Gender and psychological well-being in older adults
María Pilar Matud Aznar, Juan Manuel Bethencourt Pérez, Ignacio Ibáñez Fernández, Demelza Fortes
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Gender is an important social determinant of health, but gender has played only a marginal role in the geriatric and gerontology research and practice. The aim of this study was to examine the relevance of gender to the psychological well-being of older adults. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted. SETTING: The study was carried out in Spain. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,201 people aged between 65 and 94. MEASUREMENTS: The participants completed sociodemographic data and four questionnaires: The Bem sex role inventory, the Ryff's psychological well-being scale, the York self-esteem inventory, and the Social support scale. RESULTS: Men scored higher than women in self-acceptance, autonomy, purpose in life, and environmental mastery. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that, although the most important predictors of psychological well-being in both women and men were self-esteem and social support, both masculine/instrumental and feminine/expressive traits were associated with higher psychological well-being, although the effect size was higher for the masculine/instrumental trait. Furthermore, education was associated with psychological well-being in the case of females. CONCLUSIONS: Gender plays an important role in the psychological well-being of older adults. The results of this research are relevant for healthcare providers and policy-makers interested in promoting successful aging and increasing the well-being of older people.