Garage sales as more-than-human affinity spaces: Reimagining social participation in later life.

BackgroundRelatively little empirical attention has focused on the association between social participation and depressive symptoms amongst older adults in Asian nations, where persons over the age of 65 represent a rapidly growing segment of the population. This study explores the dynamic relationship between participation in social activities and trajectories of depressive symptomatology among older Taiwanese adults surveyed over 18 years.MethodsData are from a nationally representative sample of 1,388 adults aged 60-64 first surveyed in 1989 and followed over an 18-year time period for a total of six waves. Individual involvement in social activities was categorized into continuous participation, ceased participation before age 70, initiating participation in older adulthood, never participated, and dropped out before age 70. Two domains of depressive symptoms--negative affect and lack of positive affect--were measured using a 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale.ResultsAnalyses using growth curve modeling showed that continuously participating or initiating participation in social activities later life is significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms among older Taiwanese adults, even after controlling for the confounding effects of aging, individual demographic differences, and health status.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that maintaining or initiating social participation in later life benefits the mental health of older adults. Facilitating social activities among older adults is a promising direction for programs intended to promote mental health and successful aging among older adults in Taiwan.

Enhancing older adults’ social participation constitutes a critical strategy for actively addressing population aging. From a life course perspective, this study uses data from the 2023 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey to analyze the impact of occupational characteristics of the pre-retirement of Chinese older adults on their social participation in later life through linear probability models and Logit regression analysis. Key findings reveal that the pre-retirement work sector, occupational roles, and job intensity significantly influence older adults’ social participation. Older adults who previously worked in the public sector are less likely to participate in labor and recreational activities than their non-public sector counterparts. Those who held managerial positions before retirement exhibit higher probabilities of volunteering and recreational activity participation than non-managerial retirees. Additionally, greater pre-retirement job intensity correlates with reduced likelihoods of volunteering and recreational activity participation. Thus, this study identifies inadequate social security provisions as the primary endogenous driver for labor participation in later life. In China’s current developmental phase, gradually delaying the legal retirement age could effectively boost labor supply. Ensuring comprehensive labor protections throughout occupational trajectories and developing tailored interventions based on pre-retirement occupational characteristics prove essential for advancing social participation among older adults. Furthermore, improving information accessibility and participation opportunities serves as crucial pathways for transforming older adults’ participation willingness into concrete behavioral outcomes.

Background Social participation is an important aspect of health and well-being across the lifespan, but older adults might encounter some barriers, which has been highlighted in the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, where technology has become the primary way to maintain contact with family and friends. In fact, technology can serve both as a facilitator and barrier to social participation in later life, and this issue needs to be further understood. Aim To identify the barriers and facilitators encountered by older adults in using technology to promote social participation. Methods A systematic review was conducted. Studies were included if they were peer-reviewed, written in English or French, included participants 50 years or older, included technology to promote social participation, and reported potential barriers or facilitators regarding such technologies. Four databases were included: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychINFO and, ERIC. Each study was reviewed by two independent reviewers. The quality of the study was appraised using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool. Results Seventeen studies were included in this report. Four main themes emerged from the data: perceived benefits of the technology, self-confidence and knowledge about using the technology efficiently and safely, affordability of the technology, and ability of the technology to adapt to the physical and cognitive declines in later life. Conclusion These findings can help health care professionals to make better decisions when deciding to recommend technology for their older clients. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Acceptance of technology to promote social participation in later life is a multi-complex process. There is no “one size fits all” approach, a person-centered intervention must be used. When introducing new technologies, using an adapted/tailored training approach could potentially increase self-efficacy in using technology. Rehabilitation professionals’ misconceptions concerning the use of technology in later life can be a barrier to acceptance. It’s important to be aware of our own believes and attitudes in this context.

