Successful Aging: Concept Analysis with Walker and Avant's Approach

Following the emergence of population aging phenomenon in the world, “successful aging” as a quality concept has recently attracted the attention of many researchers and policy makers; yet it seems that there is no single and clear definition of it presented in the literature. This study aims to analyze the concept of successful aging.

The study was conducted with Walker and Avant’s 8-step approach. For this purpose, articles meeting the inclusion criteria were selected through searching the SID, Magiran, Noormags, ISI, Pubmed, Scopus and Proquest databases and using the keywords of aging, successful aging and related concepts during the years 2000-2022. Then they were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's content analysis method to extract the successful aging concept's applications, characteristics, antecedents and consequences.

The content analysis of 83 selected articles revealed the characteristics of successful aging in the following seven categories: 1) "manageable process", 2) "multi-dimensional and comprehensive", 3) "socio-cultural context-bounded", 4) "enjoyment of physical, psychological and social health", 5) "non-dependence on others", 6) "happiness", and 7) "continuity and active participation in different fields of life".

A comprehensive definition of successful aging was presented using the identified characteristics, antecedents and consequences, which can help to better understand this concept, recognize its various dimensions, and ultimately, plan for its realization.