Meaning of subjective well-being and economic inclusion in older adults leaders of associations in southern Chile

Increasing life expectancy brings with it research challenges associated with the evidence of the psychosocial and economic implications of this fact in contemporary societies. At the same time, it is necessary to develop a field of study related to the quality of life and subjective well-being of this age group. Chile is one of the countries with the highest life expectancy in Latin America, as well as the highest percentage of people over 60. Faced with this panorama, it is necessary to know aspects that impact and take on meanings associated with subjective well-being in old age, as well as towards economic inclusion, considering that older adults, together with women heads of household and young people, are considered vulnerable socioeconomic groups in the processes of economic inclusion. Added to this is the fact that many older adults must continue to work into old age due to low pensions and scarce economic resources, which have an impact on their wellbeing. In this research, subjective well-being is considered to be composed of an affective and a cognitive dimension and is defined as the evaluation that people themselves make of their lives. On the other hand, economic inclusion is understood as a process of promoting affordable, timely and adequate access to a wide range of regulated financial products and services. Based on economic psychology, the objective of this study is to understand the meaning of subjective well-being and economic inclusion in older adults between the ages of 60-75 in urban areas of southern Chile. The study was realized in the Araucania Region, the region with the highest poverty rate in this country. The research methodology is qualitative and semi-structured interviews were applied, which were analyzed with the content analysis technique and with the support of the N-VIVO 11 program. The participants were 10 older adults, 3 men and 7 women, leaders of older adult clubs. The research's ethical safeguards included the approval of the University of La Frontera Ethics Committee, incorporating the use of informed consent and authorization for the recording of interviews. The main findings show that the meanings associated with subjective well-being refer to its sources, such as family, friends and participation in organizations of older adults, declare positive feelings associated with happiness and satisfaction with life; however, they associate some negative feelings related to the difficulties they face due to precarious economic conditions that prevent them from satisfying basic needs (for example, health and food). As for the meanings associated with financial inclusion, they refer to skills such as the ability to manage and distribute income and the need to learn about the use of technological tools required to feel included in the system. In addition, they indicate practices associated with financial inclusion, highlighting formal and informal indebtedness and scarce savings. The results are discussed in light of the emerging categories of study population and theoretical background. It is suggested that financial capacities, as mechanisms that contribute to economic inclusion, are a dimension that should be highlighted in research and intervention, based on plans and programs aimed at the active ageing of older adults in Chile.