Abstract
The association between quality of life (QoL) and social relationships is well established. This paper further analyses whether and how participation in social activities as well as providing and receiving social support, independently, are associated with QoL among the older population in 16 European countries. QoL was measured using the CASP-12 scale. The baseline data came from Wave 6 and the outcome from Wave 7 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The associations of interest were analysed using multivariable linear regression. The effect of possible non-ignorable dropout was tested. Then, doubly robust estimation and sensitivity analyses for unobserved confounding were performed to evaluate the possible causal interpretation of the associations found. Our findings show that participation in at least one of the socially productive activities was positively associated with QoL at two-year follow-up (Average Causal Effect, ACE: 0.474; 95%CI: 0.361, 0.587). The association was stronger among women, people aged 75+, and those in the Southern European region. Providing social support had a positive association with QoL, but only among people aged 75+ (ACE: 0.410; 95%CI: 0.031, 0.789). Conversely, receiving social support had a negative association (ACE: -0.321; 95%CI: -0.448, -0.195) with QoL, especially for men, people aged 75+, and those in Eastern European countries. Sensitivity analyses for unobserved confounders showed that the associations found cannot be attributed to causal effects.
Highlights
Population ageing is often regarded as a negative phenomenon that is characterised by worsened health status and poorer social life among older people
Results from Model 3 show that the baseline quality of life (QoL) score had a positive association with the follow-up QoL (0.55, 95%CI:0.54,0.56)
Participa tion in social activities and providing social support were positively associated with QoL at follow-up (0.49, 95%CI:0.39,0.59 and 0.12, 95% CI:0.013,0.22, respectively)
Summary
Population ageing is often regarded as a negative phenomenon that is characterised by worsened health status and poorer social life among older people. This is not always the case; in recent decades, most parts of the world have seen increasing healthy life expectancies QoL is a complex concept that is amorphous, multi-layered, dynamic, and related to a range of components that interact These components are both objective and subjective, involve multiple domains (environ mental, social, health, and psychological), on the individual and the societal level, and can be positive and negative (Brown et al, 2004; Fernandez-Ballesteros, 2011). Male gender and socioeconomic factors, such as poor perceived financial situation, being unemployed or unable to work, low economic status, and low education level, had negative associations with QoL (Netuveli, Wiggins, Hildon, Montgomery, & Blane, 2006; Ward et al, 2019; Zaninotto et al, 2009)
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