Envelhecimento ativo: a relação entre suporte social percebido, bem-estar subjetivo e desempenho cognitivo

Abstract

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2050 there will be more than 2 billion people aged over of 60 years old. Thus, it becomes urgent for society and healthcare professionals to promote active aging. WHO defines this concept as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. Two factors that seem to influence the ageing process are: perceived social support and subjective well-being. Perceived social support is defined as the perception of someone’s presence, willingness and trust. Subjective well-being is the global assessment that one makes of their lifetime and experience. This study aims to analyze the relationship between perceived social support, subjective well-being and cognitive performance in active ageing. This study involved 32 participants aged over 65 years old, selected at a senior university. Satisfaction with life scale was applied to assess subjective well-being, Escala de Satisfação com o Suporte Social to establish perceived social support and Colored Progressive Matrices to test cognitive performance. Age, literacy and perceived social support were predictors of cognitive performance. Therefore, the perception of quality of the social support seems vital in the process of active aging. For future reference this study can be replicated with a larger and more heterogeneous sample, including participants from other social activities.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	Maria Teresa Soares Souto (Supervisor)