{"title":"Elderhood and Healthy Aging from an Indigenous Perspective.","authors":"Yu-Chi Kalesekes Huang, Kathryn L Braun","doi":"10.3390/ijerph22010123","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Researchers have outlined the components of healthy aging, and a 2022 scoping review by Quigley et al. examined healthy aging from Indigenous perspectives. Quigley's review reinforced the notion that Indigenous health, and thus healthy aging, is a holistic concept. However, no review has specifically addressed Elderhood from an Indigenous perspective. This scoping review aimed to fill that gap by analyzing studies from Quigley's review and sourcing additional literature on Indigenous Elderhood. Eligible articles identified participants as Indigenous and described Elderhood within the culture. From the 20 included publications, six themes were identified, suggesting that Elderhood was a term limited to adults who were respected for their wisdom, were active in the community, cared for others, passed down Indigenous knowledge, and promoted a vision of the future that built on tradition. Age was not a criterion, as older people who are not seen as respected contributors do not earn the title of Elder. The findings suggest that achieving Elderhood is key to healthy aging for Indigenous adults, regardless of one's physical health status. Programs and policies offered in Indigenous communities should recognize this distinction. Further research should explore ways to support successful Elderhood, as defined here, as a component of healthy aging in Indigenous communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49056,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11765160/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","FirstCategoryId":"103","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22010123","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Researchers have outlined the components of healthy aging, and a 2022 scoping review by Quigley et al. examined healthy aging from Indigenous perspectives. Quigley's review reinforced the notion that Indigenous health, and thus healthy aging, is a holistic concept. However, no review has specifically addressed Elderhood from an Indigenous perspective. This scoping review aimed to fill that gap by analyzing studies from Quigley's review and sourcing additional literature on Indigenous Elderhood. Eligible articles identified participants as Indigenous and described Elderhood within the culture. From the 20 included publications, six themes were identified, suggesting that Elderhood was a term limited to adults who were respected for their wisdom, were active in the community, cared for others, passed down Indigenous knowledge, and promoted a vision of the future that built on tradition. Age was not a criterion, as older people who are not seen as respected contributors do not earn the title of Elder. The findings suggest that achieving Elderhood is key to healthy aging for Indigenous adults, regardless of one's physical health status. Programs and policies offered in Indigenous communities should recognize this distinction. Further research should explore ways to support successful Elderhood, as defined here, as a component of healthy aging in Indigenous communities.
期刊介绍:
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) (ISSN 1660-4601) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles, critical reviews, research notes, and short communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. It links several scientific disciplines including biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science, ecology, engineering, epidemiology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, oncology, pathology, pharmacology, and toxicology, in an integrated fashion, to address critical issues related to environmental quality and public health. Therefore, IJERPH focuses on the publication of scientific and technical information on the impacts of natural phenomena and anthropogenic factors on the quality of our environment, the interrelationships between environmental health and the quality of life, as well as the socio-cultural, political, economic, and legal considerations related to environmental stewardship and public health.
The 2018 IJERPH Outstanding Reviewer Award has been launched! This award acknowledge those who have generously dedicated their time to review manuscripts submitted to IJERPH. See full details at http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/awards.