Everyday Lives of the Elderly: A Dimensional Analysis

Considerable dissension surrounds the number and composition of the domains comprising the daily lives of the elderly. The present study employs an array of biological, economic, political, social, and psychological data obtained from a house-to-house survey of elderly citizens to derive a mapping of dimensionality. Factor analysis of the data isolated eight domains: Poor Health, Disengagement, Self-Sufficiency, Female Aging, Meaningful Employment, Political Faith, Self-Starting, and Stoicism. External validation supported the factor solution and highlighted the impact of dietary and economic deficits on the problems of the aged. Considerable discussion in gerontological circles has concerned the dimensions of mature citizens' lives. In the present study, this issue is addressed inductively and quantitatively by a factor analysis of an array of biological, economic, political, social, and psychological variables. The core domains of elderly citizens' daily existence and the constitutive facets of these domains are delineated. * We wish to thank Robert Maiden and Karen Porter for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of the article.