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Health Perceptions and Health Care Accessibility Perception of Portuguese Ageing Adults

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Longevity and Development: New perspectives on Ageing Communities ( Age.Comm 2021)

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Abstract

Although population ageing is a success story, it is often seen as a threat to the future of society, with an impact at various levels, such as, for example, on the dynamics of the response of health care services. Regardless of the heterogeneity that characterises the ageing process, real and perceived health is, for most older people, a fundamental aspect when assessing their quality of life. Perceived health depends on several factors that should be identified and analysed to intervene better and avoid negative results of perceived health, which may lead to several consequences. Studies carried out in several countries show that several socio-demographic characteristics and accessibility to healthcare are related to the perception of the health of the elderly population. Is the same true in Portugal, namely in inland regions of the country? The main objective of this study was to determine whether the perceived accessibility to health care and the socio-demographic characteristics are related to the perceived health of the elderly and future elderly population in an inland region of Portugal. To this end, we used a quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory design. We analysed the data collected through two questionnaire surveys applied to people living in the community (N = 484) in several municipalities of the Portuguese interior. In a sample with a mean age of 71.28 years, ranging from 55 to 99 years, we found a relationship between the characterisation variables and perceived health and between perceived health and the perception of accessibility to health care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Master in Social Gerontology/IPCB, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Inês Vivas

  2. SCM of Idanha-a-Nova, Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal

    Inês Vivas

  3. Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Portugal – IPCB, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Maria João Guardado Moreira & Vítor Pinheira

  4. Age.Comm/IPCB, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Maria João Guardado Moreira & Vítor Pinheira

Authors
  1. Inês Vivas
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  2. Maria João Guardado Moreira
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  3. Vítor Pinheira
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Inês Vivas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Age.Comm, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Maria João Guardado Moreira

  2. Health School Dr. Lopes Dias, Age.Comm, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Lucinda Sofia A. Carvalho

  3. IDMEC, Age.Comm, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Paulo J. Sequeira Gonçalves

  4. Health School, Age.Comm, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Vítor Manuel Barreiros Pinheira

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Vivas, I., Moreira, M.J.G., Pinheira, V. (2023). Health Perceptions and Health Care Accessibility Perception of Portuguese Ageing Adults. In: Guardado Moreira, M.J., A. Carvalho, L.S., Sequeira Gonçalves, P.J., Barreiros Pinheira, V.M. (eds) Longevity and Development: New perspectives on Ageing Communities . Age.Comm 2021. Lecture Notes in Bioengineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22273-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22273-3_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-22272-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-22273-3

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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