Age Perception Research Articles

Perception of old age versus saving in Employee Capital Plans

Perception of old age versus saving in Employee Capital Plans

Strategies of adaptation of older people in post-covid time in the city and in rural areas

The article discusses strategies for the adaptation of elderly people in post-retirement time in a federal city and rural areas. Based on the analysis of 30 semi-structured interviews with elderly people from St. Petersburg and villages of the Republic of Karelia, the author’s typology of adaptation strategies for this category of citizens is presented.The study identifies three strategies that differ in their views on the adaptation process. The classification of adaptation strategies was carried out on the basis of a thematic analysis of interviews, which made it possible to identify key topics in which the elderly indicated how they cope (or do not cope) with new living conditions, as well as comprehend how their adaptation occurs. The highlighted strategies showed that the main difference is the availability of certain resources, as well as trust in the media and public authorities to adapt to new times and the ability to quickly adapt to the changing, transforming temporality of the modern world. The strategies outlined in the study allow us to consider how the specifics of the perception of age is transformed depending on the acceptance or rejection of changes occurring in the post-teen period. The results of the study showed that reaching retirement age is a factor that, among other things, makes it difficult for older people to adapt. At the same time, it is important to search for retirement activities that can contribute to better adaptation of the elderly. Initiatives and social policy measures implemented in relation to retired elderly people (especially those aged 75 and older) do not contribute to the full participation of this category of citizens in various types of activities.

Barriers and enablers of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) in physically inactive adults: a focus group study

BackgroundVigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) refers to brief bouts of vigorous intensity physical activity performed as part of daily living. VILPA has been proposed as a novel concept to expand physical activity options among the least active. As a nascent area of research, factors which impede or encourage VILPA in physically inactive adults are yet to be explored. Such information is pertinent in the design of future interventions. We examined the barriers and enablers of VILPA among physically inactive adults using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior (COM-B) model as a conceptual framework.MethodsWe recruited a sample of self-identified physically inactive middle-aged and older adults (N = 78) based in Australia to take part in 19 online focus groups across three age groups: young-middle (age 35–44), middle (age 45–59) and old (age 60–76). We analyzed interviews using a critical realist approach to thematic analysis. Identified barriers and enablers were subsequently mapped onto the COM-B model components.ResultsThe data generated 6 barriers and 10 enablers of VILPA that corresponded to COM-B concepts. Barriers included physical limitations (physical capability), perceptions of aging, need for knowledge (psychological capability), environmental constraints (physical opportunity), perceptions of effort and energy, and fear (automatic motivation). Enablers included convenience, reframing physical activity as purposeful movement, use of prompts and reminders (physical opportunity), normalization of taking the active option, gamification (social opportunity), sense of achievement, health improvements, personally salient rewards (reflective motivation), identity fit, and changing from effortful deliberation to habitual action (automatic motivation).ConclusionThe barriers and enablers of VILPA span capability, opportunity, and motivation beliefs. Promoting the time-efficient nature and simplicity of VILPA requiring no equipment or special gym sessions, the use of prompts and reminders at opportune times, and habit formation strategies could capitalize on the enablers. Addressing the suitability of the small bouts, the development of specific guidelines, addressing safety concerns, and explicating the potential benefits of, and opportunities to do, VILPA could ameliorate some of the barriers identified. Future VILPA interventions may require limited age customization, speaking to the potential for such interventions to be delivered at scale.

Aging Perception and Life Satisfaction in Older Adults

Considering that the population's rapid aging may affect society, it is essential to know how older adults perceive life satisfaction and aging. Life satisfaction plays a vital role in experiencing loss in aging. On the other hand, the perception of aging can serve as a measure for assessing an indivi-dual's satisfaction with aging and reflects the individual's adaptation to aging-related changes. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the life satisfaction of the elderly popula-tion, the perception of aging, and the effect of demographic variables. The study conducted an online survey on a random representative sample of 273 participants aged 60 and over. "The Ageing Perceptions Scale" and "Satisfaction with Life Scale" were used in the study. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to reveal the crucial determinants of life satisfaction and the aging perception of the elderly. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the relations of the variables with each other. As a result of the research, the correlation between life satisfaction and old age perception was significant (r=.203 p<0.01). It is seen that the perception of old age increases as the age progresses, and life satisfaction is high in individuals with a heightened per-ception of old age. Life satisfaction and perception of old age are higher in individuals aged 75 and over (p<0.01). Understanding the concept of life satisfaction and perception of aging and its determinants may contribute to increasing the satisfaction of the elderly with aging and their adaptation to age-related changes.

