Changes in bio-psycho-social aspects of male aging: A comparative study of hospitalized patients (2013-2023)

Owing to medical advances and improved living conditions, life expectancy continues to increase. Consequently, population aging poses growing challenges for healthcare systems.

The aim of this study was to assess whether men's perceptions of aging have changed between 2013 and 2023.

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in 2013 and 2023 using identical research tools and inclusion criteria. Participants were randomly selected from hospitalized patients in the Podlaskie Province, Poland. The following instruments were used: an original questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Generalised Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Inventory of Health Behaviour (IHB), the Androgen Deficiency in Aging Male questionnaire (ADAM), and the Aging Males' Symptoms Scale (AMS).

Most respondents in both 2013 and 2023 associated old age with declining testosterone levels and considered it to begin after the age of 75. Men generally rated their health as good and regarded andropause as a natural process. Psychological symptoms of aging were reported by 80.5% of respondents in 2013 and 75.9% in 2023, while sexual dysfunction was reported by 65.8% and 63.3%, respectively. More than half of the respondents had no depressive symptoms according to the BDI. Men with high self-efficacy predominated in both study periods.

Respondents' knowledge of the aging process remains incomplete and often inaccurate. Despite this, men generally rated their health positively and perceived andropause as a natural process. Psychological symptoms of aging and sexual dysfunction were reported by a substantial proportion of participants.