Successful aging in the oldest old: an integrative review

INTRODUCTION: Due to the growing number of people over 80 years of age in the world, there is a need to discuss how these seniors are outpacing life expectancy. It is expected that longevity be accompanied by quality and independency, meaning that the oldest old achieve a successful aging. However, few studies deal with this subject in this subgroup. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the information available in the literature on successful aging in the oldest old through an integrative review. METHODS: Search in electronic databases (PubMed, SciELO and LILACS) using the following terms for research: "envelhecimento bem-sucedido" and "successful aging". A total of 4.283 articles were initially found. After reading titles and abstracts, articles that approached the successful concept of aging in elderly above 80 years were selected. Review articles and studies that describe the sample without addressing the issue were excluded. RESULTS: Eight articles were included for analysis, all written in English. The most used method was the cross-observational. The successful aging definition was quite variable. The most common component was the physical one (absence of diseases and functionality) and less emphasis was given to psychological aspects. Different models have been proposed, but the most common was the Rowe and Kahn. The prevalence of successful aging was very heterogeneous (0 to 62.3%) and the lower frequencies were related to biomedical models. There were descriptions of several associated factors, but the ones that have been reported among the studies were: to be married and having higher educational levels. CONCLUSION: The current knowledge about successful aging in the oldest old is limited and there is no consensus regarding its definition and components. Most authors are still focusing their research on biomedical aspects, however we suggest attention should also be given to psychosocial models in this population.