Celia Pereira Caldas
Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil
Title: Health promotion and life course dynamics: Transitions of Brazilian elderly
Biography
Biography: Celia Pereira Caldas
Abstract
Background: Understanding life transitions are important to help people to achieve their develop-mental needs. No studies have examined the patterns of responses to life transitions, eliciting the experiences of growing old of retired Brazilian older adults.
Aim: To identify and describe the patterns of responses to life transitions of retired Brazilian older adults.
Design: Using a theoretical perspective of transition as a guide, a qualitative, secondary narrative research design was in-corporated to obtain data from 11 interviews.
Method: Initial data collection took place during a broader study on the influence of people's working life history. Eleven autonomous and independent persons, 64 -82 years old, were interviewed at a geriatric outpatient unit in Rio de Janeiro to obtain their perceptions of old age. The secondary, narrative holistic-content analysis focused on the patterns of responses to life transitions. Results: The first turning point was a childhood event and the next was their first job. The third turning point was moving to another place/house or an-other city, the fourth starting a family, and retirement was the last turning point.
Conclusions: While older people may feel environmentally disconnected throughout life, their patterns of response, together with the available resources and prevention/interventions influence the transition process. Health Promotion actions are needed at vulnerable points during the transition process, thereby facilitating the health outcomes.