In the last century, reaching 70 years old marked the beginning of old age for many people. However, today, middle-aged and older adults consider old age to begin later. This change in public perception of old age has aroused the interest of researchers, who attribute this phenomenon to increased life expectancy and delayed retirement.
A study recently published in the journal ‘Psychology and Aging’, of the American Psychological Association, analyzes this phenomenon and suggests that advances in health and increases in longevity could be influencing the way people perceive aging.
«Life expectancy has increased, which could contribute to the later onset of old age. Furthermore, some aspects of health have improved over time, so that people of a certain age who were considered old in the past may no longer be so today,” says Markus Wettstein, a researcher at the Humboldt University of Berlin and lead author of the study.
The research team, made up of academics from several universities, examined data collected over 25 years through the German Survey on Aging. This study included more than 14,000 participants of different ages, who answered questions about their perception of old age over the decades.
The results revealed that, compared to previous generations, people born in more recent times tend to perceive old age later in life. For example, while those born in 1911 considered that old age began at 71 years of age, those born in 1956 considered that old age began at 74 years of age.
However, the study also found that this trend to postpone old age has slowed in recent decades. “The trend is not linear and may not necessarily continue in the future,” notes Wettstein.
Furthermore, the researchers observed that as people aged, their perception of the onset of old age became even further apart in time. For example, at age 64, the average participant considered that old age began at 74.7 years, while at age 74, they placed this beginning at 76.8 years.
On the other hand, the study revealed differences in perception depending on the sex and health status of the participants. Women tended to consider old age to begin two years later than men, and this difference has widened over time. Furthermore, those who reported feeling lonelier, had worse health, and perceived themselves as older, tended to enter old age earlier than those with better health and greater emotional well-being.
The results of this study raise important questions about how people prepare for aging and how they perceive older adults in today’s society.