Significados de ser feliz na velhice e qualidade de vida percebida segundo idosos brasileiros

Abstract

Objective: Identifyting associations between meanings of “being happy in old age” and perceived quality of life in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Data were drawn from the baseline (BL; 2008-2009) and follow up (FW; 2016-2017) records of the Fibra Campinas, a population-based study on frailty in old age. Two hundred and eleven individuals with an average age of 81.0±4.3 at follow-up, answered to an open question on happiness in old age at baseline and to the CASP-19 at follow-up. BL records were submitted to content analysis; those of FW to measures of frequency, position and dispersion, and both to logistic regression analyzes. Results: The content analysis generated four themes: health and functionality (the most mentioned), psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships and material resources. The most cited categories were self-development and family relationships. High scores in CASP-19 prevailed and were more likely among participants who did not mention material resources (OR=2.44; 95%CI: 1.20-4.43), nor health and functionality (OR=2.03; 95%CI: 1.22-4.22), and among those who cited interpersonal relationships (OR=1.92; 95%CI: 1.08-3.41) at BL. High scores in the factor Self-Realization/Pleasure were more likely among those aged 80-84 (OR=1.93; 95%CI: 1.01-3.68) and among those who did not mention health and functionality (OR=1.98; 95%CI: 1,00-1.98) at BL. Conclusion: Happiness in old age and quality of life related to psychological needs of control, autonomy, self-realization and pleasure are related constructs, whose evaluation captures experiences that exceed material and health conditions, predominant in classic measures of quality of life