Abstract
BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which neighborhood social reciprocity influences older adults’ mental health in China.MethodsThis study used data from the 2011–2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. It estimated the effects of neighborhood social reciprocity on older adults’ mental health and tested the mediating effects of the frequencies of physical activity, social interaction with neighbors, and volunteering experience.ResultsThe results indicated that more neighborhood social reciprocity related to better mental health. The effects of the three mediators were statistically significant and enhanced mental health. In addition, the effects of the mediators were strengthened by neighborhood social reciprocity, and vice versa.ConclusionsIn China, neighborhood social reciprocity influenced older adults’ mental health directly and through the mechanisms of the frequencies of physical activity, social interaction with neighbors, and volunteering experience.
Highlights
This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which neighborhood social reciprocity influences older adults’ mental health in China
This study investigated three mechanisms that link neighborhood social reciprocity to older adults’ mental health using data derived from the 2011, 2013, and 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a nationally representative study on older adults’ health issues in China
In this nationally representative sample, neighborhood social reciprocity increased the frequencies of physical activity, social interaction with neighbors, and volunteering, which in turn related to lower Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) scores
Summary
This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which neighborhood social reciprocity influences older adults’ mental health in China. Methods: This study used data from the 2011–2015 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study It estimated the effects of neighborhood social reciprocity on older adults’ mental health and tested the mediating effects of the frequencies of physical activity, social interaction with neighbors, and volunteering experience. Older people tend to be more likely than younger people to suffer from depression, and more attention should be paid to this age group [10,11,12]. Older people tend to be less involved than younger people in the labor market, which might weaken their social ties, which in turn might cause a sense of loneliness and worsen their mental health [12]. Older people might suffer from functional limitations that prevent frequent physical activity, which might negatively influence their mental health [12, 13]
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