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What Does “Successful Aging” Mean to you? — Systematic Review and Cross-Cultural Comparison of Lay Perspectives of Older Adults in 13 Countries, 2010–2020

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Abstract

Successful aging is a concept that has gained popularity and relevance internationally among gerontologists in recent decades. Examining lay older adults’ perspectives on successful aging can enhance our understanding of what successful aging means. We conducted a systematic review of peer reviewed studies from multiple countries published in 2010–2020 that contained qualitative responses of lay older adults to open-ended questions such as “What does successful aging mean to you?” We identified 23 studies conducted in 13 countries across North America, Western Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. We identified no studies meeting our criteria in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, North Asia, or Pacific Islands. Across all regions represented in our review, older adults most commonly referred to themes of social engagement and positive attitude in their own lay definitions of successful aging. Older adults also commonly identified themes of independence and physical health. Least mentioned were themes of cognitive health and spirituality. Lay definitions of successful aging varied by country and culture. Our findings suggest that gerontology professionals in fields including healthcare, health psychology, and public health may best serve older adults by providing services that align with older adults’ priority of maintaining strong social engagement as they age. Lay perspectives on successful aging acknowledge the importance of positive attitude, independence, and spirituality, in addition to physical and cognitive functioning.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gerontology Program, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Afton J. Reich, Kelsie D. Claunch, Shellie Anderson, Colter K. Clayton & Evan L. Thacker

  2. Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, 2051 LSB, Provo, UT, USA

    Afton J. Reich, Marco A. Verdeja, Matthew T. Dungan & Evan L. Thacker

  3. Department of Exercise Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Kelsie D. Claunch

  4. School of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Shellie Anderson

  5. Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Colter K. Clayton

  6. Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Michael C. Goates

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  1. Afton J. Reich
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Reich, A.J., Claunch, K.D., Verdeja, M.A. et al. What Does “Successful Aging” Mean to you? — Systematic Review and Cross-Cultural Comparison of Lay Perspectives of Older Adults in 13 Countries, 2010–2020. J Cross Cult Gerontol 35, 455–478 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-020-09416-6

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