한국 중년후기의 나이듦 체험에 관한 해석학적 현상학 연구

This study was conducted to understand the aging process that late middle-aged Koreans experience. The essential meaning of aging was explored by observing life experiences related to aging in the context of their generation and studying the structure of these experiences. Eight women and eight men living in Korea in their late middle age (55-64 years old) were selected to participate in data collection and analysis according to van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological study process. As a result, 60 core meanings and 42 themes were observed, including 16 essential themes: <aging body that they are unfamiliar with>, <health they want to hold onto until the end>, <places they have adapted as their responsibilities and roles>, <barren land that they have not been deeply rooted in>, <child that they cannot turn away from>, <a place like a mother’s arm that they have found>, <a couple who have just met in one place after going through ups and downs>, <directional coordinates that they reclaim through choices and challenges>, <the life of conformity that has become their second nature>, <moments paused by their past wounds>, <personal time that was restricted by their roles but now they regain>, <roles that have been forced on them unilaterally>, <umbilical cord that is unbreakable>, <the fragments of relationship lost by times and work>, <family bond that is strong and tough>, <personal existence that they do not want to be forgotten>. The semantic structure of the previous 16 essential themes was understood by dividing them into van Manen’s four lifeworld existentials: lived body, lived space, lived time, and lived human relations. This study attempted to comprehend the universal and personal aging process through the historical and societal context that late middle-aged Koreans share. Exploring the experience and meaning of aging in late middle age from a more systematic and contextual perspective is expected to be an essential resource for understanding the perception and attitude of late middle age. As the importance of elderly life is increasing due to an aging society, such understanding of aging has practical significance in the development of psychological support programs and social policies that aid the preparation of healthy aging for the new and growing elderly population.

Yaşlı Bireylerde Yaşlılık Algısı ve Ölüm Kaygısı

Öz
 Yaşlılık, pek çok değişim ve sorunun yaşandığı çok yönlü ve karmaşık bir süreçtir. Bu süreç kendi içerisinde birçok özelliği ve değişimi barındırdığı için tek ve genel bir tanımı bulunmamakta ve farklı şekillerde tanımlanmaktadır. Yaşlılığın çok yönlü ve karmaşık bir süreç olmasıyla bağlantılı olarak yaşlılık algısı da bireyin deneyimlediği yaşlılık dönemine göre farklılık göstermektedir. Yaşlılık algısı, bireylerin yaşlanma sürecini nasıl değerlendirdiğini ve yaşlılıkla ilgili düşüncelerini içerirken, ölüm ise yaşamın doğal bir sonucu olarak kabul edilen son dönemdir. Yaşlılık algısı, bireylerin kendi yaşlanma süreçlerini nasıl değerlendirdiklerini ve yaşlılıkla ilgili kaygılarını içermektedir. Pozitif bir yaşlılık algısı, yaşlı bireylerin daha sağlıklı bir yaşam sürmelerine yardımcı olabilirken, olumsuz bir yaşlılık algısı, yaşlıların yaşam kalitesini önemli ölçüde etkileyebilmektedir. Yaşlılık algısı ve ölüm, her birey için farklı deneyimler ve duygular yaratabilir. Bazıları yaşlılığı ve ölümü olumlu bir şekilde kabul ederken, diğerleri için bunlar kabul edilmesi ve içselleştirilmesi zor süreçlerdir. Bu çalışmada ise yaşlı bireylerin yaşlılık algıları ve ölüme karşı tutumları ortaya çıkarılarak yaşlılık algısı ve ölüm düşüncesi arasında nasıl bir ilişki olduğu incelenmektedir. Bu kapsamda Elâzığ ilinde ikamet eden 50 yaşlı bireyle yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılarak mülakatlar yapılmış ve değerlendirmeler tablolar yardımıyla yorumlanmıştır.

The social construction of aging through participation in social work with senes of the Sesc – CE

Introduction: The elderly have a perception of aging related to the choices made throughout life, also considering financial resources, family support, social network, and elderly groups. Objective: To analyze the perception of aging of participants in social work with elderly people from the Social Service of Commerce (Sesc) in Ceará. Method: This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. For data collection, the conversation wheel technique was used, with the participation of 126 elderly people - 110 women (87%) and 16 men (13%) -, aged between 60 and 102 years (73.69 ± 7.12 ). The narratives were analyzed using the Content Analysis Method and the categories of aging, activities, and coexistence were identified. Results: It was observed that aging is the result of the history of these elderly people and a natural stage of life, while the activities are a starting point for the feeling of renewal of life as opposed to accommodation, and coexistence was the positive element to establish a relationship intimate with an exchange of voluntary affections of friendships through the interaction provided by the open space and the exchange of knowledge. Final considerations: The study presented narratives that encourage empowerment and the ability of the elderly to see themselves as active in society.

