A Cross-National Comparison of Perceptions of Aging and Older Adults.

摘要

This study provides an overview of perceptions of aging and older people from five different countries. It focuses on demographic variables that have been shown to have an influence on how people perceive aging and older people. It explores the perceptions of aging and older adults in a cross-national context. The study conducts a quantitative analysis of a database consisting of survey responses from five countries conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc. for the International Longevity Center -- USA in 2000. The five countries compared are: the Dominican Republic, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There are four categories of attitudes: Perceptions of Aging and Older People; Perceptions of Life Satisfaction for Self; Perceptions of Quality of Life for Self; and Perception of Quality of Life for People Sixty-five and Older. Data from each of the five countries are analyzed separately and are then compared and analyzed.;This study is a secondary analysis of a database consisting of responses from 7,161 people between 18 and 99 years of age (Dominican Republic N = 1,001; France N = 1,004; Japan N = 1,118; United Kingdom N = 990; United States N = 3,048). The independent variables are: age, gender, marital status, and income levels. The dependent variables are the four attitude domains of: Perceptions of Aging and Older People; Perceptions of Life Satisfaction for Self; Perceptions of Quality of Life for Self; and Perception of Quality of Life for People Sixty-five and Older. Each country is separately analyzed using one way Analysis of Variance, Chi-Square, or Independent T-Tests. The results of the analysis are then compared with the other countries and discussed.;This study demonstrates that perceptions of aging and older adults differ when viewed through the cultural lenses of various countries.