This study aimed to know the representation of the elderly population about the degree of satisfaction with benefits obtained in health improvement within companionship groups. Relationship nets are important sources of social support and satisfaction with life. It considered satisfaction levels as welfare indicator in aging with quality of life, describing the satisfaction level in social participation of elderly in Spain and in Brazil that are affiliated to companionship centers/groups. The study population included 262 elderly people in Brazil and 262 in Spain that were part of companionship centers/groups where the universities had insertion. The research corpus, archived in the UNISC Aging research group database, was built from narratives made by the interviewed elderly, reflecting their view of their participation in companionship groups and their personal experiences. The qualitative analysis of interviews was performed through the content analysis technique. It has been observed that social relationships and social support, being emotional, instrumental or informational, favor health improvement. The activities that have been most commented and performed by the elderly, in Brazil and Spain, are the ones related to sociability, shown in the contact with friends, when joys, sorrows and knowledge are shared.
Aging; Health; Quality of Life; Socialization