Abstract
During later life, inadequate social interactions may be associated with worse quality of life in older adults. Rural older adults are prone to developing unhealthy lifestyles related to social activities, which can lead to a poorer quality of life than that enjoyed by older adults living in urban areas. This study aimed to describe longitudinal changes in social activity participation and health-related quality of life among rural older adults, exploring potential associations with changes to in-person social activity over four years. We used prospective community-based cohort data from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) collected between December 2011 and January 2016. The sample included 525 older adults who completed the measure of health-related quality of life. Our results showed a significant change in health-related quality of life according to changes in participation in meeting with friends. Even though an individual’s participation in other social activities did not show significant differences in health-related quality of life, our findings imply that in-person social activities may be an important resource to encourage participation in physical activities and to develop other positive outcomes, such as a sense of belonging or satisfaction with later life, among rural older adults.
Highlights
Population aging is a rapidly growing global challenge
This study provided insights into the longitudinal change of health-related quality of life (i.e., physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores of SF-12) and association between changes in social activities and health-related quality of life among older adults living in a rural village in South Korea
Regarding the longitudinal change of SF-12 scores in our sample, both female and male older adults reported a significant change over four years: participants reported a decrease in PCS scores and improvement in MCS scores
Summary
Population aging is a rapidly growing global challenge. According to the report from the UnitedNations in 2019, the number of individuals worldwide, aged 65 or older will increase by almost 80%over the three decades [1]. Population aging is a rapidly growing global challenge. According to the report from the United. Nations in 2019, the number of individuals worldwide, aged 65 or older will increase by almost 80%. In Europe and North America, major industrialized parts of the world with low crude mortality and low fertility rates, more than 25% of the population is projected to be aged 65 or older by 2050 [1]. South Korea is facing a swift problem of population aging. By the year 2030, the percentage of older individuals (65 years or older) is projected to be near 25% in South Korea, which is higher than the proportions estimated in countries like England (21.9%), the United States (19.7%) and China (16.2%) [2].
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