PERCEPTION OF AGING FROM THE ELDERLY PERSPECTIVE: A METAPHOR STUDY

Abstract

The perception of aging which directly affects success fulaging may differ according to socioeconomic and cultural features. The aim of this study is to reveal the perceptions of elderly individuals about the concept of "aging" through metaphors. This research is in the phenomenological design, which is one of the qualitative research designs. The study included 206 individuals aged 65 and over. The research data were obtained with sociodemographic data and the participant's completion of the sentences "Aging is like/similar…..Because…....". Categories were created from the metaphors produced by the participants and presented with supporting examples. Participants with a meanage of 70.11±6.28 created 99 metaphors related to the perception of old aging. As a result of the analysis of the created metaphors "irreversible difficult process” (45.6%), “the process through which the accumulation is transferred” (23.3%), “opportunity process for new experiences” (12.6%), “process of change with its positive and negative aspects” (10.2%), “process of exhaustion and loneliness” (8.3%)" five categories were obtained for the perception of aging. According to the obtained categories were determined half of the individuals (53.9%) aged 65 and over attribute negative meaning to aging. This result shows the necessity of planning studies to improve the perceptions of aging.

Keywords

• Metaphor
• Aging
• Older adults

YAŞLI PERSPEKTİFİNDEN YAŞLILIK ALGISI: BİR METAFOR ÇALIŞMASI

Abstract

Başarılı yaşlanmayı doğrudan etkileyen yaşlılık algısı sosyoekonomik, kültürel özelliklere göre farklılık gösterebilir. Bu çalışma ile yaşlı bireylerin “yaşlılık’’ kavramına ilişkin algılarının metaforlar aracılığıyla ortaya konması amaçlanmıştır. Bu araştırma nitel araştırma desenlerinden biri olan fenomenolojik desendedir. Araştırmaya 65 yaş ve üzeri206 birey dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri sosyo-demografik bilgiler ve katılımcıların “Yaşlılık....................gibidir/benzer. Çünkü....................’’cümlesini tamamlamaları ile elde edilmiştir. Katılımcıların ürettikleri metaforlardan kategoriler oluşturulmuş ve destekleyici örneklerle sunulmuştur. Yaş ortalaması 70.11±6.28 olan katılımcılar yaşlılık algısına ilişkin 99 metafor oluşturmuşlardır. Bu metaforlar vasıtasıyla yaşlılık algısı için “geriye dönüşü olmayan zorlu süreç” (%45.6), “birikimin aktarıldığı süreç” (%23.3), “yeni deneyimler için fırsat süreci” (%12.6), “pozitif ve negatif yönleri ile değişim süreci” (%10.2), “tükenme ve yalnızlık süreci” (%8.3) olmak üzere beş kategori elde edilmiştir. Elde edilen kategoriler doğrultusunda; 65 yaş ve üstü bireylerin yarısının (%53.9) yaşlılığa olumsuz anlam yükledikleri saptanmıştır. Bu sonuç, yaşlılığa ilişkin algıları iyileştirmek için çalışmalar planlanmasının gerekliliğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

• Metafor
• Yaşlanma
• Yaşlı

References

1. Savage RD, Hardacre K, Bashi AM, et al. Perspectives on ageing: a qualitative study of the expectations, priorities, needs and values of older people from two Canadian provinces. Age Ageing 2021;50(5):1811-1819.
2. Wongsala M, Anbäcken EM, Rosendahl S. Active ageing - perspectives on health, participation, and security among older adults in North easternThailand - a qualitative study. BMC Geriatr 2021;21(1):41.
3. de Oliveira LDSSCB, Souza EC, Rodrigues RAS, Fett CA, Piva AB. The effects of physical activity on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in elderly people living in the community. Trends Psychiatry Psychother 2019;41(1):36-42.
4. Duru Asiret G, Turten Kaymaz T, OzturkCopur E, Akyar I. Ageis mattitude to wards elderly: Young perspective. Int J Caring Sci2017;10(2):819-827.
5. Freund AM, Hennecke M, Brandstätter V, et al. Motivation and Healthy Aging: A Heuristic Model. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021;76(Suppl 2):S97-S104.
6. Podhorecka M, Pyszora A, Woźniewicz A, Husejko J, Kędziora-Kornatowska K. Empathy as a Factor Conditioning Attitudes to wards the Elderly among Physiotherapists-Results from Poland. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022;19(7):3994.
7. Bahadir Yilmaz E, Yüksel A. An exploratory metaphor analysis on the perceptions of nursing students about the concept of aging. Magyar Gerontológia 2021;13(40):30-42.
8. Salin S, Hautsalo K, Vänni K, Seitsamo S, Yli-Koivisto L. Finnish nurse students' attitudes to ward solder adults and the teaching of gerontological nursing-A survey study [published online ahead of print, 2020 Feb 19]. Nurse Educ Today 2020;88:104379.

