Aging and its Impact on the Quality of Life of Older Adults in Ecuador

Abstract

The World Health Organization defines aging as a process aimed at optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security, in order to improve quality of life as people grow older. This study aimed to analyze whether family abandonment affects the physical and mental health of older adults residing at the Mier y Pesado Foundation in Orizaba, Veracruz, during the period from August 2022 to January 2023. The research followed a quantitative approach, with a non-experimental, descriptive, and cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 26 older adults selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling, all of whom met the inclusion criteria of being over 62 years old and residing at the foundation. Data were collected using three instruments: a questionnaire on elder abandonment, the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Katz Index for assessing functional independence. Ethical standards for human research were strictly followed. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess data distribution, and due to the lack of homoscedasticity, Spearman’s Rho non-parametric correlation coefficient was applied. The results showed no significant correlation between family abandonment and the participants' physical or mental health. However, 46.2% of participants reported experiencing abandonment due to lack of attention, 42.3% presented moderate depression, and 61.5% retained functional independence. Therefore, it is concluded that, within this specific group, family abandonment does not have a direct impact on the physical or mental health of older adults.