. 2013. Social Policy On Ageing: The case of "Active Ageing" as Theatrical Metaphor, International Journal of Social Science Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 113-123.

PALIOTTA A. 2022. Successful, Active and Healthy Ageing: differenze e similarità nell'approccio al tema dell'invecchiamento, Studi di Sociologia, Vol. 60, No. 3, pp. 473-492.

PFALLER L., SCHWEDA M. 2019. Excluded From the Good Life? An Ethical Approach to Conceptions of Active Ageing, Social Inclusion, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 44-53.

PRZYBYSZ K., STANIMIR A. 2023. How Active Are European Seniors – Their Personal Ways to Active Ageing? Is Seniors’ Activity in Line with the Expectations of the Active Ageing Strategy?, Sustainability, Vol. 15, No.13, 10404.

QUATTROCIOCCHI L., TIBALDI M., MARSILI M., FENGA L., CAPUTI M. 2021. Active Ageing and Living Condition of Older Persons Across Italian Regions, Journal of Population Ageing, Vol. 14, No.1, pp. 91-136.

RAMIA I., VOICU M. 2022. Life Satisfaction and Happiness Among Older Europeans: The Role of Active Ageing, Social Indicators Research, vol. 160, No. 2, pp. 667-687.

RAYKOV T. 1997. Estimation of Composite Reliability for Congeneric Measures, Applied Psychological Measurement, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 173-184.

RHEMTULLA M., BROSSEAU-LIARD P.É., SAVALEI V. 2012. When Can Categorical Variables Be Treated as Continuous? A Comparison of Robust Continuous and Categorical SEM Estimation Methods, Psychological Methods, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 354-373.

ROZANOVA J. 2010. Discourse of Successful Aging in The Globe & Mail: Insights From Critical Gerontology, Journal of Aging Studies, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 213-222.

RYFF C.D. 2014. Psychological Well-Being Revisited: Advances In the Science and Practice Of Eudaimonia, Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 253-265.

SCHERMELLEH-ENGEL K., MOOSBRUGGER H., MÜLLER H. 2003. Evaluating The Fit of Structural Equation Models: Tests Of Significance and Descriptive Goodness of Fit Measures, Methods of Psychological Research Online, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 23-74.

TAYLOR P. 2013. Older Workers in an Ageing Society: Critical Perspectives on Employment and Ageing. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

VAN DER MAESEN L.J.G., WALKER A.C. 2005. Indicators of Social Quality: Outcomes of The European Scientific Network, The European Journal of Social Quality, Vol. 5, No. 1/2, pp. 8-24.

WALKER A. 2011. Social Quality and Welfare System Sustainability, The International Journal of Social Quality, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 5-18.

XU J., HE L., CHEN H. 2020, Balancing Instrumental Rationality with Value Rationality: Towards Avoiding the Pitfalls of the Productivist Ageing Policy in the EU and the UK, European Journal of Ageing, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 251-257.

ZAIDI A., GASIOR K., HOFMARCHER M.M., LELKES O., MARIN B., RODRIGUES R., ZOLYOMI E. 2013. Active Ageing Index 2012. Concept, Methodology and Final Results. Research Memorandum/Methodology Report, European Centre.

ZANNELLA M., PRINCIPI A., LUCANTONI D., BARBABELLA F., DI ROSA M., DOMÍNGUEZ-RODRÍGUEZ A., SOCCI M. 2021. Active Ageing: the Need to Address Sub-National Diversity. An Evidence-Based Approach for Italy, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18, No. 24, 13319.

ZUMBO B.D., GADERMANN A.M., ZEISSER C. 2007. Ordinal Versions of Coefficients Alpha and Theta for Likert Rating Scales, Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 21-29.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-18