Spatial distribution of elderly individuals according to their concepts of quality of life

Abstract

Population ageing has generated significant advancement in scientific knowledge in this field. By studying the population of individuals aged sixty years old and over in a medium-sized city in inner São Paulo state after the stratified sampling of their residences and later random sampling of the elderly persons themselves, the meanings of quality of life were investigated according to the answers obtained in a questionnaire to the following open question: “What does quality of life mean to you?”. Based on categories, a cluster analysis was performed according to Ward’s method, which evaluated coincidences in the categories of answers provided by the elderly individuals and enabled us to obtain three answer groups. Eighty-eight (24.1%) elderly persons were found in the group denominated “Obligations”, with categories that valued spirituality, work, rectitude and charity, knowledge and favorable environments, In the group “Leisure”, where values such as healthy habits, leisure and material possessions were valued, 145 elderly persons (30.7%) were found, and in the group denominated “Inner Values”, with categories valuing interpersonal relationships, mental balance and good health, 132 elderly persons (36.2%) were found. In order to evaluate the spatial distribution of those elderly persons, the proportion of individuals in each opinion group was calculated in relation to the total number of persons sampled per sector. Next, analogical data were converted into digital information by using as reference a city map containing census sectors divisions. The overlapping of the census sectors map allowed for the identification of elderly individuals by sectors. Spatial analysis was the univariate type and, in order to interpret spatial distribution, it was important to learn about the socioeconomic levels to which the studied sectors belonged. To that end, the São Paulo State Social Vulnerability Index (SPSSVI) was used as a comparison parameter. As a result, it was found that significant sectors for the “Obligations” group were located in the center of the city, where families of a good socioeconomic level are concentrated. Nevertheless, the “Leisure” group, consisting of younger elderly persons, was associated with the suburbs and some condominiums of good social level. The “Inner Values” group, which comprised better educated individuals, essentially lived in sectors of the city that corresponded to middle-class neighborhoods. The relevance of knowing the opinions of elderly residents in certain urban locations lies in the possibility of planning actions that can motivate them for social participation.