Social participation is essential for healthy aging, supporting older adults' health and well-being. Although information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer promising opportunities, a focused summary of the literature on ICT use for social participation, a distinct aspect of digital engagement, has been lacking. To summarize existing literature on ICT use for social participation among older adults and identify gaps by examining study characteristics, ICT classifications, and associated health variables. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for quantitative, nonexperimental studies published from 2016 through 2024. The authors followed the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. Of 9,795 screened articles, 85 met the inclusion criteria. The number of relevant publications has increased over time, with nearly half (47.1%) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Modes of interaction included social media (72.4%), email (64.5%), text messaging (60.5%), and video calls (53.9%). Most studies assessed communication frequency with family and friends (72.9%), whereas fewer explored meeting new people online (7.1%) or the quality of online participation (5.9%). Social well-being (56.5%) and mental health (43.4%) were the most frequently examined health variables. The growing body of research highlights ICTs' role in social participation in later life but reveals key gaps. Research on underrepresented populations, ICTs' potential for expanding social networks, and the quality of online participation remains limited. Inconsistent measurement practices hinder ability to draw conclusions. These gaps point to critical opportunities for future occupational therapy research and practice. Plain-Language Summary: Staying socially connected is important for older adults' health, well-being, and overall quality of life. This review explored how older adults use digital technologies, such as video calls, email, text messaging, and social media, to stay in touch and participate socially. Interest in these technologies has grown in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most research focused on communication with family and friends; fewer studies examined forming new relationships online or the quality of online interactions. Digital tools can reduce loneliness and support participation, particularly when in-person contact is limited. However, more research is needed to understand usage patterns and the adoption of these tools in daily life, especially among underrepresented groups. This knowledge can help occupational therapy practitioners better support older adults in using technology to promote meaningful social connections.

This quantitative study explored the relationship between social participation and happiness among older adults in a Chinese context by introducing the mediator of spirituality. The Howden Spirituality Assessment Scale (SAS), the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH), and the Frequency of Social Participation Scale, which was developed specifically for this study, were used to measure older participants’ spirituality, happiness, and social participation. Data were collected from a sample of 658 older participants located in sixteen cities across nine provinces in China and were subsequently analysed via structural equation modelling. Three main conclusions were obtained. First, Chinese older adults’ frequency of social participation was low, their level of spirituality was high, and their sense of happiness was fair. Second, older Chinese adults’ social participation, spirituality, and happiness were positively correlated with each other. Third, older Chinese adults’ spirituality fully mediated the relationship between social participation and happiness. Our data suggest that, first, it is fundamentally necessary to promote social participation among older adults with the aim of improving their happiness; second, older adults’ need for spiritual development and spiritual growth should be viewed as the core goal of the design of social activities; third, spiritual education should be included in the focus on older adult education.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have shown strong associations with later-life health such as depression and subjective health. Social participation is also associated with later-life health but it is unclear to what extent this could contribute to alleviating harmful impacts of ACEs, nor is it clear whether ACEs are themselves associated with later-life social participation. Thus, this study aims to understand: (1) the influence of ACEs on social participation in later life and (2) whether social participation can alleviate the harmful influences of ACEs on depression and subjective health among Japanese older adults. Data were from 5,671 Japanese older adults (aged 65+) in surveys in 2013 and 2016 as part of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the relations between ACEs and later-life social participation, adjusting for potential confounders and mediators. Inverse probability weighting was used to estimate average effects of ACEs on later-depression and subjective health, adjusting for potential confounders, and these were compared against controlled direct effect (CDE) estimates from marginal structural models based on all respondents experiencing weekly social participation. We found that ACEs were associated with reduced later-life social participation (OR for >1 ACEs = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79, 0.99). The estimated effect of ACEs on depression ( adjusted total effect estimates: OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.45) was marginally alleviated in estimates assuming weekly social participation for everyone (CDE = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.98, 1.43). A similar tendency was seen for poor subjective heath. Negative impacts of ACEs on depression may be marginally mitigated through social participation, but mitigating effects were moderate. Further investigation on other potential later-life mitigating factors is needed.

Developing and evaluating a continuum of innovative interventions promoting health and social participation in older adults

Community social participation aids dementia prevention and alleviates loneliness among older adults. Incorporating occupational therapy using information and communications technology (ICT) could potentially delay dementia onset and reduce loneliness. To quantify how meaningful social participation, participation frequency, ICT use, and expanded social networks influence cognitive function and loneliness among socially active older Japanese adults. Cross-sectional exploratory study using structural equation modeling. Meetings organized by older adults at seven community gathering places in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. One hundred thirteen healthy older adult cohort members. Cognitive function assessed via Mini-Cog; loneliness assessed via the condensed UCLA Loneliness Scale. The final model demonstrated excellent fit, χ2(23) = 28.291, p = .205 (root mean square error of approximation = .045, 90% confidence interval [.000, .094]; confirmatory factor index = .995; Tucker-Lewis Index = .993). ICT use directly affected social networks (β = 0.472), which directly influenced participation frequency (β = 0.324) and meaningful social participation (β = 0.381). The indirect effect of meaningful participation significantly improved cognitive function (β = 0.237). The only indirect effect of meaningful interpersonal participation was a reduction in loneliness (β = -0.235). ICT use contributes to the expansion of social networks among elderly people. Furthermore, the frequency of social participation and the meaningfulness of such participation are related to reduction in loneliness and maintenance of cognitive function. Although the frequency of social participation was not directly related to these outcomes, the results suggest that meaningful social participation may play an important role in reducing loneliness and maintaining cognitive function. Plain-Language Summary: The promotion of social participation among older people is a global phenomenon, driven by the recognition of its positive relationship with cognitive function and the alleviation of loneliness. Nevertheless, older people's social participation is constrained by a combination of physical and social factors. To address this issue, there has been a push to promote social participation based on information and communications technology (ICT). However, no specific study has been conducted on occupational therapists' perspective in capturing social participation and the use of ICT. The findings of this study show that using ICT has the potential to enhance opportunities for social interaction for older adults, thereby improving the quality and quantity of social participation. The quality of social participation was identified as the sole factor that had a positive impact on cognitive function and loneliness. This study suggests the need for occupational therapists to consider means of facilitating the use of ICTs among older adults as well as interventions that use occupational therapy theory to enhance the meaningfulness of existing social participation opportunities.