Starość między mitem a historią (chłopska rzeczywistość od połowy XIX w. do 1939 r.)

Old age between myth and history (peasant reality from the mid-nineteenth century until 1939) The article deals with the reception of old age in folk culture. In terms of its content, it can be placed between history and ethnology. The author analyses the perception of old age in peasant culture in the post-emancipation period until the outbreak of the Second World War. His interdisciplinary analysis is based on modern historical and anthropological findings. Polish historians became interested in the history of old age in our times, although a major turn in the study of the phenomenon came in the 1980s in connection with research conducted by the authors of the Annales school. The present author stresses the placing of peasants’ old age in magical culture, its existence in myth. He focuses on demographic determinants, before moving to the reception of old age between loneliness and community, and pointing out that of importance in its reception was the stigma alienating this age group. It is harder to speak of positive old age in the case of old people. The space in which seniors were present was daily life. This element of reality is confirmed by life contracts — rarely analysed by historians — concluded between seniors and their children inheriting their farmsteads. Comparing the practices from the inter-war period, the author juxtaposes two regions contrasting in terms of their traditions of inheritance: Wielkopolska and Małopolska. He cites fragments of life contracts from the border region between Kuiavia and Wielkopolska, and refers to last wills as well as registers of deaths. In the conclusion the author confirms the thesis that among peasants old age was perceived in terms of thinking that was both binary and extreme; he observes that there was a noticeable weakening of violence against seniors, and a limitation of brutality as well as its condemnation in the social discourse. In addition, he points to a growing tabooisation of old age, typical of modern culture.

고혈압을 진단받은 중년여성의 노화인식이 치매예방행위에 미치는 영향

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of dementia attitude and internal health locus of control in the relationship between awareness of age-related change and dementia preventive behaviors in middle-aged women diagnosed with Hypertension.
 Methods Data collection was conducted at two general hospitals in C City from December 10 to December 30, 2022, and data from 205 middle-aged women were collected. The collected data were analyzed as t-test, one-way ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, and serial multiple mediation model in PROCESS macro v3.5.
 Results The average scores of awareness of age-related change, dementia attitude, internal health locus of control, dementia preventive behaviors were 57.9, 39.2, 23.9, and 54.3. The direct effect of awareness of age-related change on dementia preventive behaviors in middle-aged women diagnosed with hypertension was statistically significant (B=.612, p<.001), while the mediating variables of dementia attitude (B=.079, p=.551) and internal locus of control (B=-.077, p=.616) were not statistically significant.
 Conclusions The results of this study suggest that in order to promote dementia prevention behaviors among middle-aged women diagnosed with hypertension, it is necessary to develop educational program interventions that provide information about dementia and encourage participation in positive aging perceptions.

Can You Hear Me? Exploring the use of a sing‐along audio program as a method for creative community engagement in times of continued isolation

AbstractBackgroundLoneliness in older adults has been linked to accelerated cognitive and functional decline. Furthermore, lonely individuals are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. This was before COVID‐19 and the isolation that older adults are experiencing disproportionately. Engagement in singing groups and other creative experiences has been shown to address the health and wellbeing of older adults, including their experience of connectedness, loneliness and isolation. Can You Hear Me? was developed as an alternative to in‐person singing groups in times of continued isolation due to the COVID‐19 pandemic.Method Can You Hear Me? is a sing‐along audio program highlighting the voices and music of elders in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Unlike typical receptive audio programs, Can You Hear Me? has participatory elements that give listeners the opportunity to sing along to familiar songs, learn about organizations in the area and how to get involved, and contribute to the show by sending in their responses to creative prompts. The program will also implement a repeat design 25‐item Listener Survey, which will be utilized to understand more about listeners’ wellbeing and perceptions of loneliness and aging, as well as for quality improvement.ResultNow in its second season, this podcast‐style audio program is exploring an alternative model for creative individual and community engagement. Strategic community partners are assisting in the development of the program as a resource for individuals living in the community with Alzheimer’s disease and their carers, as well as in care homes when group engagement is still not feasible or possible.ConclusionIn the absence of a cure for dementia, Alzheimer’s, or COVID‐19, it is imperative that we work to build ways for elders to be socially connected wherever they live and provide opportunities for them to engage actively and creatively. Can You Hear Me? provides just such an initiative, to be a model for arts‐driven community engagement through an audio program that not only addresses health inequities and stigmas of aging and dementia, but also has the capacity to enhance wellbeing and connect people, even in times of isolation.

