Healthy lifestyles and their determinants are key prerequisites for healthy and active aging and constitute an important domain of the Active Aging Index. The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the subjective assessments of elderly people living in Bulgaria and France regarding factors that shape a healthy lifestyle, with a focus on nutrition, health status and socio-economic conditions. Methods: An anonymous voluntary survey was conducted among elderly people living in urban areas, rural regions and institutions in Bulgaria and France during the period 2019–2021. Data were collected through questionnaires, direct observations and interviews. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, applying analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student–Fisher t-tests to assess differences between groups and the influence of selected factors. Results: The average age of respondents in France was significantly higher than that of respondents in Bulgaria. Elderly people in France reported higher alcohol consumption and greater dissatisfaction with their financial status, despite more frequent consumption of healthy foods such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables. In both countries, respondents expressed a need for home-based care and hot meal delivery, with stronger demand observed in France. Conclusions: Differences in lifestyle, financial security and health status significantly influence subjective assessments of healthy aging. Elderly people in Bulgaria are more constrained by financial limitations, experience higher levels of social isolation and poorer oral health, and report more health-related dietary restrictions compared to their French counterparts.
Taneva et al. (Mon,) studied this question.