Age Perceptions Of The Individuals Over 50 Years Of Age Living In A District Of Istanbul And The Related Factors

Pınar Kocabas, Pemra C. Unalan

Keywords: Age perception, functionality, healthy aging, community dwelling

Background:

Age perception is a multidimensional concept that includes not only chronological, but also biological and social age classifications. Age perception is a biopsychosocial marker of aging and reflects a person's prediction of aging. Studies have shown that the parameters of indicating the state of being healthy, such as the expected life expectancy, are effected by the perception of age.

Research questions:

What is the age perception and the related factors of the individuals over 50 years of age and living in a district of Istanbul?

Method:

387 community dwelling people living in Tuzla participated in this cross sectional study as the calculated sample size. A questionnaire about demographic conditions, health issues, age perceptions and the related parameters, Perception of Health Scale and COOP-WONCA Charts are applied face to face in the community. Pearson Chi-Square, T-test, ANOVA and Simple Lineer Regression tests are used for statistical analysis. p<0,05 is accepted significant.

Results:

Female were the 68,2% of the participants and the mean age was 63,93 ± 9,67. But the mean of the perceptible age was 49,81±19,17(min:15 max:100). Mean of the age that the participants target to alive at most was 84,26±10,08. Of all 77,5% was happy with his age, age stigmatization is mentioned by 7,8%. The participants defined the optimum age that they wish to be was 33,95 ±17,27. Higher education level, having hobbies, a social life, regular physical activity, to be satisfied with the actual age, higher Perception of Health Scale total score and the lower score (which means higher functionality)within each chart of COOP-WONCA was significantly associated with the perceptible age (p<0,05).

Conclusions:

Having hobbies and socializing affects the individual’s health perception and functionality and makes them feel younger than they are. If age perception affects the life expectancy then family physicians feel responsibility to participate in the development of environmental and social policies.

Points for discussion:

Do you have any study in your country about age pereption?

Do you think that similar studies in different countries should be repeated as social and cultural variables are strong factors that effect age perception? If yes can we collaborate?

What are the limitations of this study?

#209