Social engagement and physical activity: Commentary on why the activity and disengagement theories of ageing may both be valid

Abstract

There is a stark contrast between the activity and disengagement theories in terms of what they say is the level of social engagement and physical activity associated with the population of elderly people. Owing to their opposing arguments, it is confusing to realize that research validates both of them. What their originators and researchers have failed to explain is the unique set of factors or conditions under which each theory is more likely to be confirmed. As a consequence, the contrast between the two theories has a misty practical foundation and therefore remains confounding several years after these theories were formulated. In this paper, an attempt is made to identify conditions under which each theory is more likely to be supported in research. This effort is expected to encourage researchers to relate their findings to the appropriate factors in order to better explain the contrast between the two theories and the practical significance of research results.