Association of resilience with successful ageing and the mediating role of community participation

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundHigher level of resilience plays a positive role in successful ageing. Participation was reported as a factor related to resilience and successful ageing. As resilience is developed based on interaction between personal characteristics and environment over time, enhancing resilience level of individuals in later life span is difficult. Finding out modifiable factors which mediate the relationship between resilience and successful ageing can be alternative way to promote successful ageing. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of community participation.MethodConvenience sampling was applied to recruit community‐dwelling older adults aged 60 or older who could self‐rate the questionnaire independently. Online and on‐site surveys were conducted using the same questionnaire. Total scores of Korean version of the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC) and Community Integration Measure (CIM) were used respectively to measure resilience and community participation. Sum score of the satisfaction across four areas‐ subjective health; subjective memory; social relationships; socioeconomic status was used to measure successful ageing. Mediation analysis using SAS 9.4 was conducted to examine the mediating role of community participation in relationship between resilience and successful ageing.ResultData from 284 individuals was analyzed (Mean age: 67.99 ± 7.28; Female: 50.70%). Mean scores of CD‐RISC, CIM, and successful ageing were 60.70, 36.65, 13.05 respectively. A total effect of resilience on successful ageing was statistically significant (β = 0.038, 95% CI = 0.027 to 0.049) after controlling for gender, age, education, living status, employment status, disabilities, depression and chronic disease. Community participation mediated the relationship between resilience and successful ageing (β = 0.006, 95% CI = 0.002 to 0.010). Mediating role of community participation explained 16.44% of total effect of resilience on successful ageing.ConclusionAssisting older adults to increase community participation can be considered as a community‐based health care service to promote successful ageing. Further studies to examine causality among resilience, community participation, and successful ageing is necessary to strengthen the evidence of effect of active community participation on successful ageing.