Elderly People, Human Aging and Health: Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

Objective: to review studies that contribute to understandings about the elderly, aging and the health of these individuals. Method: the search for studies was carried out in databases related to the area and in the reference list of articles. Original articles published in peer-reviewed journals and cross-sectional and longitudinal intervention studies that investigated the elderly, aging and health, available in Portuguese, English and Spanish, published from January 2017 to 2022, were included in the review. combinations between descriptors are created using the Boolean operators “AND” and “OR”. The entire process of selection and evaluation of articles was carried out by peers. Results: the final selection analyzed included 14 studies. The materials were incisive regarding the search for promoting the health of the elderly, and how it is extremely important seen through the prism of the demographic increase of these individuals, mainly in Brazil. Conclusion: the articles mentioned in this review brought positive health effects on human aging, and highlighted the possibilities of valuing their own experiences, becoming individuals with autonomy.