Time use in elderly people at the low active aging level: a qualitative study

Introduction: Thailand's population is aging rapidly. Thus, it is necessary to enable elderly people to be independent and actively participate in daily occupations. Objective: To describe the time used by elderly people at the low active aging level in a suburban village, in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Method: The study was qualitative research, using the narrative interview method. Three case studies on the low level of active aging were collected by following an interview-based guideline. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The results showed that elderly people at the low active aging level spent their time in varied activities, depending on personal factors and their contexts. Elderly people participate in different occupations of everyday life, which consist of activities of daily living and self-care, the instrumental activities of daily living, leisure, and work. Conclusion: It was found that elderly people spent their time in four main categories: Activities of daily living, Instrumental ADL, leisure, and work. Enabling elderly people to increase active aging by continuing engagement in social participation and education is still challenging.