Open Access
Successful Aging and Personal Well-Being Among the Chilean Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Elderly
Author(s) -
Lorena Patricia Gallardo Peralta,
Estéban Sánchez Moreno
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aquichan
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.137
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2027-5374
pISSN - 1657-5997
DOI - 10.5294/aqui.2019.19.3.9
Subject(s) - indigenous , life satisfaction , premise , psychological intervention , psychology , well being , gerontology , subjective well being , social psychology , medicine , psychiatry , happiness , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , psychotherapist , biology
Objective: The aim of this research was to analyse the association between successful aging (SA) and subjective well-being (SWB) in different domains. Method: The study is quantitative and cross-sectional, with a sample consisting of 800 older people, including 569 indigenous (Aymara and Mapuche) participants living in northern and southern Chile. Results: Domains associated with SA are satisfaction with health, satisfaction with social relationships, satisfaction with future security, and satisfaction with spiritual and religious experiences. SA is also positively associated with being a woman, being young, and not being indigenous. Conclusion: The research has two main practical implications. First, SWB domains may be incorporated into socio-health interventions as they relate to elements that can be changed or improved (health, social inclusion, security, and beliefs). Second, this study suggests a situation of risk among older indigenous Chileans, confirming the premise that the life paths of indigenous Chileans at social risk give rise to a more socially unequal old age with; therefore, it is important to analyse positive aspects that promote better old age.