Adversidades do isolamento e o papel dos exercícios na qualidade de vida de mulheres idosas

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To understand older women's perceptions of quality of life in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study used a sociodemographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews for data collection. The interviews were audio recorded, fully transcribed, and analyzed using Bardin’s content analysis methodology. Sixteen older women aged between 60 and 80 from the municipality of Inhumas-GO participated in the study. RESULTS: Most participants (62.5%) were widowed, Catholic, retired, had an income ranging from one to three minimum wages, lived in their own homes, and had an average of two children. The analysis revealed four main categories: material and financial living conditions, intra- and interpersonal relationships, healthy lifestyle habits, and health. CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic significantly impacted the quality of life of elderly women, generating adverse effects related to social isolation, mental health, and financial insecurity. On the other hand, it also fostered coping strategies based on support networks and resilience.