Ethnicity and its Implications in Old Age: Systematic Review

The purpose of this study is to determine the implications of ethnicity during old age in indigenous communities or peoples. Six databases were analyzed, the systematization and analysis of the information was based on the guidelines of the elements considered in the PRISMA 2020 statement. Fiftynine articles that met the eligibility criteria were considered. Five main themes were identified: physical and mental health, perception of aging, perception, use and conditions of care, community and social support networks, as well as, conditions of inequality. Ethnicity is presented as a determinant of aging and old age, on the one hand, as a situation of social disadvantage that leads to increased vulnerability of indigenous older persons, as well as, diverse ways of understanding the aging process in which social and community relations are central. Research on old age and aging in indigenous populations must bet that the knowledge that has been obtained in this regard must be part of the knowledge of the indigenous community, and considered in the generation and construction of the policy aimed at this population sector, in the practices and guidelines of gerontological intervention and public policy.