Voces del envejecimiento: perspectivas de adultas mayores sobre envejecimiento exitoso
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Women comprise the majority of the older adult population in Mexico; therefore, studying the social and health phenomena that affect them in later life is essential for informing strategies to address population ageing. Successful aging encompasses the absence of major disease and disability for performing activities of daily living, high physical and cognitive functioning, and active engagement with life (Rowe y Kahn, 1987). However, this model was developed from a positivist standpoint and without a gender perspective; studying it from the subjective viewpoints of older women can promote a redefinition of contemporary Mexican ageing. This study examines the perspectives of 13 older women from Guadalajara, Jalisco, regarding successful aging. Based on face-to-face, in-depth interviews that were audio-recorded and fully transcribed, a thematic content analysis was conducted. Findings identified a set of characteristics and determinants of successful aging, notably: acceptance of and adaptation to age-related changes, social support, absence of disease and physical pain, functional capacity and activity, economic stability, and a sense of tranquility. The results underscore the need for gerontological research with a gender perspective; understanding the social and health characteristics with which women in our context age—women who account for more than half of the older population—will contribute to the design and implementation of population-level strategies that promote healthy ageing.
Author: Karla Patricia Vázquez Núñez
Institution: Universidad de Guadalajara
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223405452