Emirati Perceptions of Aging and Aged Care in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is facing a significant challenge regarding accessible high-quality aged care and service provisions for its growing senior population. While only accounting for two percent of the current population (165,000 people), the population of Emiratis aged 60 and older is estimated to increase twelvefold by the year 2050. This demographic shift will have major financial, social, and cultural consequences. To provide a knowledge base on seniors in the UAE and expectations about aged care, this policy paper discusses the findings of a recent study about the perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of Emiratis on aging and senior care in the context of the UAE. Our findings suggest that younger Emiratis have a limited understanding of aging and their future physical and financial well-being. Moreover, while younger Emiratis prefer family as primary caregivers, younger Emiratis also want to receive secondary support from friends. Older Emiratis prefer to live in their homes or reside in aged care facilities and hospitals to receive care, whereas younger Emiratis tend to prefer living near family and friends for support and care. Overall, this study reveals that amongst both younger and older Emiratis, perceptions about care and support are highly influenced by their existing close relationships and connections with Senior Emiratis.

"I don't Want to Die Alone" Nurses' Perception of Ageism: A Qualitative Study.

The aim of the study was to learn the perceptions and thoughts of nurses with whom older patients interact constantly. In this research, semi-structured interview was used. In a research hospital in Istanbul between March-June 2019, 16 volunteers were included in the study. Researchers led individual semi-structured interviews regarding nurses' perceptions, how they overcame those challenges, and need and expectations aging care (dying patients). All interviews were analysed using thematic analysis methods and synthesized into major themes. The research was planned based on the 32-item checklist (COREQ) guideline. Nurses (N = 16) reported three themes: (i) ageing perceptions (ii) care for dying patients, (iii) expectations and five subthemes emerged in this study. It is understood that nurses have a positive perception of ageing. In addition, nurses have expectations from the state (financial support, gerontology service etc.) and society (respectful, understanding etc.) to reduce the difficulties they experience while caring for dying patient.

The association of functional limitations and diseases with multidimensional subjective age: Does chronological age matter?

ObjectiveAs the longstanding culture of respecting for older adults and filial piety norms is diminishing in China, how older Chinese perceive their health loss becomes a significant question. Based on the biological-psycho-social model of successful aging, the present study combines physiological and subjective indicators into a complete framework of successful aging, and examines the influence of disease and disability situation on multidimensional perceptions of senescence during the aging process among Chinese older adults. MethodsIn a representative sample of Chinese older adults aged 60–89 from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) (n = 7,668 respondents), we use multiple linear regression model to analyze the heterogeneous association of suffering from various disease types and activity restrictions with 3 facets of subjective age (SA): felt age, look age and self-defined aging standard with the increasing chronological age. ResultsThe negative association of limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) with perception of senescence is stabilized with chronological age. Respondents with non-life-shortening disease (type N) and chronic disease (type C) are associated with older felt age and look age and the discrepancy increases with age, while the negative association between acute and chronic disease (type AC) and self-defined aging standard becomes weaker with age. DiscussionOur results highlight the match between physiological indicators and different dimensions of aging perception, and how these factors map subjective senescence experience across aging process. Our identification of physical conditions in individuals with negative aging perceptions could help form effective interventions to achieve a more positive overall image of old age.

Subjective Age and Health Care Avoidance Among Aging Men Living With or Without HIV

