A Phenomenological Explanation of Successful Aging: A Qualitative Study

According to the prediction of WHO and the analysis of demographic statistics, the aging phenomenon is considered one of the upcoming challenges for the Iranian society. Therefore, moving in the direction of successful aging is considered a necessity. Hence, the purpose of this research is to phenomenologically explain the successful aging in men based on their lived experiences. This research was a qualitative study, of descriptive phenomenology type using a thematic analysis technique. The research population included all older men over 60 years old living in Tehran and Karaj, Iran, among whom 18 successful older people were selected as a sample using a purposeful sampling method until theoretical saturation was reached. The data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews, and the seven-step Colaizzi method was used for their analysis. The findings from the interviews were extracted and classified into five main themes (individual characteristics, social characteristics, family characteristics, self-care, and feelings of support) and 21 sub-themes. The results of this research illustrated that the successful older adults possess personal characteristics such as responsibility, commitment, patience, flexibility, sociability, purposefulness, capability and independence. Moreover, they are socially effective, socially accepted and do not feel lonely emotionally, have warm family relationships, are under the financial support of the family, have physical, spiritual, and mental self-care, feel that they are supported by the society and the government, and are also supported economically and in terms of health services. According to the results of the research, it can be concluded that physical, spiritual, mental, and psychological self-care should be taken seriously in order to have a successful aging, and there should be economic, social, and medical support for older people.
EXTENDED ABSTRACT
 Introduction
Aging is a social phenomenon common to all humans. The way aging is perceived and experienced is influenced by physiological factors, culture, social expectations, and life experiences. Successful aging is a term that encompasses a wide range of physical and psychological well-being indicators and highlights specific aspects of aging associated with cognitive capacity, psychological well-being, active and fulfilling life, maintenance of interpersonal relationships, life satisfaction, adaptation, and integration. While some factors and elements of successful aging are universal, individuals from different cultural and social backgrounds attribute varying levels of importance to these factors and elements. Studies indicate that many older Iranians do not feel a sense of successful aging, possibly due to the lack of established models and criteria for successful aging, which underscores the necessity for defining these criteria. Thus, the aim of this phenomenological study is to explain successful aging in men living in Tehran and Karaj based on their lived experiences to provide deeper insights into successful aging, improve the quality of life for older men, and guide more targeted planning.
Method
This research was a qualitative study, of descriptive phenomenology type, using thematic analysis. Participants were older men aged 60 and above residing in Tehran and Karaj, Iran, in 2022 and 2023. They were selected using a purposive sampling method with a homogeneous sampling approach, while simultaneously ensuring maximum diversity in the sample. Inclusion criteria were (1) aged 60 years or older, (2) literacy in reading and writing, and (3) willing and consented to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria included significant physical health issues such as disabilities affecting personal care, hearing and vision impairments, and noticeable psychological disorders. In the present study, the theoretical saturation was achived with 18 interviews. Participants’ ages ranged from 61 to 94 years, with a mean age of 75.33 years. Data were gathered using in-depth and semi-structured interviews, conducted individually and face-to-face in a quiet setting. Prior to each interview, the objectives of the study were explained, and ethical considerations were addressed, including confidentiality and recording of interviews. Informed consent was obtained before proceeding. Data analysis involved multiple listening to the interviews and verbatim transcription, followed by the application of Colaizzi’s seven-step method to identify thematic clusters and descriptions.
Results
The study identified five main themes and 21 sub-themes related to successful aging. The first main theme, personal characteristics, included eight sub-themes, namely responsibility, commitment, patience, flexibility, sociability, purposefulness, capability, and independence. The second main theme, social characteristics, comprised three sub-themes, namely social influence, social acceptance, and emotional loneliness. The third main theme, family characteristics, had two sub-themes included family relationships and financial support from family. The fourth main theme, self-care, included four sub-themes, namely physical, spiritual, psychological, and social self-care. The fifth main theme, feelings of support, comprised four sub-themes, namely social support, governmental support, economic support, and healthcare support.