Maintaining offline social participation (i.e., face-to-face social interaction) is key for healthy aging, but older adults who experience pain tend to restrict their social activity outside of the home. The onset of pain may set off a downward spiral where lowered social participation increases the risk of depression and vice versa. This study thus assesses whether online social participation (i.e., the use of online social network sites) moderates the effect of pain on depression, possibly functioning as a compensatory mechanism for reduced offline social participation for those in pain. Logistic regression models with a lagged dependent variable were used with panel data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study. An interaction term was included to assess the moderating effect of online social participation. We find that online social participation buffers the detrimental effect of pain on depression. However, the effect of pain on online social participation was not statistically significant. Findings show that online social participation can alleviate the negative effects of pain on mental well-being, and suggest that online social participation can supplement attempts to maintain offline social participation in later life, especially for those whose social activity may be limited by pain.

Older adults commonly face the risk of social isolation, which poses a significant threat to their quality of life. This study explores the association between social participation and life satisfaction among older Chinese adults. Data were sourced from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Regression analysis and mediation analysis were employed to examine the relationship between social participation and life satisfaction, with a focus on the roles of loneliness and self-rated health. The results indicate that social participation is significantly positively associated with older adults' life satisfaction. Furthermore, the positive association is more pronounced with increased diversity in social activities. Mediation analysis reveals that reductions in feelings of loneliness and improvements in health levels mediate the relationship between social participation and life satisfaction. Further analysis showed that social participation had a greater positive association among rural older adults and those lacking family companionship. This study provides evidence for enhancing life satisfaction among older adults and highlights the importance of diversity in social participation.

Social participation is considered one of the central components of successful and healthy aging. This study aimed to examine the moderating role of marital status and living arrangement with social participation and its association with life satisfaction of older Indian adults. Samples of 31,464 individuals aged ≥ 60 years were extracted from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, wave-1. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariable linear regression were performed for the analysis. The moderation effect of marital status and living arrangements on the relationship between social participation and level of life satisfaction among Indian older adults were also analyzed. Overall, life satisfaction among older men was relatively higher than older women in this study. Older adults’ involvement in social participation [β = 0.39, p < 0.05], being in marital union [β = 0.68, p < 0.001] and co-residing either with spouse [β = 1.73, p < 0.001] or with other family members [β = 2.18, p < 0.001] were positively related to their greater life satisfaction. Interaction of social participation with marital status showed that participating in social activities can boost life satisfaction only among married older people. Further, moderation effect of social participation with living arrangements showed that older adults who were not involved in social participation but living with a spouse or any other household members had higher life satisfaction, and again participation in social activities increased their life satisfaction to a greater level. The establishment of social clubs and advocating social policies oriented toward meaningful social connections are highly needed, especially for older Indians living alone or currently not in a marital union, which will help to enhance their overall life satisfaction.

This study aimed to assess changes in social contact with family, friends and healthcare providers, as well as social participation in working, volunteering, religious services and other organized activities, among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic while examining the role of pre-COVID sociodemographic characteristics or cognitive and physical limitations in changes in social contact and participation. We conducted secondary data analyses in the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) COVID-19 questionnaire, collected in 2020 during a period of workplace closures and social distancing guidelines. We linked data to pre-COVID sociodemographic and medical information collected in 2019 before COVID interrupted social life. The frequency of participants' social contact and social participation prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, were compared using paired t-tests for summed scores. Multivariate linear regression was used to relate participants' socio-demographic, prior physical and cognitive performance with levels of social contact and participation and with changes reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, results from 2,486 eligible participants revealed that COVID-19 was associated with decreased social contact among family and friends (change: -0.62; SE: 0.06; p<0.0001), and social participation among older adults (change: -0.58; SE: 0.02; p<0.0001). Pre-COVID characteristics including older age, lower educational attainment, poorer physical performance, and more chronic conditions were associated with lower social contact and social participation and with how older adults adapted their social lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. These results emphasize the importance of increasing digital inclusion for older adults in a major crisis.

