Healthy Ageing Initiative

The New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study (NZHWR) is the longest running longitudinal study of ageing in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study brings together complimentary disciplines such as social gerontology, psychology, public health, and human geography to explore a broad range of factors that contribute to well-being in older age.

In this talk Pia Wohland will first examine the evolution of healthy aging research from a demographic perspective, tracing the historical progression of demographic studies on aging and shifts in focus over time.

This seminar discusses the direct impact of food on our cognitive functions and emotions, detailing how certain dietary choices can affect our mental health, concentration, and mood. The significant influence of diet on the development of chronic diseases the environmental benefits of shifting towards plant-based diets will also be presented.

In this talk Professor Helene Fung presents her findings from studies on social relationships, attention, memory, emotion and problem solving, across adult samples (aged 18 to 90+ years), from Hong Kong, USA, Canada and Germany, to show that aging is not just about declines.

This presentation explores how museum wellbeing programs such as QAGOMA’s Art and Dementia program offer opportunities to fill the gap for life-long learners, through meaningful and stimulating engagement, and positive social interaction.