While policy definitions of active ageing focus on economic activity, with an end-point of enhanced QoL, work was rarely mentioned by older people in relation to these concepts.
Moreover, several of the activities traditionally emphasised in definitions of active ageing have preventive characteristics.
Nutrition is one aspect of active ageing, but little is known about how food activities contribute to psychological well-being in later life.
Participating in meaningful and satisfying activities contributes to quality of life across all three major theories of active ageing (World Health Organization, 2002), successful ageing (Rowe & Kahn, 1997), and productive ageing (Butler & Gleason, 1985).
There is a need to address these gaps in knowledge, so that the role of food activities in the maintenance of psychological well-being, as a component of active ageing, is better understood.
During the European year of "Active Ageing" the European Commission aims to stimulate increase of social inclusion of older people.
Given the certainty of increase in both projected number and share of elderly population, the issue of active ageing will undoubtedly emerge as one of the central strategic cornerstones in both countries.
If we consider population ageing on an individual level as a chronological development that ought to be associated with an active way of life of people as they grow old, we encounter the issue of active ageing.
Clear design direction is needed to raise the profile and improve the image of active ageing, and to guide textile-led product development for this valuable and relatively predictable emerging market.
The Welsh Local Government Association WLGAA), which represents local authorities, said it was working with the commissioner to address key services such as social care, housing, meals on wheels and dealing with programmes of active ageing.
Despite keen discussions of the concept of active ageing, there are few reports in the literature on the determinants of active ageing or the factors associated with it.
