Abstract:

Objective To define the concept of aging anxiety in the older adults，to provide references for further research on the psychological aspects of the elderly. Methods Systematic literature searching was conducted in databases including CNKI，Wanfang，VIP，China Biomedical Data，Web of Science，PubMed，Cochrane Library，Embase and other databases. Time limit was set from the establishment of the databases to December 31，2023. The Walker and Avant conceptual analysis framework was applied to analyze aging anxiety in older adults from five aspects：concept definition，concept attributes，antecedents and consequences，and measurement tools. Results A total of 39 articles of aging anxiety related literature were included with six articles in Chinese and 33 articles in English. The conceptual attributes classified into three aspects：perception of the future，negative emotions，and risk of loss. Antecedents included individual characteristic factors，psychological cognitive and behavioral related factors，and supportive related factors. Consequences were mainly divided into four aspects：impact on health status of older adults，development of negative psychological barriers，quality of life decline，and behavioral changes. Conclusion The concept of aging anxiety in older adults can be clarified by Walker and Avant concept analysis method. It provides a reference for drawing the attention of healthcare professionals to the psychological changes of the elderly，detecting their anxiety in aging process in time，planning further interventions，and conducting in-depth related research.

Key words: Elderly, Aging Anxiety, Psychological factors, Conceptual Analysis