Social engagement among older women in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic

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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people across the globe. Previous studies on the impact of the pandemic in North American contexts have shown that older adults are particularly vulnerable when facing the challenges brought by the pandemic. However, little is known about older women's experiences during the pandemic explicitly. Even less is known about the Asian contexts which are characterized by different beliefs about family, social solidarity, and the role of the government. How did older Singaporean women navigate the restrictions set by the government during the pandemic and what variations in social engagement were observed? To answer these questions, we analyze two rounds of in-depth interviews with 40 Singaporean older women aged 55 and above using a modified grounded theory approach. We identify three patterns of social engagement: decreased and weakened, intensified, and continuity. It was generally those who reported strong networks who either maintained or further intensified their social engagements. As for the sources of social connection, respondents drew primarily on family, but also on friends and other community resources, in seeking social engagement during the pandemic. The findings from our study uncover the variety of ways in which older Singaporean women responded to the constraints imposed on social engagement in the context of a pandemic, and the connections between social resources and social engagement.