Conclusion
The results indicate that successful aging encompasses various indicators. Successful older adults continue to feel a sense of responsibility in their later years, plan for their professional and economic futures, pursue long-term goals, and maintain a sense of responsibility towards themselves and their families. They are generally patient and resilient when facing challenges and show flexibility according to their circumstances. Other indicators of successful aging include extensive social interactions, financial independence, and the ability to perform daily tasks. Furthermore, successful older adults experience a sense of value, influence, and receive the respect and attention from society and family. They demonstrate high levels of self-care in health, physical, spiritual, and psychological domains. Therefore, attention to these indicators and strengthening them is essential for successful aging. It is recommended that officials and families work towards achieving successful aging by promoting constructive lifestyles, health-oriented care, and mental well-being, and by creating a calm, spiritual, hygienic, and vibrant living environment for older adults.
Ethical Consideration
Ethical Code
This research has an ethics approval number IR.KHU.REC.1400.021 from Kharazmi University.
Financial Support
This research has not received financial support from any institution.
Authors’ Contributions
M.A: Conceptualization, methodology, visualization, writing – review & editing, writing-original draft; M.T: Data curation, formal analysis, and writing – review & editing; H.H: methodology, validation; M.N: data curation and writing – review & editing
Conflict of Interest
According to the authors, there was no conflict of interest in the present study.
Acknowledgments
We sincerely thank all the participants in this study.
References
 Ahi andi, M., & Razzaghi, M. (2017). The cultural of respect and successful aging; underlying approach for participatory-oriented lifestyle. Journal of Visual and Applied Arts, 10(19), 75-91. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/242684/en. [Persian]
Anton, S. D., Woods, A. J., Ashizawa, T., Barb, D., Buford, T. W., Carter, C. S., Clark, D. J., Cohen, R. A., Corbett, D. B., Cruz-Almeida, Y., Dotson, V., Ebner, N., Efron, P. A., Fillingim, R. B., Foster, T. C., Gundermann, D. M., Joseph, A. M., Karabetian, C., Leeuwenburgh, C., Manini, T. M., … & Pahor, M. (2015). Successful aging: Advancing the science of physical independence in older adults. Ageing research reviews, 24(Pt B), 304–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2015.09.005.
Asqari, M., Choobdari, A., & Sakhaei, S. (2021). The Analysis of psychological experiences of the elderly in the pandemic of coronavirus disease: A phenomenological study. Aging Psychology, 7(2), 123-107. https://doi.org/10.22126/jap.2021.5903.1489 [Persian]
Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. Cambridge University Press. 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511665684.003
Baniassadi, T., Javanmard, Z., Zivari-Rahman, M., Shokouhi-Moqhaddam, S., & Adhami, M. (2015). Investigating the relationship between personality traits and self-control and nicotine dependence symptoms in male prisoners in Kerman, Iran. Addiction & health, 7(1-2), 82–86.
Bourassa, K. J., Memel, M., Woolverton, C., & Sbarra, D. A. (2017). Social participation predicts cognitive functioning in aging adults over time: comparisons with physical health, depression, and physical activity. Aging & Mental Health, 21(2), 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2015.1081152.
Chang, H., Zhou, J., Chen, Y., Wang, X., & Wang, Z. (2023). Developmental trajectories of successful aging among older adults in China: Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Geriatric Nursing, 51, 258–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.03.026.
Chen, L., Ye, M., & Kahana, E. (2020). A self-reliant umbrella: Defining successful aging among the old-old (80+) in Shanghai. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 39(3), 242-249. DOI: 10.1177/0733464819842500
Conkova, N., & Lindenberg, J. (2020). The Experience of aging and perceptions of "aging well" among older migrants in the Netherlands. The Gerontologist, 60(2), 270–278. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz125.
