Resilience in older adults of different age groups - Use of the Wagnild and Young resilience scale by five-year age groups

Abstract

Population aging requires the development of strategies to strengthen the individual's adaptive capacity in the face of the inherent losses of senescence. Objective: To evaluate resilience levels in elderly participants of health programs, compare scores across different age groups, and verify the association between the practice of physical and educational activities and the behavior of this construct. Method: An observational, descriptive, and longitudinal study conducted with elderly individuals at Primary Health Care Units in Aracaju, SE. The sample was selected by convenience. Resilience was measured using the Wagnild and Young Scale (25–175 points) at two moments: the diagnostic phase and the formative phase (after 16 weeks). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the scores. Results: There was an increase in the mean resilience score from 129.74 to 137.45. The standard deviation decreased from 32.93 to 24.32, indicating greater sample homogeneity by the end of the follow-up. There was an increase in kurtosis (0.98 to 3.35) and maintenance of negative skewness (-1.27 to -1.33), with a concentration of scores at high levels. Conclusion: Most participants exhibited moderate to high resilience scores. The findings point to a positive association between participation in the program and the increase in resilience indices. Limitations include the convenience sampling, sample attrition, and the absence of a control group, factors that restrict direct causal inferences.