Is institutional ageism associated with loneliness and subjective well-being among Peruvian adults aged 55 years and older? A structural equation modeling analysis.

Ageism has been identified as a social determinant of health; however, most studies have focused on interpersonal ageism, with limited evidence regarding its institutional dimension. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of institutional ageism with loneliness and subjective well-being, as well as the associations of age and sex with institutional ageism among Peruvian adults aged 55 years and older. The sample consisted of 420 participants (58.80% women and 41.20% men) aged between 55 and 92 years from Peru. Institutional ageism was assessed using the corresponding dimension of the WHO Ageism Experiences Scale, loneliness was measured with the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6), and subjective well-being was evaluated using the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. A structural equation modeling approach was employed. The results showed that the structural regression model demonstrated an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.919, TLI = 0.910, RMSEA = 0.078, and SRMR = 0.074). Institutional ageism was associated with greater loneliness (β = 0.104, p = .033) and lower subjective well-being (β = -0.118, p = .014). Age was associated with greater institutional ageism (β = 0.125, p = .005), whereas sex was not significantly associated (β = -0.056, p = .251). The findings indicate that institutional ageism was associated with greater loneliness and lower subjective well-being among older adults. Additionally, older age was associated with greater institutional ageism, whereas sex was not significantly associated with institutional ageism. These results highlight the need for institutions to incorporate awareness of institutional ageism into their policies and practices.