Introduction Negative aging perceptions have been shown to influence one’s health care–seeking behaviors; this relationship has not been studied among middle-aged and aging adults living with HIV. The current study uses data from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) to investigate the association between subjective age and health care avoidance. Objective To examine the hypothesis that adults living with HIV who perceive themselves as older, after adjustment for covariates, would be more likely to avoid care than their HIV-negative counterparts who perceive themselves as older. Methods The MACS is a prospective study of more than 7000 sexual minority men living with and without HIV from 4 metropolitan US areas. The Understanding Patterns of Healthy Aging in Men Who Have Sex With Men sub-study of the MACS was conducted from April 2016 to March 2019. Current analyses use cross-sectional data on 1118 participants from this sub-study from October 2016 to March 2017. Logistic regression was used to produce odds ratios and 95% CIs examining the association between subjective age and health care avoidance. Covariates included age, HIV status, race and ethnicity, education, and comorbid conditions. Further analyses were conducted among persons living with HIV, which included CD4 counts and viral load detection as covariates. Results In the full sample and sample of people living with HIV, after adjustment for covariates, there was a positive association between older subjective age and health care avoidance and a negative association between younger subjective age and health care avoidance, albeit both not statistically significant. Living with HIV was positively associated with health care avoidance, but not statistically significant. Conclusions Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate the significance of subjective age and health care avoidance. Aside from the pivotal role of health care avoidance, the field of HIV and aging may benefit from identifying other psychological, physiological, and behavioral mechanisms by which perceptions of aging influence health.

Older Adventurers’ Motivations in Ireland – Age is Not a Barrier

SummaryThe exponential ageing demographic has prompted governments and organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) to seek innovative ways to promote healthy ageing (WHO, 2015). The recognition that physical activity (PA) in general and particularly outdoor PA contributes to wellbeing, healthy ageing and quality of life (QoL) is gaining momentum. There are obvious social and economic benefits to be achieved through encouraging PA as people age with regard to health, independence and functional ability. There is also a business case to be made regarding engaging with this exponentially growing section of society as poor health, dependency and diminished functional ability are a financial burden on the state and society. Outdoor adventure engagement may be a solution. However, a more proactive approach on the part of the adventure leisure and tourism sector to engage this exponentially growing market is needed. To achieve this, it is essential to understand motivations and tell the stories of those who do engage. Case studies that challenge stereotypes and negative perceptions of ageing, normalising participation in outdoor adventure are important. Participants’ motivation to continue is their passion for the activity, connectedness with likeminded people and the natural environment. Older adventurers embrace opportunities to travel, develop skills, set goals, increase social networks or just have fun. The findings in this case study demonstrate the impact on wellbeing, autonomy, health, resilience and quality of life. In addition, older adventurers are motivated to maintain their fitness to continue their activity.© The Author 2023

Physiotherapy students’ perceptions of ageing – Playing narratives as a pedagogical innovation

Introduction and objectivesThere is a considerable lack of structure in training health professionals in geriatrics. The narratives can promote a collaborative reflection on different topics and might be used as a pedagogic strategy for undergraduate health students. This study aimed to explore the adoption of new perspectives on ageing after the implementation of dynamic narratives in the first graduate year for physiotherapy students. Materials and methodsAn exploratory qualitative study was performed. Participants were included if they were: ≥18 years old, physiotherapy students and agreed to participate. Physiotherapy students (n=44) were recruited from the School of Health Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Two gaming sessions were performed to help students, as narrators, express their visions and ways to deal with the geriatrics field. Students’ perspectives about ageing at baseline (T1) and after the narratives experience (T2) were collected by answering the following question: What is your perception regarding ageing? Two evaluators were involved in qualitative data analysis by performing: (i) an individual analysis of themes/subthemes and a discussion meeting to evaluate discrepancies and to reach a consensus. ResultsNegative perceptions about ageing were referred 39 times at T1 (most of them related to restriction; deterioration subthemes). There were no negative perceptions registered at T2. Positive perceptions increased at T2, from n=39 to n=52, and three new subthemes emerged (beginning of something, fighting ageism, challenge). ConclusionThis study demonstrated the potential of narrative-based experiences as a desirable pedagogic methodology (board games-oriented) for geriatric education in undergraduate health students.

En/Countering Ageism Together: All the Sex I’ve Ever Had by Mammalian Diving Reflex

Toronto-based Canadian theatre group Mammalian Diving Reflex produced various editions resulting from its city tour of the performance All the Sex I’ve Ever Had (shortened as AtS) from 2010 to present, including AtS-International Edition (2014) in Toronto. In this article, Heunjung Lee analyzes the live performance of multiple city editions, most notably AtS-Gwangmyeong (2021), to understand the relational aesthetics and dramaturgy it installs among older community performers, younger creative team members, and the audience. By demonstrating the performative power of aged citizens on stage to document, remember, and combat the ageist perspectives that are deeply rooted in many cultures, including Canada, this and other editions of AtS reveal and counter the ageist stigma around the sexuality of older adults. Heunjung Lee draws on this analysis to reframe non-professional older performers as experts of age/ing, drawing on the notion of “experts of everyday” which describes non-professional performers in Reality Theatre. This new term illuminates the generosity, vulnerability, and power of the older performers who (en)counter ageist perceptions and assumptions against old age by sharing their unique experience and view of ageing, sex, and life.

