[Operational domains of healthy aging: a qualitative description in older adults in Peru]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Understanding the domains of healthy aging (HA) through the perceptions of older adults is important for the multidimensional determination of the construct according to the culture of Peru and for the development of plans that promote the health, well-being, resources and strengths of older adults. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore the operational domains of HA in Peruvian older adults.

METHOD

The approach adopted was fundamental qualitative descriptive. A purposive sampling was used and 26 participants attending senior centers belonging to the municipal commune of Lima were recruited (Medad=67.9; SD=6.64). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the content analysis was carried out using an inductive method identifying the units of meaning of the HA.

RESULTS

The content analysis showed 11 sub-themes and 4 main themes. The identified themes were as follows: "functional health", "psychological well-being", "active engagement with life" and "religion". Given this, the results demonstrate the multidimensionality of HA in Peruvian older adults.

CONCLUSION

The operational domains of HA indicate the importance of individual perceptions considering functional health, psychological well-being, active engagement with life, and religion. This perspective supports the multidimensional concept of HA. This can be implemented as a guide for government entities working with PAMs. In addition, to formulate new public policies focusing on the domains of HA.

Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview: Psychometric Properties in Family Caregivers of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities may feel overburdened in their work and experience negative psychological consequences. The purpose of this instrumental study was to determine the evidence of internal structure and reliability of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview scale. A total of 398 family caregivers, including women and men, participated (M = 47.33, SD = 10.44). The structure of the scale was evaluated by factor analysis and the McDonald Omega coefficient was used to estimate reliability. Sixteen models of the scale were tested, differing in number of items and factor structures. A model of 15 items and 4 dimensions (overload, competence, social relationship, and interpersonal relationship) obtained acceptable fit (χ² = 184.72; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.055; SRMR = 0.05) and reliability coefficients above 0.70 in their dimensions. It is concluded that the Zarit scale is valid and reliable for use in caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities.

Internal Structure of the Work-Family Conflict Questionnaire (WFCQ) in Teacher Teleworking

The interference between family and work roles has led to the development of scales for their measurement. However, instrumental studies of work-family conflict have not been conducted in the context of teacher teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, the objectives of this study were set to obtain evidence of the internal structure and fairness of the Blanch and Aluja Work-Family Conflict Questionnaire, as well as its association with job satisfaction and other sociodemographic variables. A total of 235 Peruvian school teachers between the ages of 24 and 72 years (M = 43.79 and SD = 9.67) responded to the scale using the online form. The analysis employed the non-parametric item response theory modeling (Mokken scaling analysis). The structure of two correlated factors was confirmed: work conflict in the family (WCF) and family conflict in the work (FCW). Both dimensions were invariant with respect to sex group and educational level. The association of both dimensions with job satisfaction was theoretically convergent, and the gender of the teachers slightly moderated this relationship. The reliability was adequate for group research. Finally, the instrument can be useful in the organizational context of teachers who telework.

Afrontamiento de la Incertidumbre en jóvenes imposibilitados de regresar del extranjero por pandemia de COVID-19

Para evitar la propagación de la COVID-19, muchos países ―entre ellos Perú― cerraron sus fronteras, imposibilitando el retorno de peruanos que tenían previsto volver al país y ya no contaban con recursos económicos para su manutención al haber concluido sus contratos laborales. Por ello, el propósito del estudio es caracterizar los modos de afrontamiento a la incertidumbre que experimentaron jóvenes peruanos cuando se encontraban imposibilitados de regresar a su país debido a la pandemia por COVID-19. Se diseñó un cuestionario con preguntas abiertas y cerradas, se obtuvo la validez de contenido (V= 1 [.90, 1]) y se aplicó, mediante formularios Google, a 39 jóvenes entre 19 y 26 años (M= 20.9, DE= 1.6), que cumplían su cuarentena, tras ser repatriados por el gobierno peruano. Los resultados reportan que los jóvenes se sintieron especialmente agobiados o angustiados (64.10 %) y tensos (56.41 %). Sus principales temores eran no poder regresar a Perú (43.8 %) y contagiarse de la COVID-19 (25 %). Afrontaban el malestar durmiendo (22.81 %), realizando actividades físicas para relajarse (21.03%), recibiendo apoyo emocional de personas que recién conocían (79.49 %), y también proporcionaron apoyo a otras personas (80.95 %). Casi la totalidad de los participantes (92.31 %) realizaron acciones para intentar solucionar el problema, y el 100 % buscaba estar informado de las noticias. La mayoría (74.36 %) valoró como excitante la experiencia vivida de estar imposibilitados de poder retornar a su país. Se concluye que las principales acciones realizadas han sido para afrontar la incertidumbre emocional, cognitiva y de deseo de cambio.