Identification of main determinants of active aging in the elder population of the castelo branco district, portugal

Abstract

Reconciling longevity with an independent and independent life is an important objective linked to the aging of the population. This was even assumed by the WHO (2002) when considering active aging as the main objective of the policies directed to the elderly. Based on the concept of active aging (AE) used by WHO, the functionality of the elderly was analyzed, its relationship with the determinants of active aging, and built an active aging model for a sample of elderly residents in the community. Methods: 306 elderly people living in the community were interviewed through an evaluation protocol to analyze the determinants of active aging. Results: The Active Aging model for the population of the Castelo Branco district consists of 6 factors: psychological component, subjective health, family relationships, functionality, satisfaction with services and relationships with friends, explaining 65.9% of the total variance : Conclusion: most of the elements reveal a high degree of functionality, which translates into independence in the accomplishment of most activities of daily living. They present a higher level of dependence, in all the components, the older individuals. The main component of the active aging model is the psychological component, accounting for 30.9% of the total variance.

Keywords

• envelhecimento ativo
• qualidade de vida
• funcionalidade
• idosos