Cosco, T. D., Stephan, B. C., & Brayne, C. (2015). Validation of an a priori, index model of successful aging in a population-based cohort study: the successful aging index. InternationalPsychogeriatrics, 27 (12), 1971-1977.‏ https:// doi.org/10.1017/S1041610215000708
Creswell, J. (2011). Qualitative survey and research design: Choosing among five approaches. (Translated by Hassan Danaifard and Hossein Kazemi) Tehran: Eshraqi (Published in the original language, 2007). [Persian]
Davies, J. M., Maddocks, M., Chua, K. C., Demakakos, P., Sleeman, K. E., & Murtagh, F. E. (2021). Socioeconomic position and use of hospital-based care towards the end of life: A mediation analysis using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The Lancet Public Health. 6(3): e155-e163. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30292-9
De Leo, D. (2018). Ageism and suicide prevention. Lancet Psychiatry, 5(3), 192-193. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30472-8
Estebsari, F., Dastoorpoor, M., Khalifehkandi, Z. R., Nouri, A., Mostafaei, D., Hosseini, M., Esmaeili, R., & Aghababaeian, H. (2020). The Concept of successful aging: A review article. Current Aging Science, 13(1), 4-10. doi: 10.2174/1874609812666191023130117
Fazeli, P. L., Montoya, J. L., McDavid, C. N., & Moore, D. J. (2020). Older HIV+ and HIV-Adults provide similar definitions of successful aging: A mixed-methods examination. The Gerontologist, 60(3), 385–395. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gny157.
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Kim, H., Bryan, A. E., Shiu, C., & Emlet, C. A. (2017). The cascading effects of marginalization and pathways of resilience in attaining good health among LGBT older adults. The Gerontologist, 57, S72–S83. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnu081.
Gaugler, J. E., Bain, L. J., Mitchell, L., Finlay, J., Fazio, S., & Jutkowitz, E. (2019). Reconsidering frameworks of Alzheimer's dementia when assessing psychosocial outcomes. Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, 5, 388-397. doi: 10.1016/j.trci.2019.02.008.
Ghanbari, S., Zivari Rahman, M., Shokuhi, S. (2013). The impact of Islamic revolution course on promotion of study familiarity with soft war (Case study at Kerman University), Scientific Research Journal on Islamic Revolution, 2(5), 49. magiran.com/p1095237.
Godos, J., Grosso, G., Ferri, R., Caraci, F., Lanza, G., Al-Qahtani, W. H., Caruso, G., & Castellano, S. (2023). Mediterranean diet, mental health, cognitive status, quality of life, and successful aging in southern Italian older adults. Experimental Gerontology, 175, 112143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2023.112143.
Griffith, D. M., Cornish, E. K., Bergner, E. M., Bruce, M. A., & Beech, B. M. (2018). “Health is the ability to manage yourself without help”: How older African American men define health and successful aging. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 73(2), 240-247. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbx075
Hamdieh, M., & Shahidi, Sh. (2018). Principles and basics of mental health. 8th edition, Tehran: Samt. [Persian]
Havighurst, R. J. (1961). Successful aging. The Gerontologist, 1, 8−13. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/1.1.8.
Hörder, H. M., Frändin, K., & Larsson, M. E. (2013). Self-respect through ability to keep fear of frailty at a distance: successful ageing from the perspective of community-dwelling older people. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 8, 20194. https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v8i0.20194.
Iwamasa, G. Y., & Iwasaki, M. (2011). A new multidimensional model of successful aging: Perceptions of Japanese American older adults. Journal of cross-cultural gerontology, 26(3), 261-278.‏
Janjani, P., Momeni, K., Amiri, N., & Moradi, A. (2019). The experience of marital distress in the perceptual world of women; Case study: Tohid clinic of Kermanshah. Family Counseling and Psychotherapy, 9(1), 173-196. https://fcp.uok.ac.ir/article_61299.html [Persian]
Jopp, D. S., Wozniak, D., Damarin, A. K., De Feo, M., Jung, S., & Jeswani, S. (2015). How could lay perspectives on successful aging complement scientific theory? Findings from a US and a German life-span sample. The Gerontologist, 55(1), 91-106.‏
Kahana, E., Kahana, J. S., Kahana, B., & Ermoshkina, P. (2019). Meeting Challenges of Late Life Disability Proactively. Innovation in Aging, 3(4), 1–9. DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igz023
Kim, B. (2023). Individual and environmental factors associated with successful aging among Korean older adults: Multilevel analysis of cross-sectional nationwide survey data. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 113, 105062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2023.105062.
Kim, N., & Katagiri, K. (2023). Active use of online community reduces loneliness among older adults through weak ties formation. Innovation in Aging, 7(Suppl 1), 843. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igad104.2719.
