Abstract
BackgroundMental health and well-being among older women is an important topic due to the feminization of later life as women tend to have longer life expectancy resulting in elderly women being more advanced in age and outnumbering men. Older women generally play a key role in their families lifelong and mostly depend on social support from their family and close friends in older age to cope with any limitations they face as a result of age-related changes in their health and functional ability.MethodsWe examine which factors predict mental health and well-being in older women using the Third Wave of the 2010 Female Social Status Survey conducted by the All-China Women’s Federation (n = 3527). Applying the Andersen Model, regression analysis exploring predisposing, enabling and health need variables were tested using SPSS version 22 predicting a mental health scale.ResultsResults showed that living with a spouse was not a significant predictor of mental health for women, while it was for men (b = − 1.2, p < .01), ownership of property is significant only for men (b = −.96, p < .05), whereas women’s mental health is more strongly predicted by current exercise (b = −.89, p < .01) and participation in leisure activities (b = −.69, p < .001). Close relationships with neighbors, qualifying for old-age benefit programs and being in better overall health supports positive mental health for both men and women. Reporting delayed medical treatment is associated with a negative impact on mental health for men, but oddly women who report the same actually report better mental health, perhaps suggesting older women take pride in their self-sacrifice.ConclusionThe findings of this study suggest that gender differences in wealth, living alone, and social participation are interpreted differently by women, who have longer lives with generally fewer material resources. Enabling factors tend to be more associated with financial factors for men, while women rely on a social convoy to thrive longer than their male counterparts.
Highlights
Mental health and well-being among older women is an important topic due to the feminization of later life as women tend to have longer life expectancy resulting in elderly women being more advanced in age and outnumbering men
China offers a unique perspective on mental health as its culture has long held fast to traditions and obligations which create very strong social norms
Mental health and well-being was measured as the sum of mental health factors asked in the survey which were measured on a 5 point Likert scale including the following questions: “I can deal with my emotion no matter what happened” “I always feel nervous and afraid” “I feel lonely very often” “I make my own decisions” “I feel useless” “I love to socialize” “I am willing to and able to help others,” and “I am willing to learn new knowledge”
Summary
Mental health and well-being among older women is an important topic due to the feminization of later life as women tend to have longer life expectancy resulting in elderly women being more advanced in age and outnumbering men. Older women generally play a key role in their families lifelong and mostly depend on social support from their family and close friends in older age to cope with any limitations they face as a result of age-related changes in their health and functional ability. People of different social classes, ages and cultures may have very different expectations of the human and financial resources needed to sustain their retirement years. Losses of continuity as age-related physiological and psychological changes take shape in older age may predispose some older adults to more rapid decline [1]. Given the clear filial obligations, laws which make adult children financially responsible for their elder parents, rapid inflation, and the relatively low incomes of most older adults (with mandatory retirement for many between ages 55–65), older adults may feel they become a burden on others. The older generation has far fewer years of formal education, and the generation gap in lifestyle and life quality expectations may be quite different across the age range
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