Neighborhood Social Environment and Self-Perceptions of Aging.

Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) are associated with health and well-being later in life. Although prior studies have identified individual-level predictors of SPA, the role of neighborhood social context in SPA remains largely unexplored. A neighborhood social environment may act as a critical avenue for older adults to remain healthy and socially active, contributing to their evaluations of how they grow old. The present study aims to fill the previous research gap by examining the relationship between neighborhood social environment and SPA, and how age may moderate this relationship. This study is guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecology of Human Development theory and Lawton's Ecological Model of Aging, positing that an individual's aging experience is deeply rooted in their residential environment. Our sample includes 11,145 adults aged 50+ from the 2014 and 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. We included 4 social and economic aspects of neighborhoods: (1) neighborhood poverty; (2) percentage of older adults; (3) perceived social cohesion; and (4) perceived disorder. Multilevel linear regression models showed that respondents in neighborhoods with higher percentages of the older population and with perceptions of high neighborhood disorder reported more negative SPA. Those who perceived their neighborhoods as more socially cohesive reported more positive SPA. Controlling for individual socioeconomic and health status, only neighborhood social cohesion remained significant. We also found significant interaction effects between neighborhood social cohesion and age: The effects of neighborhood cohesion on SPA were stronger in middle age than in old age. Our findings provide insights into how neighborhood social context is associated with SPA, suggesting that a socially cohesive neighborhood may be important to promote more favorable perceptions of aging, particularly for middle-aged residents.

Perception, understanding, and association between psychological stress and skin aging: Quantitative surveys of Asian women aged 18-34 years, dermatologists, and psychologists in China and Japan.

Skin aging involves a variety of structural and functional changes, under the influence of various factors. Preaging skin is a relatively new concept describing self-perceived signs of skin aging that appear in the early 20s-30s and may be triggered by psychological stress. However, it is unclear how young women and healthcare professionals (HCP) understand the association between stress and skin aging. We sought to explore the perceptions of stress-related skin aging among young women and HCPs. We performed online surveys of 403 young women (18-34 years), 60 dermatologists, and 60 psychologists residing in major cities in China and Japan. Questions covered skin signs, understanding/perceptions of stress-aging connection, and demographics. Young women also completed DASS-21 to assess their stress level, which was dichotomized as normal or mild-extremely severe. The stress level was normal in 52.6% or mild-extremely severe in 47.4% of young women. Greater proportions of women in the mild-extremely severe stress group reported skin manifestations associated with preaging, the top three being "rough skin" (39.3% vs. 24.1%), "slow metabolic rate" (28.8% vs. 14.2%), and "dull skin" (43.5% vs. 29.2%). The top three skin manifestations showing the strongest perceived associations with stress were: "dark eye circles," "slow metabolic rate," and "dull skin" (among young women); "acne," "dry skin," and "skin rash" (among HCPs). Young women frequently report high levels of psychological stress and signs of skin aging. Perceptions of stress-skin aging association differ between young women and HCPs.

Gerontophobia in “The Coming of Age” by Simone De Beauvoir: an Interdisciplinary Study

This research aims to analyse “The Coming of Age” by Simone de Beauvoir, classify the word associations with the phenomenon of ageing and identify the changes in the perception of ageing by the population. The scientific methods used in this research are determined by the objectives and the research questions: methods of empirical research (survey, observation, semantic analysis, method of free-associative experiment). Text analysis was performed with the help of Voyant Tools (quantitative confirmation of patterns in the text, identifying key words and phrases within a large corpus). The semantic analysis of the text made it possible to distinguish three main connotations used by Simone de Beauvoir to describe old age: existential, romantic, pejorative and it was proved that “The Coming of Age” belongs to “sad” texts using V. Belyanin’s (2000) classification. The results of the associative experiment conducted with 340 participants showed that 45% of associations with the word ageing carry an existential connotation; 40% – pejorative; 10% – romantic and 5% of the associations have a connotation that cannot be included in the three main categories. The results of the text analysis showed that the content and the language of “The Coming of Age” by Simone de Beauvoir directly collate with the author’s personality. Moreover, modern society demonstrates similar stereotypes, phobias, and discrimination to those depicted in the literary work more than fifty years ago. The results open the gate to further research on gerontophobia and authors’ personality.