9. Fernandes CS, Afonso A, Couto G. Nursing students’ attitudes to ward older people. Geriatr Gerontol Aging 2018;12(3):166-171.
10. Urbanova P, Buzgova R. Evaluation of attitudes to wards older ageamon golder adults in an institutional facility. Cent Eur J Nurs Midwifery 2017;8(1):565-571.
11. Kisvetrová H, Mandysová P, Tomanová J, Steven A. Dignity and attitudes to aging: A cross-sectional study of older adults. Nurs Ethics 2022;29(2):413-424.
12. Rashid A, Ong EK, Wong ESY. The attitude to wards age in gamong residents of an elderly care institution in Penang Malaysia. Int J Collab Res Intern Med Public Health 2012;4(6):1069-1083.
13. Demir Ş, Sağlık S. Yaşlıların yaşlanmaya ilişkin bakış açılarının değerlendirilmesi üzerine nitel bir araştırma. Yaşlı Sorunları Araştırma Dergisi 2022;15(1):1-14.
14. Laguilles-Villafuerte S, de Guzman AB. Put your hands in mine: a metaphor analysis of family support in death anxiety and interment stres among Filipino older adults. Educ Gerontol 2021;47(4):180-191.
15. Kharicha K, Manthorpe J, Iliffe S, et al. Managing lone liness: a qualitative study of older people's views. Aging Ment Health 2021;25(7):1206-1213.
16. Apak E, Yılkan İ. Investigating the perceptions of university students about the sexuality in the elderly through metaphor analysis. Turkish Journal of Social Work Research 2020;4(3):64-72.
17. Barusch AS. The aging tsunami: time for a new metaphor?.J Gerontol Soc Work 2013;56(3):181-184.
18. Tekindal M, Uğuz Arsu Ş. Nitel araştırma yöntemi olarak fenomenolojik yaklaşımın kapsamı ve sürecine yönelik bir derleme. Ufkun Ötesi Bilim Dergisi 2020;20(1):153-182.
19. Gezer M. The matic content analysis of studies using metaphors in social studies education. Current Perspectives in Social Sciences 2020;24(3):1513-1528.
20. Baltacı A, Nitel araştırma süreci: Nitel bir araştırma nasıl yapılır? Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi (AEÜSBED) 2019;5(2):368-388
21. Baltacı A. Miles-Huberman model in qualitative data analysis. Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi 2017; 3(1):1-14.
22. Tully-Wilson C, Bojack R, Millear PM, et al. Self-perceptions of aging: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Psychol Aging 2021;36(7):773-789.
23. Shrira A, Carmel S, Tovel H, Raveis VH. Reciprocal relation ships between the will-to-live and successfulaging. Aging Ment Health 2019;23(10):1350-1357.
24. Kars Fertelli T, Deliktas T. A study on the relation ship between perceptions of successfulaging and life satisfaction of Turkish elderly people. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2020;56(2):386-392.
25. Nieboer AP, van den Broek T, Cramm JM. Positive and negative ageing perceptions account for health differences between older immigrant and native populations in the Netherlands. BMC Geriatr 2021;21(1):190.
26. Canbolat Seyman C, Sara Y. TheOpinions of Turkish Older Adults Related to Frailty: A Qualitative Study. Orthop Nurs 2021;40(6):375-382.
27. Franse CB, van Grieken A, Qin L, et al. Ethnic differences in frailty: a cross-sectional study of pooled data from community-dwellin golder persons in the Netherlands. BMJ Open 2018;8(8):e022241.
28. Parlevliet JL, Uysal-Bozkir O, Goudsmit M, et al. Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in oldernon-western immigrants in the Netherlands: a cross-sectional study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2016;31(9):1040-1049.
29. Cramm JM, Nieboer AP. Aging perceptions matter for the well-being of elderly Turkish migrants, especially among the chronically ill. BMC Geriatr 2018;18(1):229.
30. Wolff JK, Warner LM, Ziegelmann JP, Wurm S. What do targeting positive views on ageingadd to a physical activity intervention in older adults? Results from a randomised controlled trial. Psychol Health 2014;29(8):915-932.