Psychosocial adjustment and health in older people: cluster analysis

Background: Healthy aging has both a physical and a psychosocial dimension, which justifies the need to better understand older people’s psychosocial adjustment. Objectives: To study the psychosocial adjustment process in older people and explore its association with sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional, and exploratory study was conducted with 922 community-dwelling older people aged 64 to 99 years. The following sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed: perceived health; positive and negative affect; perceived social support; and medication adherence. Results: Three psychosocial adjustment profiles were identified. The profile with the lowest scores in all indicators, called the worst adjustment, was composed of intermediate-age older people (M = 74.7; SD = 7.08), who also reported more symptoms and diseases. Conclusion: This study suggests the existence of a group of particularly vulnerable older people and highlights the need to develop nursing interventions focused on adaptive resources that can improve their health and psychosocial adjustment.