DETERMINANTS OF SUCCESSFUL AGING: INTEGRITY AND PSYCHOPHYSICAL HEALTH

Abstract

Several studies have attempted to define the overall health condition of the third age as the basis of the successful aging concept. In this paper, we aimed to explore the significance of psychophysical health with the elderly and identify the dimensions of psychophysical health that could impact the level of integrity during this stage of life. The respondents involved in this research were elderly persons (N = 101), with an average age of 71.7. Most respondents live in urban areas (76.2%) and have only completed primary education (51.6%). The research utilized the following instruments: a questionnaire to evaluate socio-demographic characteristics (developed specifically for the study), the RAND-36 Health Survey (Hays & Shapiro, 1992; Stewart et al., 1992), and the Scale of Integrity (SI) (Lacković-Grgin et al., 2006). Significant differences in physical and psychosocial health, as well as in the level of integrity among the elderly, were identified based on the analyzed socio-demographic variables, such as place of residence and educational attainment. All dimensions of physical and psychosocial health were found to be significantly correlated with the level of integrity, with emotional well-being emerging as the sole significant predictor of integrity. The findings of this research may serve as valuable information, primarily for professionals but also for family members, indicating which aspects of psychosocial and physical health should receive particular attention in order to ensure that the elderly are provided with appropriate forms of assistance in their daily activities.