Middle-aged preparation for healthy aging: a qualitative study - BMC Public Health - BMC Public Health
In the present study, 11 women and 12 men were interviewed, the mean age was 50.43 ± 4.8 and the majority of the people (73.9%) were married (Table 1). Examples of middle-aged programs for healthy aging were categorized into four dimensions (Table 2).
Staying healthy
Keeping up health in middle age is an important factor in having healthy aging. Undoubtedly, those who have a healthier lifestyle will be better able to cope with the health changes in aging. The category of keeping up health was divided into two subcategories: Promotes healthy habits of physical wellbeing, making mental health priority, and Improving Social Connectedness.
Promotes healthy habits of physical wellbeing
From the perspective of the studied middle-aged people, promotes healthy habits of physical wellbeing was important for a healthy old age. Preventing declining health in old age through physical activity, eating healthy, screening, and periodic health examinations, quitting or starting to quit bad eating habits, quitting or starting to quit smoking, controlling diseases, Weight control, and eye examination expressed by participants. For example, many middle-aged people are eager to maintain healthy eating and talk about walking as physical activity.
"I eat fruits and vegetables; the main nutrition has always been in my diet and continues to be. I shouldn't eat greasy, sweet and salty things.... I also have a lot of walking …" (45 years old man).
But most of the time, financial and time barriers were observed in this area so that some people hoped to improve their diet in aging because now their work affects their diet.
"Now we are out from morning to night and work, we have to eat whatever we can get..." (46 years old man).
In terms of health care, they were interested in the importance of their examinations and health check-ups, but they knew that this procedure is expensive: "I should go to the doctor right now. I may have a general illness, but I rarely go to the doctor. If you get sick, you have to spend money, you have a cold, you have to spend money, well, if a person is not financially secure, of course, this is not the case" (46-year-old woman).
Making mental health priority
Promoting mental health activities in middle age is important to have a good mental state in old age. The studied middle-aged people emphasized to live happily, to have a sense of peace in life, to strengthen positive thinking, to do pleasant things, to prevent depression, to avoid stress in life and anxiety to have a healthy old age for their future.
"Aging life, I lead a healthy life, of course, I do not go back to the past because grief overcomes me .... I strongly avoid negative people .... I try to stay away from negative thoughts, negative people, and negative places. For my comfort. I try to do things that I enjoy, I listen to music, I have guests and I have a mountain" (50 years old woman).
Participants of the low class of the society said they are not in a mentally good situation and blamed the economic situation of the society.
"The thought that it's not good, will ruin it all." A future that does not make you depressed... Most people are not depressed. A bad economic situation does not allow us to be mentally healthy. It is not clear what will happen in the future ...". (45 years' man).
Improving social connectedness
Social Connectedness is essential throughout a person's lifespan. To prevent the feeling of separation and loneliness in the period of old age, one should think about expanding the circle of communication from the middle age. This subcategory includes concepts such as family communication, group orientation, having a companion, having good friends, and desire to go to a nursing home due to loneliness. A 55 years old woman is trying to build better family relationships in the family and is also thinking of expanding her relationships:
"I do not like to be old, to be alone...I try to improve our relationship with my husband and children, I don't want to do anything to be alone; from now on I will start gathering those I lost like my friends and sisters. (55 years old woman)".
Financial perspective for the future
Financial perspective for the future, before entering aging, can meaningfully help well-being in aging. Perceived financial adequacy of individuals was included in two sub-categories of creating financial security and becoming a homeowner.
Creating financial security
Financial security in the middle-aged in this study included adequacy of savings, adequacy of pension rights, financial independence, adequacy of financial income, having financial management of savings, investment, insurance, financial independence, and job security. Men talked more about income generation and economic turmoil and the inability to save.
This concern was mostly seen in the workers. These people did not have job stability and security, and financial readiness for old age did not make sense for this group because they were struggling to make ends meet. A 46 years old worker says: "Saving cannot be done. You may only feed the self... I have no savings... Saving in our country! Well, inflation is unpredictable and uncontrollable."
