[Successful aging: criteria and predictors].
In the Anglo-Saxon scientific literature, successful aging has been consolidated during the last four decades. Nevertheless, several terms have been used as synonymous: healthy, active, productive, optimal, positive aging. Although, all these terms have been described through a broad set of bio-psycho-social factors, usually, research in this field reduces successful aging to daily life functioning and physical health. Also, in spite of the fact that authors consider that determinants might be multi-domain, empirical research usually reduces them to life styles. Logically, the prevalence of this kind of ageing found empirically is not very consistent and research of its determinants or predictors refers to biomedical conditions. In this study, data from 458 participants (170 males and 288 females; mean age: 66.47, range: 55-75) from ELEA ("Longitudinal Study of Active Aging") were examined. The results show (depending on the simple or multidimensional definitions used) a very varied range of proportions of successfully aging older persons as well as a large number of multi-domain predictors of successful ageing, among which are intelligence, personality and motivational psychological characteristics.
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Madrid, Spain. r.fballesteros@uam.es
Rocío
R
Fernández-Ballesteros García
Ma Dolores
MD
Zamarrón Casinello
Ma Dolores
MD
López Bravo
Ma Ángeles
MÁ
Molina Martínez
Juan
J
Díez Nicolás
Pilar
P
Montero López
Rocío
R
Schettini del Moral
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004526:Efficiency; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010551:Personality; D011788:Quality of Life; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology