RESUMO
STUDY BACKGROUND: The aging population in Canada has been increasing steadily over the past 40 years, however, there is limited information about the meaning of aging well amongst older Brazilian women in Canada. METHODS: A Heideggerian interpretive phenomenology study was conducted to understand the meaning of aging well amongst older Brazilian women in the post-migration context living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. RESULTS: Eight older Brazilian women residing in the GTA were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling and participated in individual face-to-face interviews. Through data analysis and the incorporation of Heidegger's four existentials of human existence, the themes that emerged were (a) Embracing being part of a mosaic, (b) Aging with grace, (c) Chasing your dreams and (d) Being a bridge and not a fence. The overarching theme was: Finding the silver lining: Aging well. CONCLUSION: This study informs nursing practice, research and policy development to advance the health of older immigrant adults in Canada.
Assuntos
Emigrantes e Imigrantes , Envelhecimento Saudável , Adulto , Idoso , Envelhecimento , Brasil , Feminino , Humanos , Ontário , Pesquisa QualitativaRESUMO
There is a growing consensus regarding the multidimensional nature of successful aging (SA), including both the biomedical and psychosocial domains of the aging process. The Successful Aging Scale (SAS) is a self-rated instrument addressing both of these components. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the SAS (SAS-B) with regard to reliability and validity in 949 Brazilian community-dwelling older adults (53.60% women; M = 69.49 years; standard deviation = 7.67). Confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) was performed to provide evidence on its structural validity. Convergent and divergent validity was studied by means of examining the relationships of SAS-B with scales concerning resilience, life satisfaction, self-esteem, social support, perceived stress, and health, as well as mental health. The CFA showed that the SAS-B is multidimensional with three correlated factors (χ2 /df = 2.74; standardized root mean square residual = 0.03; root mean square error approximation = 0.04; comparative fit index = 0.91), and its factors showed adequate reliability (ω = 0.70 for Healthy living habits, ω = 0.69 for Adaptive coping, and ω = 0.70 for Engagement with Life). Convergent and divergent validity was endorsed by correlations with related factors. The SAS-B is a reliable and valid self-rated instrument to measure the SA from a multidimensional perspective.