Factors explaining resilience among Nepalese older adults experiencing disasters: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Identification of protective factors of resilience among older adults experiencing disasters is essential to the promotion of a positive and successful psychosocial and spiritual adaptation to life adversities in the post-disaster phase. This cross-sectional analytical study was done to examine the factors explaining resilience among 303 randomly selected older adults experiencing disasters. Data were collected using the Socio-demographic, Personal, and Earthquake-related questions and another ten sets of standards and reliable instruments measuring explanatory and outcome variables. Descriptive and inferential statistics namely Pearson Product Moment Correlation were employed to analyze the data including path analysis for identifying the factors associated with resilience. The results reveal that the model shows a good fit with the empirical data that explained 75% of variance by self-efficacy, perceived stress, spirituality, self-esteem, and social support on resilience, and 47% of variance by self-esteem, social support, and perceived stress on self-efficacy. The strongest statistically significant factor explaining resilience was self-efficacy. Thus, resilience-focused interventions or services should be designed for public health practitioners, social workers, nurses, and other health professionals to enhance intrapersonal protective factors such as enhancing self-efficacy, creating a spiritual environment, alleviating perceived stress, and promoting self-esteem and social support which could foster older adults' survivors’ resilience, both during and after disasters.