Open AccessIntervening factors in the perception of memory decline and life purpose in older adults
Author(s) -
Daniel Vicentini de Oliveira,
Gabriel Lucas Morais Freire,
Paulo Vitor Suto Aizava,
Thaís Sporkens Magna,
Vinícius Nagy Soares,
Paula Teíxeira Fernándes,
José Roberto Andrade do Nascimento Júnior,
Lenamar Fiorese Vieira
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revista ciências em saúde
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2236-3785
DOI - 10.21876/rcshci.v11i4.1106
Subject(s) - gerontology , perception , cognitive decline , activities of daily living , psychology , cognition , memory test , demography , medicine , disease , dementia , psychiatry , sociology , pathology , neuroscience
Objective: To investigate the relationship between the perception of memory decline and the purpose of life in the elderly.Methods: A cross-sectional study that evaluated 235 older adults living in the city of Maringá, Paraná. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Life Purpose Scale and the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) were used. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann–Whitney “U”, Kruskal-Wallis, and Pearson's Chi-square tests (p < 0.05). Results: The results showed a higher prevalence of women with a perception of memory decline (p = 0.011) and that the elderly with more than three minimum wages had higher scores on the life purpose scale than the elderly with lower income. It was found that the elderly who does not consider that the deterioration of memory affects activities of daily living (ADL) had a greater purpose in life than the elderly who considers that the deterioration of memory impairs their ADL (p = 0.004). Conclusion: female gender seems to be a factor associated with memory decline, while higher monthly income seems to be an intervening factor in the greater purpose of life of the elderly. Not considering that memory loss harms ADLs, it seems to intervene in the best purpose of life.