Gender and Aging: The Vulnerability of Elderly Women in Brazil

Authors

  • Lara Carvalho Vilela de Lima Universidade de Franca- UNIFRAN
  • Cléria Maria Lobo Bittar Bueno Universidade de Franca – UNIFRAN

Keywords:

Idosas, Vulnerabilidade, Promoção de Saúde, Elderly Women, Vulnerability, Health Promotion.

Abstract

Population aging is a reality experienced in our country, which has among several characteristics, the feminization of old age. The life expectancy increased substantially in recent years, going beyond the barrier of 70 years of age. With the increasing number of elderly, the number of people with chronic degenerative diseases and their complications also increased, bringing problems to Brazil’s Unified Health System, which is not prepared to support the elderly in our country. Despite being a universal process, aging presents a strong component of gender, because older women surpass older men in numbers (55% of women in Brazil). These women present important characteristics in old age that make them more vulnerable, such as: they live longer – however, they are more susceptive to diseases; they have greater probability of having problems related to the adaptation resulting from physiological changes concerning age, which may turn into identity conflicts; among other issues. Our goal is, using the literature review, to discuss the aging phenomenon, characterizing the old women and to understand their situation of vulnerability. A descriptive and reflective methodology was adopted. Through this study, we can observe that there are few studies that describe the vulnerability in old women and the necessity of more actions in health promotion, to promote 'not only additional years to life, but life with quality to years'. Health promotion is a strategy to ensure empowerment to these older women, dignity, full citizenship, better social and health conditions, better overall quality of life, besides to promote equity in gender.

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Author Biographies

Lara Carvalho Vilela de Lima, Universidade de Franca- UNIFRAN

Mestranda do Programa de Mestrado em Promoção de Saúde da Universidade de Franca- UNIFRAN. E-mail: laracvilela@hotmail.com

Cléria Maria Lobo Bittar Bueno, Universidade de Franca – UNIFRAN

Orientadora; Docente do Programa de Mestrado em Promoção de Saúde da Universidade de Franca – UNIFRAN; Coordenadora do Núcleo de Pesquisa Interdisciplinar em Gênero – NUPIGEn da Universidade de Franca - UNIFRAN. E-mail: cmlb.bueno@gmail.com

Published

2009-09-15

How to Cite

Lima, L. C. V. de, & Bueno, C. M. L. B. (2009). Gender and Aging: The Vulnerability of Elderly Women in Brazil. Saúde E Pesquisa, 2(2), 273–280. Retrieved from https://periodicos.unicesumar.edu.br/index.php/saudpesq/article/view/1173

Issue

Section

Artigos de Revisão