Kim, S. H., & Park, S. (2017). A Meta-analysis of the correlates of successful aging in older adults. Research on aging, 39(5), 657–677. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027516656040.
Kivimäki, M., & Ferrie, J. E. (2011). Epidemiology of healthy ageing and the idea of more refined outcome measures. International journal of epidemiology, 40(4), 845–847. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyr114.
Kolcu, M., Bulbul, E., Celik, S., & Anataca, G. (2023). The Relationship between health literacy and successful aging in elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes. Primary Care Diabetes, 17(5), 473–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcd.2023.06.009
Lamb, S. (Ed.). (2017). Successful aging as a contemporary obsession: Global perspectives. Rutgers University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1q1cqw5
Lee, E. J., & Park, S. J. (2020). Immersive experience model of the elderly welfare centers supporting successful aging. Frontiers in Psychology, 11:8. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00008
Low, S. K., Cheng, M. Y., & Pheh, K. S. (2021). A thematic analysis of older adult’s perspective of successful ageing. Current Psychology, 1-10.‏
Maia, L. C., Colares, T. D. F. B., Moraes, E. N. D., Costa, S. D. M., & Caldeira, A. P. (2020). Robust older adults in primary care: factors associated with successful aging. Revista de Saúde Pública, 54, 35. DOI: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054001735
Mohammadi E., Allahyari T., Darvishpoor Kakhaki, A., Saraei, H., & Fereshtehnejad, S. M. (2017). Analysis of being active based on older adults’ experience: A qualitative study of active aging strategies. Salmand: Iranian Journal of Ageing. 11 (4) :504-517. http://salmandj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-1142-fa.html. [Persian]
Mohammadi, N., & Fardebrahimi, F. (2023). The successful aging: The role of life style, spiritual intelligence and self-efficacy. Aging Psychology, 8(4), 361-373. DOI: 10.22126/jap.2022.8540.1677 [Persian]
Montross, L. P., Depp, C., Daly, J., Reichstadt, J., Golshan, S., Moore, D., Sitzer, D., & Jeste, D. V. (2006). Correlates of self-rated successful aging among community-dwelling older adults. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry: official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 14(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.JGP.0000192489.43179.31.
Morrow, R., Rodriguez, A., & King, N. (2015). Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method. The Psychologist, 28(8), 643-644.
Mosavi, F., Sahami, S., Saadati, N., Namjo, F. (2017). The Relationship between social support the dependence between the individual and the life expectancy of elderly women. Journal of Geriatric Nursing. 3 (3):46-56. http://jgn.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-218-fa.html. [Persian]
Mount, S., Ferrucci, L., Wesselius, A., Zeegers, M. P., & Schols, A. M. (2019). Measuring successful aging: an exploratory factor analysis of the InCHIANTI Study into different health domains. Aging (Albany NY), 11(10), 3023. doi: 10.18632/aging.101957
Niazi, M., Siadatian Arani, S. H., Khoshbayani, F., & Farhadian, A. (2023). Phenomenological explanation of challenges of the elderly in Kashan city. Aging Psychology, 9(2), 150-135. DOI: 10.22126/jap.2023.9264.1711 [Persian]
Nosraty, L., Jylhä, M., Raittila, T., & Lumme-Sandt, K. (2015). Perceptions by the oldest old of successful aging, Vitality 90+ Study. Journal of aging studies, 32, 50-58.‏
Potočnik, K., & Sonnentag, S. (2013). A longitudinal study of well‐being in older workers and retirees: The role of engaging in different types of activities. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(4), 497–521.
