Environmental conditions, health and satisfaction among the elderly: Some empirical results

d i t i o n a l ly, age has been used as the major and only determ inant in the process of aging; put another way, age is the causal or ex p l a n at o ry va ri able of health, behavior and competence thro u g h o u t agi n g. Neve rtheless, over recent decades, in seve ral re s e a rch cont exts (social ge ro n t o l ogy, human ecology, demograp hy, urban studies, etc.) there is growing emphasis on the idea that beyond and behind age (and other biological conditions), social and env i ro nmental fa c t o rs account for va ri ation in the way people become older. As Raphael pointed out «a body of research supports the distinction between normal, optimal, and pathological aging (Rowe & Kahn, 1997)). Normal aging is the more frequent process in any given society; optimal aging occurs under development-enhancing and age-friendly environmental conditions; sick or pathological aging is characterized by medical etiology and illness. These differences appear to result from contrasts in lifestyle, social support, socioeconomic status, and other environmental factors” (Raphael, 1996, p.291, underlining added). Also, several national and international health organizations (WHO, 1990) have emphasized the importance of environmental conditions for normal, healthy, and pathological aging for enhancing life satisfaction and quality of life among the elderly. Several suggestions have been proposed in order to create positive environments and implement social programs, but much more research must be carried out to increase our knowledge about how and how much environmental factors influence personal variables. This article presents evidence supporting the importance of environmental variables in health and satisfaction on the elderly.