Envelhecimento e qualidade de vida para idosos: um estudo de representações sociais

Abstract

Human aging has been widely discussed in academic circles - scientific, due to the vast amount of opportunities that this theme offers researchers without it - there is repetitive and exhausting. The elderly population is growing and is visible lack of preparedness of countries to remedy the problems that this brings. To both questions is how about the satisfaction of the elderly with life, or how they are representing their quality of life. In this perspective the present study aims to analyze the social representations of elderly residents in the city of Joao Pessoa on quality of life. This was an exploratory study with quanti-qualitative approach, we interviewed 240 elderly people, who agreed to participate, lucid, oriented in time and space with the physical and psychic tools to respond to. The sites chosen for the development of this study were 20 census tracts. The instruments used to achieve the objectives proposed by this study were: a semi-structured interview, the project under the Ministry of Health The interviews were analyzed with the help of software for quantitative analysis of textual data (Alceste). The sociodemographic data were analyzed by SPSS software package. The results were interpreted from the theoretical framework of social representations, and presented in tables, figures, tables, units of analysis. Of the 240 elderly patients studied 73 were male and 167 female the majority were aged 60 to 69 years, most received between 2 and 3 minimum wages, much was married and the Catholic religion was predominant. The results from Alceste point to five hierarchical classes where the elderly represent aging as a stage that has many health problems, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, rheumatism and spinal problems such as negative dimensions and positive aging is associated with: experience, appreciation, respect, peace, peace, and retirement. For the elderly quality of life is associated with: recovery, support, health, dignity, access, comfort, friendship and home. It is considered that the social representations of the elderly about aging and quality of life can support health professionals in understanding the adhesion preventive of the elderly and strengthening the consolidation of policy towards the elderly.