Social participation provides health benefits for older adults. However, there is the need to identify whether higher social participation is associated with older adults being more physically active and less sedentary (sitting time). We examined the associations of social participation with physical activity, and sedentary time, in a population-based sample of older Japanese adults. A population-based, cross-sectional mail survey carried out in 2010 was used to collect data on social participation, physical activity, sedentary time and sociodemographic characteristics. Data were examined from 1146 community-dwelling, unemployed older adults (mean age 70.1 years, 43% men). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) for associations of social participation with physical activity and total sedentary time; and, for associations with passive and mentally-active sedentary (sitting) time. For both men and women, those with higher social participation were more physically active (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.44-3.06 among men; OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.39-2.68 among women). Total sedentary time had significant associations among men (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.90), but not among women (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.58-1.11). Social participation was associated with less passive sedentary time (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.38-0.81 for men; OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.51-0.99 for women). Promoting social participation among older adults could contribute to increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time, with potential benefits for chronic disease. Further research is required to elucidate the deleterious and beneficial roles of passive and mentally-active sedentary time for older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1921-1927.

Objectives Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology, but the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity that renders it difficult to define and measure. This means that research on social participation is difficult to compare directly. The aim of the present study was to draw the literature on social participation in older adults together to inform health services researchers seeking to investigate social participation as an indicator of successful aging. Methods A narrative review of studies investigating the association between social participation and health in adults aged 65 years and older was conducted. Results Three concepts of social participation (i.e. social connections, informal social participation and volunteering) were defined, their measurement instruments described and evidence of their associations with health explored. All three concepts have demonstrated associations with an array of health indicators. Prospective studies reveal that social participation at baseline is positively associated with mental and physical health. Conclusion A model of social participation on health is presented, showing the evidence that all three concepts contribute to the association between social participation and health through their shared mechanisms of social support and social cohesion with the wider community. Using an instrument that can be separated into these three distinct concepts will assist health services researchers to determine the relative effect of each form of participation on the health of older adults. What is known about the topic? Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology. The scope of the literature on social participation is broad and the concepts diverse. For this reason, most previous systematic reviews have been unable to comprehensively assess the effect of all concepts of social participation on health. This means the research on social participation is difficult to compare directly, and indicators of social participation in older adults are difficult for policy makers to select. What does this paper add? This paper overviews the three concepts of social participation, their methods of measurement and their associations with health in older adults. We present a model of social participation that incorporates all three concepts of social participation and their effects on health. We argue that the use of a measure that can be segmented into each of the three forms of social participation will predict more of the variance in health outcomes than any measure on its own. What are the implications for practitioners? Enhancing the social participation of older adults is a key factor in successful aging that many older adults value. However, many service provision organisations tend to focus on meeting the specific physical needs of clients, rather than targeting services that connect older adults with their community. Targeting social participation may present one of the greatest opportunities to improve older adults' general health, and will also generate societal benefits by increasing community contributions from this group. Selecting an indicator of social participation that measures each of the three concepts overviewed in this paper will enable policy makers to identify the areas in which social interventions for older adults will have the most effect.

Social participation is positively associated with older adults’ health. Health‐care services, therefore, need to empower older adults to adapt to the social changes that accompany aging. This systematic review, with a metasynthesis of qualitative studies, aimed to describe and develop an understanding of home‐dwelling older adults’ (65 yrs+) experiences of using strategies to maintain and foster their social participation. The main search was performed in March 2022 using the PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and AMED databases and included peer‐reviewed articles published between 2012 and 2022. A total of 35 full‐text articles from 15 different countries were included and assessed for quality by the assessment tool for qualitative studies provided by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP). The metasynthesis resulted in the main theme: strategically creating routines that foster social participation and two main categories: inward‐looking strategies for social participation and outward‐looking strategies for social participation. Each main category contained three subcategories. The findings suggest that for perceiving social participation, it is important for older adults to create routines with patterns of activities and to be able to engage in these activities. The findings further reflect that older adults use earlier experiences of social participation to facilitate the making of routines. This indicates that health‐care interventions supporting older adults’ social participation must be applied early and with a health‐promotive focus. Conclusively, researchers need to develop interventions that support older adults in healthy activity patterns by raising awareness of how to use inward‐looking and outward‐looking strategies to create routines for social participation. The findings further suggest that older adults’ possibilities for social participation could be supported by designing accessible venues that facilitate spontaneous meetings and encourage older adults’ own choices and initiatives for social participation.