Bem-estar espiritual da pessoa idosa

: contributos na capacidade de autocuidado

Abstract

A growing number of studies related to spirituality/religiosity and spiritual well-being show positive results in terms of health. However, the scientific evidence is not unanimous on the role of spirituality in the self-care capacity of the elderly. Objectives: To analyze the relationship between Spiritual Well-Being and Self-Care Ability in elderly people; to understand the relationship between the dimensions of Spiritual Well-Being and the dimensions of Self-Care Ability, and to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic variables and self-perception of health status in Spiritual Well-Being and Self-Care Ability. Methodology: This is a non-experimental, cross-sectional, quantitative descriptive and correlational study, carried out in two stages. The first stage refers to the process of translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Exercise of Self-care Agency Scale (ESCA) for the portuguese version in elderly people living at home. The second stage aimed to meet the proposed objectives and included 400 elderly people living at home. Results: From the process of translation, adaptation and validation of the ESCA, an instrument consisting of 29 items is presented with psychometric characteristics suitable for use in future research (overall scale α = .871). Gender, age, schooling and self-perception of health status have been shown to be associated with significant differences in spiritual wellbeing, with higher results for females, older people, lower levels of schooling and older people who perceive themselves as unable to look after themselves. Age, schooling and self-perception of health status have been shown to be associated with significant differences in some of the dimensions of self-care capacity. Spiritual well-being, in its constituent dimensions Personal faith, Religious practice and Spiritual peace, explain 16% of self-care capacity. The influence of the dimensions of Spiritual Well-Being on selfperceived health, mediated by Self-Care Capacity, revealed that Spiritual Peace, acting positively on Self-Concept, Initiative and Responsibility and Activity for Self-Care, has a positive influence on self-perceived health. Personal faith and religious practice are drivers of the capacity for self-care, playing a fundamental role in elderly people who perceive themselves as incapable of looking after themselves. Conclusions: Spiritual well-being is a type of support capable of enhancing the capacity for self-care. As part of a holistic approach to care, nurses should promote the spiritual well-being of the elderly during health/illness processes. Implications of the study for nursing education and research were discussed.

Date of Award	10 Sept 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Margarida Maria Vieira (Supervisor)