Successful ageing; an explorative Gerontological study on factors affecting Ageing of pakistani women in light of rowe and Kahn’s model of successful ageing

Abstract

There is a shift in global demographic trends, with a rising number of aged population worldwide and similar trends can be observed in Pakistan. Aged Pakistani women still remain one of the most vulnerable marginalized group. The study aimed to explore the factors that affect ageing of Pakistani women, using components of Successful ageing from Rowe and Kahn’s model of Successful ageing. Also to understand the affect their education and employment have on these factors. The qualitative study was conducted by means of in-depth interviews, using multifaceted contexts regarding education and employment of the women, which were processed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results were found to be multidimensional. Some of the major factors affecting successful ageing of women were dependency in terms of finances, mobility, daily life tasks, their self-efficacy, socialization, social safety nets, and governments’ policies. The study aimed to identify the impact of education and employment on women’s ageing. However, it was found that education and employment as important as they maybe in any women’s successful ageing were not the only factors that improve successful ageing but her families’ socioeconomic standing and her own self efficacy were found to be just as important.