title: Socio-Demographic Variables and Successful Aging of the Angolan Elderly.
abstract: The proportion of elderly people is growing faster than any other age group. Amongst them, the group of oldest old is indeed the segment of the elderly population with the fastest growth rate. The increase in the proportion of elderly in the Angolan population makes research on this area badly needed. Within the theoretical framework of successful aging, the study aims to test for sociodemographic group differences in perceived health, life satisfaction, and social relations in Angolan elderly. The dependent variables are three of the components of what has been called successful aging. Data came from a cross-sectional survey of elderly people living in Luanda. 1003 Angolan elderly were surveyed on sociodemographic information, perceived health, life satisfaction, and social support. MANOVAs were calculated to test for mean differences in the dependent variables. Results permit to conclude that the factors associated with the largest differences on the Angolan elderly's quality of life and social relations were age (becoming oldest old) and institutionalization. The interactions of several factors with age pointed out that the oldest old were clearly a group in which the decreased quality of life due to becoming oldest old could not be compensated by other factors, as it was the case in the group of young old.
authors.affiliation: Department of Methodology for the Behavioural Sciences, University of Valencia, Blasco Ibañez 21, 46410 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galiana
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia, Blasco Ibañez 21, 46410 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Melchor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, FCSH Ciudad Escolar s/n, 44003 Teruel, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sancho
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Sciences, Higher Institute of the Education Sciences, University of Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Elizabeth-Hama
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.affiliation: Department of Methodology for the Behavioural Sciences, University of Valencia, Blasco Ibañez 21, 46410 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tomás