Adjustment to Aging, Subjective Age and Age Representation: Assessing a Nationally-Diverse Population of Older Adults
Author(s) / Creator(s)
von Humboldt, Sofia
Leal, Isabel
Pimenta, Filipa
Niculescu, Georgeta
Abstract / Description
Aim: This research sought to analyse older adults’ conceptualization of adjustment to aging (AtA), subjective age (SA) and age representation (AR), adding a cross-national comparative perspective to aging well. Method: Questionnaires were completed, assessing participants’ background information. Semi-structured interviews were performed, addressing three core areas: SA, AtA and AR. Complete information on 231 older adults aged between 74-102 years (M = 83.1; SD = 6.692) from four different nationalities, was available. Data was subjected to content analysis. Results: Seven categories were identified to contribute to AtA: ‘accomplishment, personal fulfilment and future projects’, ‘occupation, profession, autonomy and leisure’, ‘health status, physical and intellectual functioning’, ‘valorisation of time and age’, ‘family, social and interpersonal attachment’, ‘stability, quality and financial situation’, and ‘sense of limit and existential issues’. Five categories were identified for SA: ‘with congruence’, ‘without concern’, ‘with apprehension’, ‘young-at-heart’ and ‘good enough’. For AR, eight emergent categories were found: ‘future investment’, ‘reconciliation with life’, ‘present challenge’, ‘regret about the past’, ‘dynamic life’, ‘with contentment’, ‘as an opportunity’ and ‘with dissatisfaction’. Conclusion: This research contributes for a better understanding of what defines AtA, SA and AR in older adults. Moreover, interventions and communication approaches in clinical practice and program development in health care context should focus on shared perceptions of aging well.
Keyword(s)
adjustment to aging subjective age age representation aging well older adults content analysisPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2012-11-30
Journal title
Psychology, Community & Health
Volume
1
Issue
3
Page numbers
285–299
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
von Humboldt, S., Leal, I., Pimenta, F., & Niculescu, G. (2012). Adjustment to Aging, Subjective Age and Age Representation: Assessing a Nationally-Diverse Population of Older Adults. Psychology, Community & Health, 1(3), 285–299. https://doi.org/10.5964/pch.v1i3.50
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Author(s) / Creator(s)von Humboldt, Sofia
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Leal, Isabel
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Pimenta, Filipa
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Niculescu, Georgeta
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-12-06T06:48:58Z
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Made available on2018-12-06T06:48:58Z
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Date of first publication2012-11-30
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Abstract / DescriptionAim: This research sought to analyse older adults’ conceptualization of adjustment to aging (AtA), subjective age (SA) and age representation (AR), adding a cross-national comparative perspective to aging well. Method: Questionnaires were completed, assessing participants’ background information. Semi-structured interviews were performed, addressing three core areas: SA, AtA and AR. Complete information on 231 older adults aged between 74-102 years (M = 83.1; SD = 6.692) from four different nationalities, was available. Data was subjected to content analysis. Results: Seven categories were identified to contribute to AtA: ‘accomplishment, personal fulfilment and future projects’, ‘occupation, profession, autonomy and leisure’, ‘health status, physical and intellectual functioning’, ‘valorisation of time and age’, ‘family, social and interpersonal attachment’, ‘stability, quality and financial situation’, and ‘sense of limit and existential issues’. Five categories were identified for SA: ‘with congruence’, ‘without concern’, ‘with apprehension’, ‘young-at-heart’ and ‘good enough’. For AR, eight emergent categories were found: ‘future investment’, ‘reconciliation with life’, ‘present challenge’, ‘regret about the past’, ‘dynamic life’, ‘with contentment’, ‘as an opportunity’ and ‘with dissatisfaction’. Conclusion: This research contributes for a better understanding of what defines AtA, SA and AR in older adults. Moreover, interventions and communication approaches in clinical practice and program development in health care context should focus on shared perceptions of aging well.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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Citationvon Humboldt, S., Leal, I., Pimenta, F., & Niculescu, G. (2012). Adjustment to Aging, Subjective Age and Age Representation: Assessing a Nationally-Diverse Population of Older Adults. Psychology, Community & Health, 1(3), 285–299. https://doi.org/10.5964/pch.v1i3.50en_US
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ISSN2182-438X
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1872
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2238
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/pch.v1i3.50
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Keyword(s)adjustment to agingen_US
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Keyword(s)subjective ageen_US
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Keyword(s)age representationen_US
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Keyword(s)aging wellen_US
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Keyword(s)older adultsen_US
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Keyword(s)content analysisen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleAdjustment to Aging, Subjective Age and Age Representation: Assessing a Nationally-Diverse Population of Older Adultsen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue3
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Journal titlePsychology, Community & Health
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Page numbers285–299
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Volume1
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record