Transição ao envelhecimento no contexto das capacidades de autocuidado entre residentes de um município do sul de Minas Gerais

Abstract

The way in which a person goes through the transition from adulthood to old age can be influenced by different factors that interfere with self-care abilities. Understanding the transition process to aging of people with excellent self-care abilities is of utmost importance, as it allows a better understanding of this process, which can support models for active and healthy aging to be replicated in health programs for the elderly to enhance self-care abilities with a view to maintaining longevity. This study aimed to understand the transition to aging among elderly people with excellent self-care abilities in a municipality in the South of Minas Gerais. This is a descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative approach carried out in a municipality in the South of Minas Gerais with 92 elderly people with excellent self-care abilities. The eligibility criteria were: being registered with Family Health Teams or Primary Care Teams in the municipality and presenting the ability to understand and communicate verbally, which was verified through the Mental Assessment Questionnaire. Data collection took place from July to December 2023 in a home environment after approval by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alfenas, under opinion no. 6,081,953. The following instruments were used: Mental Assessment Questionnaire, Sociodemographic and Health Characterization Form, Semi-structured Interview Script, and Self-Care Capabilities Assessment Scale. The analysis of socioeconomic and health characterization data was through descriptive statistics. For the data originated from the semi-structured interview, the methodological framework of Braun and Clarke's Reflective Thematic Analysis was adopted, with a deductive perspective based on the theoretical framework of Afaf Ibrahim Meleis' Transitions Theory. Among the participants, 59.8% were female, with an average age of 68.9 years, 38.0% had completed high school, 85.9% reported practicing some religion(s), 69.6% had some health condition or chronic illness, 79.3% used medication, and 56.5% practiced some physical activity. Regarding the qualitative data, seven themes were generated: Aging: (lack of) awareness resulting from the social construction of ageism, Aging: suffering in the face of losses, Aging: change in the perception of self-care, Aging: result of how one lives and how one takes care of oneself, Aging: concepts and prejudices, Aging: acquisition of skills and abilities, Aging: another look at life. More time to spend with oneself, improved financial status, family and social support and access to health services were perceived as facilitating factors and contributed to awareness of aging and improved self-care capabilities.