For women, financial independence was more important. A 46-year-old woman says: "Before I got old, I loved having money and I used to buy a house for myself and when I got tired, I would go and be alone for myself. For a woman, it better to be financially independent and does not need her husband."
Becoming a homeowner
The environment and the place where a person live undoubtedly have a considerable effect on his/her health. In this study, buying housing and having personal housing, housing in the right place, inability to have housing, thinking about going to a nursing home due to lack of housing, having features such as elevators, and bathrooms were from the features of housing for the aging, which was mentioned by the subjects. But some were unable to provide or purchase housing for aging.
"Well, I would like to have a house and everyone wants to own a house, I tried to buy it but it didn't work... I think I can no longer rent a very small house at all due to the expensive housing situation, finally, a person can rent a very small house ..." (45 years old woman).
Outlook on aging
What is formed from aging and its concept in the minds of the middle-aged people will affect the quality of coping with it. Outlook on aging is told to two subcategories of accepting the reality of aging and positive view of aging.
Accepting the reality of aging
Avoiding the acceptance of aging can create challenges for people when dealing with aging. In this sub-category, not accepting aging, being involved in other issues, current problems, observing decreased physical ability, unplanned thinking, thinking with observing other aging people, talking to family and spouse about plans, study, and communication with the aging are mentioned. Some people have accepted the reality of aging:
"Anyway, this is a part of life. It's inevitable. We come to it, whether we like it or not, whether we are prepared or not" (46 years old woman).
Most middle-aged people tried not to think about aging and the future. Some also wanted to think about it when they reached aging: "Now, I'd rather think about the present situation than the future. I'll think about it whenever it comes. It's too early for me to think about it now, …." (45 years old man).
Having a positive view of aging
Having a positive view of aging provides a platform for experiencing a good and healthy aging period. Positive views include: achieving perfection, the usefulness of children, having grandchildren, remaining useful capacities, experience, experience transfer period, accountability, and having enough time. Few spoke positively about aging. It is worth noting that people with a positive view were men.
"Every period of a person's life is kind of sweet. We indeed get older, lose some of the skills, but we can take advantage of our aging. In aging your children marry, you have grandchildren... they are kind of beautiful" (49 years old man).
But in this study, negative views such as disability period, fear of loneliness, fear of dependence, child marriage, and separation, reduction of social relations were observed more. Middle-aged women in the study spoke of their negative feelings about aging. One of the biggest negative attitudes toward aging was the fear of being dependent on others.
"I believe aging is so fearful, … I don't want to be old and disabled or need anyone..." (46 years old woman).
Planning for use time productively
How to use time in aging can be challenging. Managing daily time and planning how to spend time in old age can have a positive effect on health. Planning for use time productively was included in two subcategories of expansion of voluntarily activities and foresight for aging leisure.
Voluntary activities
Spending free time in old age to help others or improve society is good for both others and the individual. Having a volunteering program in middle age to spend useful time in old age will be effective for healthy aging. This section includes activities such as membership in social networks, social centers, membership in charity associations, assistance to nursing homes, guardianship of orphaned children, and some of the voluntary perceived barriers.
Few participants thought they had more free time in aging and could do voluntary works. Among them, a man with higher education states that: "One of the major issues that I have considered, and moving to help the community for money, not mobility, is the establishment of NGOs to help animals, homeless animals such as dogs, cats and other animals and birds that are oppressed or sick to reach them?"
Foresight for aging leisure
People in their aging will have more free time. Predicting the necessary arrangements for spending this period of life will help improve the quality of life for the better and healthier. Activities such as traveling, music, reading, enjoying nature, having fun with animals, having a garden, living in a quiet environment with spending more time with family and friends are mentioned. Few middle-aged people thought of side programs to spend time in aging. In the following, examples of people who, to some extent, had plans and thoughts for this are given.
"I try not to be like the others; they get old, sit in a corner, and wait for death to come; I try not to be like that and I like to get busy doing my daughter's work and my son's work" (45 years old man).
Comments
Post a Comment