About
Marja Aartsen is research professor, working at the department for Aging and Housing studies. She has a background in Sociology and received her PhD degree at the VU University Amsterdam. Her academic interest is on social gerontology. Marja’a research concentrates on loneliness, social exclusion, social inequalities and developments in social functioning in the second half of life. She is interested in the statistical modelling of longitudinal associations between social functioning and other domains of functioning such as cognitive and mental functioning and physical health. Marja is co-leader for two international research projects focusing on social exclusion in late life: GENPATH and AMASE (which is a Romanian-Norwegian collaboration). She is also member of the research team responsible for the Norwegian Life-course, Ageing and Generations study in Norway (NorLAG) and former editor of the European Journal of Ageing.
Fields of study
Academic disciplines
Subject areas
Aging Social inequalities Life-evolvement Methodology Social network Social exclusion
Research groups
Research projects
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A Life Course Perspective on the Gendered Pathways of Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life, and its Consequences for Health and Wellbeing (GENPATH)
GENPATH is an international European research project focussing on social exclusion in later life.
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A Multidimensional Approach to Social Exclusion in Later Life – Health Consequences for Ageing Populations (AMASE)
The overall aim of the project is to enhance research-based knowledge on the multidimensional nature of old age social exclusion and its consequences for health and to identify conditions that minimize social exclusion of disadvantaged groups.
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Enabling Ageing in Place (AgePlace)
In this project the researchers aim to generate new knowledge on the precondition for safe ageing in place.
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Social Inequalities in Ageing (SiA)
In this project researchers investigate what influences social inequalities in health, and how different organization of welfare institutions can affect social inequalities in ageing.
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Strategies for Achieving Equity and Inclusion in Education, Training and Learning in Democratic Europe (STRIDE)
STRIDE will provide a new, comprehensive and comparative knowledge-base on effective education reforms, policy initiatives and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in education, training and learning outcomes in Europe.
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The Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (NorLAG)
A multidisciplinary and longitudinal study that includes data on well-being, health, work, care, and family relations in the second half of life (age 40+).
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Stegen, Hannelore; Duppen, Daan; Savieri, Perseverence; Stas, Lara; Pan, Honghui;
Aartsen, Marja
; Callewaert, Hannelore; Dierckx, Eva; De Donder, Liesbeth
(2024).
Loneliness prevalence of community-dwelling older adults and the impact of the mode of measurement, data collection, and country: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
International Psychogeriatrics.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610224000425
Vasile, Octavian-Marian;
Aartsen, Marja
; PRECUPEȚU, Iuliana; Tufa, Laura; Dumitrescu, Diana; Radogna, Rosa Maria
(2023).
Association Between Social Isolation and Mental Well-Being in Later Life. What is the Role of Loneliness?.
Applied Research in Quality of Life.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-023-10239-z
Kafková, Marcela Petrová; Fučík, Petr;
Aartsen, Marja
; Hansen, Thomas; Katz, Ruth; Naim, Sigal; Pavlidis, George; Serrat, Rodrigo; Villar, Feliciano; Vidovicova, L
(2023).
Is There an Association Between Childhood Conditions and Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life?.
Polish Sociological Review (PSR).
Vol. 223.
https://doi.org/10.26412/psr223.05
Aartsen, Marja
; Vasile, Marian; Tufa, L.D.; Dumitrescu, Diana; Radogna, Rosa M.; Wörn, Jonathan; Precupetu, Iuliana
(2023).
Patterns and correlates of old-age social exclusion in the Balkan states.
12 p.
European Journal of Ageing.
Vol. 20.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-023-00762-1
Pavlidis, George; Motel-Klingebiel, Andreas;
Aartsen, Marja
(2022).
Exclusion from social relations in later life: on the gendered associations of social networks with mental wellbeing.
Aging & Mental Health.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2116397
Pavlidis, George; Hansen, Thomas; Motel-Klingebiel, Andreas;
Aartsen, Marja
(2022).
Network and solitude satisfaction as modifiers of
disadvantages in the quality of life of older persons who
are challenged by exclusion from social relations: a gender
stratified analysis.
Applied Research in Quality of Life.
Vol. 17.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10045-z
Orsholits, Dan; Cullati, Stéphane; Ghisletta, Paolo;
Aartsen, Marja
; Oris, Michel; Studer, Matthias; Maurer, Jürgen; Perna, Laura; Gouveia, Élvio; Marques, Adilson; Peralta, Miguel; Marconcin, Priscila; Kliegel, Matthias; Ihle, Andreas
(2022).
How Welfare Regimes Moderate the Associations Between Cognitive Aging, Education, and Occupation.
9 p.
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences.
Vol. 77.
https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbac013
Veenstra, Marijke
;
Aartsen, Marja
(2022).
Life-course income trajectories of men and women in Norway: Implications for self-rated health in later life.
5 p.
European Journal of Public Health.
Vol. 32.
https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac055
Le, Giang Huong
;
Aartsen, Marja
(2022).
Understanding volunteering intensity in older volunteers.
Ageing & Society.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X22001106
Aartsen, Marja
; Walsh, Kieran; Villar, Feliciano; Lowenstein, Ariela; Katz, Ruth; Naim, Sigal; Motel-Klingebiel, Andreas; Wanka, Anna; Urbaniak, Anna Maria; Hansen, Thomas; Vidovićová, Lucie
(2021).
Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life and the Role of Gender: A Heuristic Model.
19 p.
Gender a výzkum.
Vol. 22.
https://doi.org/10.13060/GAV.2021.005
