How do elderly people in Spain assess active aging? Evidence from a lay-perspective

Abstract

The Spanish population is becoming older and alternatives for the development of an active living in different social contexts arise. Efforts to make active ageing an operative concept under professional and non-professional views (research, social agents, individuals) have been made. The paper aims at analysing how older adults in Spain build their active ageing, by studying the dimensions, factors and consequences that derive from their way of living. Quantitative data come from the Longitudinal Aging Study in Spain, Pilot Survey, ELES-PS, completed those from seven focus groups, composed by 50 individuals older than 50, participants in ELES-PS, and 9 indepth interviews with senior social organizations officers. Qualitative data have been analysed with ATLAS.ti. Results show that older people in Spain do not clearly define what active ageing is for them, but their discourses allows identifying some conditioning factors of their active behaviour, their main declared activities (personal, cultural, social activities, leisure time in general, involvement in some social participation interests) and the benefits they get. Literature on active ageing will allow comparison with active ageing's lay vision. Future research should aim to obtain the keys for the conceptualization of active aging by the older people themselves.