Pourabdol, S., Absasi, M., Pirani, Z., & Abbasi, M. (2015). The Relationship between life expectancy and psychological well-being with quality of life in the elderly. Aging Psychology, 1(1), 57-65. https://jap.razi.ac.ir/article_290.html [Persian]
Pourjafar, M.R., Taghvaee, A.A., Bemanian, M.R., Sadeghi, A.R., & Ahmadi, F. (2010). Effective environmental aspects of public spaces formation to achieve successful aging with emphasis on elderly preferences of Shiraz. Iranian Journal of Ageing, 5(15), 22-34. SID. https://sid.ir/paper/95038/en. [Persian]
Ritzer, G. (2022). Sociological theories in the contemporary era. (Translated by Mohsen Talasi), Tehran: Scientific Publishing House (Published in the original language, 2011). [Persian]
Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1998). Successful aging. New York: Random House. DOI: 10.1093/geront/37.4.433
Ryff, C. D. (1999). Beyond Ponce de Leon and life satisfaction: New directions in quest of successful aging. International journal of behavioral development, 12(1), 35-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/016502548901200102
Saiger, G. M. (2020). Medical and psychiatric challenges to successful aging. Psychiatry, 83(1), 110-111. DOI: 10.1080/00332747.2020.1717319
Scelzo, A., Di Somma, S., Antonini, P., Montross, L. P., Schork, N., Brenner, D., & Jeste, D. V. (2018). Mixed-methods quantitative–qualitative study of 29 nonagenarians and centenarians in rural, Int Psychogeriatr. 30(1), 31–38. DOI: 10.1017/S1041610217002721
Shokouhi Moghadam, S., Zivari Rahmani, M., & Lesani, M. (2011). Sports and mental health and happiness in high school students in Kerman. Journal of Health Psychology. 1(3):61-80. https://www.sid.ir/paper/242664/en
Strawbridge, W. J., Wallhagen, M. I., & Cohen, R. D. (2020). Rowe and Kahn successful aging measure. The Gerontologist, 42(6), 727-733.‏ https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/42.5.613
Tate, R. B., Loewen, B. L., Bayomi, D. J., & Payne, B. J. (2009). The consistency of definitions of successful aging provided by older men: The manitoba follow-up study. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 28(4), 315-322.‏
Teater, B., & Chonody, J. M. (2020). What attributes of successful aging are important to older adults? The development of a multidimensional definition of successful aging. Social work in health care, 59(3), 161-179. DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2020.1731049
Tiljak, M. K., Reiner, Ž., & Klarica, M. (2020). Is there a better future of healthy aging? Croatian Medical Journal, 61(2), 75. DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2020.61.75
Tkatch, R., Musich, S., MacLeod, S., Kraemer, S., Hawkins, K., Wicker, E. R., & Armstrong, D. G. (2017). A qualitative study to examine older adults' perceptions of health: Keys to aging successfully. Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.), 38(6), 485–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2017.02.009.
Troutman, M., Nies, M. A., & Mavellia, H. (2011). Perceptions of successful aging in black older adults. Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services, 49(1), 28-34.‏
Urtamo, A., Jyväkorpi, S. K., & Strandberg, T. E. (2019). Definitions of successful ageing: a brief review of a multidimensional concept. Acta bio-medica: Atenei Parmensis, 90(2), 359–363. https://DOI.org/10.23750/abm.v90i2.8376.
Wahl, H. W. (2020). Aging successfully: Possible in principle? Possible for all? Desirable for all? Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 1-18. DOI: 10.1007/s12124-020-09513-8
World Health Organization. (2020). Active aging: A policy framework. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/active-ageing-a-policy-framework/
Zanjari, N., Sharifian Sani, M., Hosseini Chavoshi, M., Rafiey, H., & Mohammadi Shahboulaghi, F. (2016). Perceptions of successful ageing among Iranian elders: insights from a qualitative study. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 83(4), 381-401.‏ DOI: 10.1177/0091415016657559
Zare, M., Khavari, Z., Dehghani, A., & Nasiriani, K. (2019). The effect of mental health education on mental health promotion and quality of life of elderly teachers. Journal of Geriatric Nursing, 5 (2):33-44. http://jgn.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-312-fa.html. [Persian]
Zhao, Y., Tang, L., Zeng, Q., Bu, F., Zhan, N., Wang, Z., Deng, X., & Lyu, Q. (2023). Association between bidirectional intergenerational support and successful aging in China: Evidence from CHARLS 2018. Journal of Geriatric Nursing, 49, 81–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.11.010.
Zivari-Rahman, M., Ghanbari, S., & Shokouhi-Moghadam, S. (2021). Psychometric properties of the youth pornography addiction screening tool. Addict Health. 13(4):207-220. https://doi.org/10.22122/ahj.v13i4.299