Background and Objectives: In this study, we examine the experience of aging and subjective views of what it means to age well among older adults with a migrant background in the Netherlands. We... Show moreBackground and Objectives: In this study, we examine the experience of aging and subjective views of what it means to age well among older adults with a migrant background in the Netherlands. We embed the study within the successful aging debate and tackle two of its most persistent critiques: the failure to adequately include subjective views in the definition of aging well and the failure to recognize that the process of aging is culturally determined.Research Design and Methods: The research draws on qualitative data collected through eight focus-group discussions with the six largest migrant groups in the Netherlands, namely Indo-Dutch and Moluccans, and migrants with Western, Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish, and Moroccan background.Results: The study findings show that in general older migrants experience aging more positively than commonly assumed. Nevertheless, some negative aspects of aging were also mentioned. These together with fears about the future underpin participants' perceptions about aging well. Key aspects of successful aging include remaining healthy, independent, and engaged. Differences between and within groups exist in the meaning given to these concepts and the extent to which other specific aging-related wishes were mentioned. These differences are rooted in participants' experiences of the migration event, employment history, and their current socioeconomic conditions.Discussion and Implications: We conclude that the life course perspective is essential in understanding migrants' aging process and their views on successful aging, and suggest that policies and interventions which promote disease prevention and tackle social exclusion will be beneficial for older adults with a migration background. Show less
Huijg, J.M.; Delden, A.E.Q. van; Ouderaa, F.J.G. van der; Westendorp, R.G.J.; Slaets, J.P.J.; Lindenberg, J. 2017
Objectives: This study took an emic multidimensional approach on successful aging and examined what older people consider important to age successfully by asking them about their plans and wishes ... Show moreObjectives: This study took an emic multidimensional approach on successful aging and examined what older people consider important to age successfully by asking them about their plans and wishes (PWs). Associations between participants' demographics, health status, working life, social contacts, life satisfaction, and their PWs were investigated.Method: An online questionnaire was completed by 649 older individuals (55-90 years). Conceptual content analysis was performed to identify important categories in PWs. Quantitative analyses were conducted to examine associations between PWs and participants' characteristics.Results: Most mentioned PWs were related to activities, engagement with life, and health. Seventy-four participants (11.4%) expressed no PWs. Multivariate analysis revealed that having PWs was most strongly related to participants' life satisfaction. Older individuals with a higher life satisfaction indicated significantly more often to have PWs than individuals with a lower life satisfaction.Discussion: The majority of older people desire an active, engaged, and healthy life. PWs were variable and personal, which endorses an emic, multidimensional approach to successful aging. Knowledge on what older individuals find important in their lives and what they want to achieve can assist older individuals in setting and attaining their goals toward aging well. Show less
