Abstract
The current study explored Asian Americans’ lay perceptions of successful aging and examined the differences and similarities between Asian Americans and White/Caucasian Americans. One hundred forty-five Asian American adults and 86 White/Caucasian adults were asked how they view successful aging. Open-ended responses were coded for recurring themes. The theme most often mentioned by Asian Americans was health, followed by quality of life, activities/interests, and social resources. Compared to White/Caucasian participants, Asian Americans’ meaning of successful aging in the current study did not differ greatly in terms of major themes mentioned, but Asian Americans were more likely to mention certain themes, such as physical appearance and youthful look. In sum, the findings suggest that Asian Americans have a multifaceted understanding of successful aging, and reinforce the importance of cultural variations of the perceptions of successful aging.
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Data Availability
The participants of this study did not give written consent for their data to be shared publicly, so due to the sensitive nature of the research supporting data is not available.
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The study was partially funded by Fordham University Summer Research Fellowship.
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Jung, S., Jopp, D.S. Perceptions of Successful Aging among Asian Americans. J Cross Cult Gerontol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-024-09503-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-024-09503-y