| Popis: |
Despite rich literature on the meaning of “aging well” and related concepts, such as “successful” or “optimal” aging, the meaning of aging well to foreign-born immigrants in the U.S. is relatively understudied and not well understood. In this paper, we present findings on perceptions of aging well among immigrants with differing characteristics including ethnicity, age, gender, mode of entry to the U.S., and length of stay in the US. The paper is based upon a mixed methods study on successful aging conducted in St. Louis, Missouri with a middle-aged and older adult immigrant/refugee sample (N=320; Bosnian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, and Latino/a). Participant responses to the question “What does aging well mean to you?” were qualitatively analyzed and several themes emerged related to health, functional independence, financial security, and family relations. This study contributes to a better understanding of the role of health, demographic and social factors in improving the reception of programs designed to promote healthful aging. |
