Social Support and Sex Role Orientation as Predictors of Quality of Life in Senior Citizens

Yajvinder Yajvinder,Dr Anita Sharma

doi:10.34257/gjhssavol20is4pg39

Abstract

The present study was aimed to explore the relationship of social support and sex role orientation with quality of life in senior citizens. The sample comprised of 400 senior citizens with equal number of educated males and females (200 each). The analysis revealed that for the male’s sample, social support explained the maximum variance (5%) followed by femininity (4%) in quality of life. In all, these variables have accounted for 9% of the variance. In female’s sample, only social support has contributed (5%) of variance. Further, t-test has revealed the superiority of males in masculinity, femininity and quality of life and female’s superiority on social support.

Highlights

Quality of life is affected by the many demanding situations and associated with aging related factors that are changing in health status, coping with new restrictions in life, identifying new roles, opportunities and available social support (Rayirala, Nallapaneni, Bhogaraju, & Mandadi, 2016)
Results indicate that quality of life of male senior citizens is significantly and positively correlated with social support, r =.329** (p
For the entered in the regression model with quality of life, social support emerged as the best predictor accounting for 5% of variance

Summary

Introduction

Quality of life is affected by the many demanding situations and associated with aging related factors that are changing in health status, coping with new restrictions in life, identifying new roles, opportunities and available social support (Rayirala, Nallapaneni, Bhogaraju, & Mandadi, 2016). Social support may play a particular important role in maintaining health and decreasing susceptibility to illness among the elderly (Pilisuk & Parks, 1988). Relationships protect from insecurity and psychosocial risk and are important for a good quality of life (Cavallero, Morino-Abbele, & Bertocci, 2007 & Chong, Ng, Woo, & Kwan, 2006). Another important factor which plays a vital role in determining ones’ quality of life is sex role orientation. Other studies report that high femininity predicts better outcome among men after myocardial infarction (Barrett-Connor, 2007, Helgeson, 1991; Hunt, Lewars, Emslie, & Batty, 2007)

Method

Discussion

Findings

Conclusion adults who had poorer social network had also worse