[Successful aging: how to improve its occurrence in the elderly?].

OBJECTIVES

To assess the seniors' expectations for acceding to successful aging and the impact of preventive actions.

METHOD: Descriptive study of a representative sample of healthy pensioners using a 20-item questionnaire exploring the difficulties in daily life, the options chosen to achieve successful aging and the impact of preventive actions. Self-rated health feelings and well-being were assessed by visual analogical scales.

RESULTS

The questionnaire was sent to 998 subjects and 651 responses were completed. Mean age of the subjects was 72.9±1.2 years, and 60% were women. Main reported complaints concerned memory loss (20.4%) and mood swings (18.9%). Sleep (82.3%) and physical activity (81.4) were considered as priorities to accede to successful aging. Social activities were significantly more important for subjects with higher educational level than for subjects with lower educational level (p<0.0001). Women and people living alone were more interested in preventive action concerning physical and psychological well-being than men and people living in family (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

A better analysis of the complaints and needs of aging subjects should be useful to ensure successful ageing.