Exploring the journey towards successful ageing in the Philippines : A mixed method study

Currently, there are no universally accepted definitions, dimensions or scales for measuring successful ageing. Rowe and Kahn’s (1977) three dimensions of successful ageing, namely, wellbeing, physical functioning, and social engagement, have been adopted by most studies in the literature to measure successful ageing. A review of the extant literature on successful ageing revealed that the majority of the studies on successful ageing have been conducted in developed western countries, despite the fact that the majority of older persons live in developing countries like the Philippines. Additionally, studies on successful ageing have been limited in their consideration of the sociocultural context in the experiences of successful ageing and the factors that may facilitate or hinder the process. The purpose of this study was to explore the personal experiences of older Filipinos with successful ageing and the association between sociodemographic variables and successful ageing, using a mixed methods approach. To achieve this purpose, the study was divided into two parts: Study 1 explored the association between sociodemographic variables of age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, place of residence, living arrangement, household head and classification, home ownership, group membership, social pensions, level of participation in older person’s organisations, income and successful ageing. Successful ageing was measured using Rowe and Kahn’s three dimensions of successful ageing: wellbeing, physical functioning and social engagement. Data for Study 1 were collected from 200 respondents between the ages of 65 and 93 living in poor rural and urban communities in the Philippines, using a structured questionnaire. Study 2 explored older persons’ personal experiences of successful ageing and the factors that either hindered or facilitated the process of successful ageing. Data for Study 2 were collected through in-depth interviews with 75 participants who were selected from Study 1...