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Doenças crônicas, capacidade funcional, envolvimento social e satisfação em idosos comunitários: Estudo FibraChronic diseases, functional ability, social involvement and satisfaction in community-dwelling elderly: the Fibra study

Objective: the present study aimed to identify patterns of social participation in old age and the theories used to explain them. Method: A systematic review was performed using the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE / PUBMED), Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo) and Web of Science (ISI Web of Knowledge) databases. The keywords used were: social participation, social engagement, social involvement and social activities; combined with seniors, the elderly, older adults, older people and aging. Research was performed between January and February. Results: thirty-one longitudinal studies on social participation among old and healthy middle-aged adults were included for analysis. In three studies social engagement levels increased, especially at the beginning of old age (up to 75 years). Twenty-one studies presented results that described the reduction of social engagement levels in old age, and five studies found that there was no change in levels of social involvement. The most used theories were: the activity theory, the social disengagement theory, the continuity theory and the theory of socioemotional selectivity. Conclusion: the results point to the need for reflection on what is envisioned and what is practiced in terms of policies and practices aimed at achieving successful aging. Future attempts should include not only incentives to remain active, but a description of factors that influence the social disengagement associated with poor adaptation in old age.

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Objective: To investigate the factors related to low social participation in older adults. Method: A hierarchical model was drawn using data from 2,251 participants of the Fibra study, aged 65 years or more, without cognitive impairment suggestive of dementia, who were living in seven Brazilian cities. Older adults with those conditions have higher odds to be less socially engaged than their counterparts. Conclusion: Personal conditions, such as socioeconomic and health status were predictors of low social participation in older adults. Initiatives aiming at active aging promotion should focus primarily on vulnerable elderly, especially those with health and/or social disadvantages.Keywords: health of the elderly; aging; social behavior; socioeconomic factors; social support.