ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.

Sec. Psychology of Aging

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1583208

Exploring old age in the Italian population: representation and cultural symbolic categories in different locations

Provisionally accepted
Michela Di TraniMichela Di Trani1*Barbara CordellaBarbara Cordella1*Francesca GrecoFrancesca Greco2*Elena ArgentiElena Argenti1*Ambra GalicciaAmbra Galiccia3*Maria GattusoMaria Gattuso3*Andrea GrecoAndrea Greco3*Francesca MorgantiFrancesca Morganti3*
  • 1Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
  • 2Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
  • 3Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy

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The global demographic trend shows increasing life expectancy, with European countries, like Italy, having a high proportion of older adults. To pursue the goal of healthy aging and design effective health promotion interventions, understanding how aging is defined and perceived is crucial. This study analyzes the representation of aging among individuals in two different Italian cities, to see if geographical context influences their perspective. Ninety-seven participants aged 55-75 were interviewed about their experience of aging, and the interview texts (145,066 tokens) were analyzed using Emotional Text Mining. Aging is seen as a transitional process involving family responsibility, shifting work roles, and dealing with retirement. Concerns about mental and physical decline are common, with individuals comparing their current situation to their past or to that of their loved ones. Approaches to aging vary, with some being resigned to it, while others engage proactively, focusing on family or social contexts. Geographical and age-based differences were found: respondents from Bergamo were more accepting of aging, concerned about their health, and socially active, whereas respondents from Rome emphasized their care of the family dimension. Participants under 65 focused on ending work, while those over 65 focused on the vulnerabilities of aging. Therefore, addressing individuals' needs and considering contextual variables could enhance the effectiveness of tailored health promotion interventions.

Keywords: old age, culture, general population, interview, Health

Received: 25 Feb 2025; Accepted: 08 May 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Di Trani, Cordella, Greco, Argenti, Galiccia, Gattuso, Greco and Morganti. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Michela Di Trani, Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Barbara Cordella, Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Francesca Greco, Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, 33100, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
Elena Argenti, Department of Dynamic, Clinical Psychology and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Ambra Galiccia, Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, 24129, Lombardy, Italy
Maria Gattuso, Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, 24129, Lombardy, Italy
Andrea Greco, Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, 24129, Lombardy, Italy
Francesca Morganti, Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, 24129, Lombardy, Italy

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Supplementary Material