Engagement with life and psychological well-being in late adulthood: Findings from community-based programs in Portugal

Alice Bastos, Joana Monteiro, Raquel Barbosa, Helena Pimentel, Sofia Silva and Carla Faria

PLOS ONE, 2023, vol. 18, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: Objectives: Human aging is a multidirectional, multidimensional, and multicausal process that reflects biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences, which act in distinct combinations throughout the life-span. Proactivity towards avoiding the usual aging process is needed. This study analyses the long-term effects of participation in Community-Based Programs on psychological well-being. Method: A sample of 150 community-dwelling participants enrolled in Community-Based Programs, aged 55 to 84 years and living in three Portuguese localities were matched by age (55–64, 65–74, 75–84 years), gender, and locality with a comparison group of non-participants. We administered a multidimensional gerontological protocol which included socio-demographic information, measures of health/disease, functional ability, social network, cognitive performance and psychological well-being. Hierarchical regression models were used to test the effects of Community-Based Programs on psychological well-being adjusting for remaining variables. Results: Overall, psychological well-being is positively associated with household income and satisfaction with health. Nevertheless, in participants, psychological well-being builds predominantly upon social network and is not associated with a moderate inability or cognitive deficits, contrasting with psychological well-being in non-participants. After adjusting for background variables, psychological well-being was positively associated with health satisfaction and social network and negatively related to moderate inability. Further, a significant interaction of participation in Community-Based Programs with age, points out higher levels of psychological well-being in participants contrasting with a downward trend in non-participants. After stratification by age, psychological well-being increases with time attending Community-Based Programs in the oldest (75–84 years) contrasting with the remainder. Conclusions: Participation in Community-Based Programs may improve the negative effects of the aging process on psychological well-being. This positive effect as age increases may be linked to a reinforcement of social network, valued more by participants in Community-Based Programs. Furthermore, the programs may act as a healing/maintenance strategy in persons with moderate inability and/or cognitive deficits.

Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0286115

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286115

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