Condições de saúde e envelhecimento bem-sucedido entre pessoas idosas rurais ribeirinhas amazônicas

Abstract

Objective: To understand the physical and mental health conditions and Successful Aging (EBS) among rural elderly people living on the riverbanks of the Amazon. Method: Descriptive- observational study on 11 river islands in the municipality of Cametá, Pará, Brazil, with 77 rural elderly people living on the riverbank. For data collection, the sociodemographic questionnaire, the health characteristics questionnaire and the Successful Aging Scale (SAS-B) were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics through frequency distribution, percentage rate, 95% confidence intervals, minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation. Results: Most participants were young elderly people (60-69 years), female, married, with low education and income, and of Catholic religion. It was observed that although most participants perceived their health as poor, they had satisfactory social support, were functionally independent and used institutional health services. In relation to the EBS investigation, the performance of rural riverside elderly people achieved a high score (76.40±7.28), with emphasis on the “Engagement with Life” domain, which had an average of 31.20 points (±3.21). Conclusion: The evidence demonstrated that although there are important social vulnerabilities in the investigated context, rural riverside elderly people are capable of aging successfully under the influence of compensatory biopsychosocial and behavioral mechanisms.