Social Participation Of Older Adults Research Articles

Ageing in Context: An Ecological Model to Understand Social Participation Among Indigenous Adults in Chile.

The social participation of older adults occupies a central position in international discourse regarding ageing, the ecological model makes it possible to examine and assess the different factors that influence the understanding of what encourages social participation by older adults. This study used the ecological model to analyse how personal, community and environmental factors are related to satisfaction with social participation among Chilean older adults, a majority of whom are indigenous, living in rural areas (n = 800). The results confirmed that satisfaction with social participation was related to personal factors (feelings of depression, functioning into basic activities of daily living (ADL) and autonomy), community factors (perceived social support from social group) and environmental factors (accessibility of physical setting within the village). Our findings confirmed a high level of social participation among indigenous adults, with rural and indigenous surroundings appearing to be a factor that protects and promotes social integration.

Hearing loss, depression and social participation of older adults: Evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study

Hearing loss and depression in older adults are associated with a lower social participation rate. However, few studies have thoroughly analyzed the relationship between them. The data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study carried out in 2011, 2013 and 2015, and data from 24 306 participants ranging in age from 50 to 80 years were used in this study. Hearing loss, depression and social participation were assessed by self-reported hearing status, the 10-item Center for the Epidemiological Studies of Depression Short Form, and self-reported social participation activity types and frequency. The fixed effects logistic regression and random effects logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between hearing loss and social participation. The Sobel method was used to explore the relationship between hearing loss, depression and social participation. Compared with older adults without hearing loss, persons with hearing loss engaged in significantly fewer types of activities (β=-0.070, 95% CI -0.109, -0.031, P < 0.001) and at a lower frequency (β=-0.176, 95% CI -0.260, -0.093, P < 0.001). Depression significantly existed in the relationship between hearing loss and social participation as a mediating variable, and the percentage of indirect effects in this relationship were 16.5% and 20.8%. The findings of this study suggest that when facing an aging society, improving the hearing status of older adults should be considered by policymakers. More efforts should be made to help older adults cope with depression. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 529-535.

Factors of Functional Disability in the Social Participation of Older Adults Living Alone With Fall Experience.

The fall experiences of older adults living alone lead to restrictions in their social participation. This study aimed to examine the factors that influence functional disability in social participation (FSP) among older adults who live alone and have experienced falls. This study used secondary data of 493 older adults living alone who experienced a fall, which were collected from the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Factors, such as old age, sex, economic status, frequency of drinking, and number of acquaintances, significantly related to functional disability in terms of social participation. In addition, poor muscle strength, depression, and cognitive decline comprised predictors of FSP. The findings of this study revealed that it is important to comprehensively evaluate the social participation of older adults who live alone and have experienced falls.

Promoting Social Capital for Healthy Aging: Towards an Integrative Framework.

There is no theoretical framework to guide society to enhance social capital among older adults in the Decade of Healthy Aging. This article aims to advance scholarship by providing a theoretical framework for promoting social capital for healthy aging using timebanking as a case illustration. We provide an integrated theoretical framework to enhance social capital for healthy aging by incorporating 3 core elements: (a) facilitating emotional meaningfulness via social participation for older adults, (b) incorporating older adults as coproducers in community development, and (c) nurturing an inclusive and equitable society. We further demonstrate the utility of the integrated theoretical framework for gerontologists by conceptualizing timebanking as an intervention for enhancing social capital in an aging society.

Psychological Health and Digital Social Participation of the Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Blekinge, Sweden-An Exploratory Study.

COVID-19 has affected the psychological health of older adults directly and indirectly through recommendations of social distancing and isolation. Using the internet or digital tools to participate in society, one might mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on psychological health. This study explores the social participation of older adults through internet use as a social platform during COVID-19 and its relationship with various psychological health aspects. In this study, we used the survey as a research method, and we collected data through telephonic interviews; and online and paper-based questionnaires. The results showed an association of digital social participation with age and feeling lack of company. Furthermore, in addition, to the increase in internet use in older adults in Sweden during COVID-19, we conclude that digital social participation is essential to maintain psychological health in older adults.

Factors associated with social participation in Brazilian older adults with Alzheimer's disease: A correlational, cross-sectional study.

The occurrence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) can exert a negative impact in social participation in affected older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether social participation in older adults with AD is associated with disease stage and cognitive function as well as the quality of life and depressive symptoms in their caregivers. A correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted in 40 older adults with AD (28 women and 12 men) and 40 caregivers (30 women and 10 men). Social participation was assessed using the 'social participation' domain of the Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire. Disease stage was determined using the Clinical Dementia Rating scale and cognitive function was assessed using Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination. Quality of life and depressive symptoms in the caregivers were evaluated using the Quality of Life Assessment Scale on Alzheimer's Disease and Beck Depression Inventory respectively. The older adults with AD had a mean percentage of 59.4% on the social participation domain and a mean score of 49.0 for cognitive function. The caregivers had mean scores of 39.1 for quality of life and 9.9 for depressive symptoms. The stepwise backward multiple linear regression model indicated that the predictors analysed together explained 48% of the variability in social participation among older adults with AD. Therefore, lower social participation among older adults with AD is associated with more advanced stages of the disease and cognitive decline in these individuals as well as a lower perception of quality of life and greater levels of depressive symptoms in their caregivers.

Scoping study of definitions of social participation: update and co-construction of an interdisciplinary consensual definition.

Backgroundconsidering the importance of social participation for quality of life and active ageing in older adults, it is an important target of social and health professionals’ interventions. A previous review of definitions of social participation in older adults included articles up to 2009; new publications and changes in the social context (e.g. social media and the COVID-19 pandemic) justify continuing this work.Objectivethis paper provides an updated inventory and synthesis of definitions of social participation in older adults. Based on a critical review by content experts and knowledge users, a consensual definition is proposed.Methodsusing a scoping study framework, four databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, AgeLine, PsycInfo) were searched with relevant keywords. Fifty-four new definitions were identified. Using content analysis, definitions were deconstructed as a function of who, how, what, where, with whom, when, and why dimensions.Resultssocial participation definitions mostly focused on people’s involvement in activities providing interactions with others in society or the community. According to this new synthesis and input from content experts and knowledge users, social participation can be defined as a person’s involvement in activities providing interactions with others in community life and in important shared spaces, evolving according to available time and resources, and based on the societal context and what individuals want and is meaningful to them.Conclusiona single definition may facilitate the study of active ageing and the contribution of older adults to society, socioeconomic and personal development, benefits for older adults and society, self-actualisation and goal attainment.

Associations of functional disability and behavioural risk factors with social participation of older adults: a cross-sectional analysis from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

ObjectivesTo examine: (1) the associations of functional disability and behavioural risk factors with social participation; and (2) whether the association between functional disability and social participation is modified by co-occurrence...

Social participation among Iranian community-dwelling older adults: A grounded theory study.

ABSTRACTBackground:Iran is among the countries whose older adult population is increasing rapidly. The social dimension of health in older adults affects their other existential dimensions. Social participation is a key determinant of health for older adults. This study aimed to explore the process of social participation among community-dwelling older adults.Methods:This is a qualitative study with the grounded theory approach. The study population consisted of eligible community-dwelling older adults. The participants were initially selected by purposeful sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The time and place of the interviews were arranged in discussion with the participants in advance. Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were used to assess the scientific accuracy and validity of the study. The university ethics committee issued the ethics code for the study. Data were analyzed using Corbin and Strauss approach.Result:The results of interviews with 15 participants, in this study, led to the emergence of 12 main categories and 32 subcategories with the core concept of “older adults’ desire to stay active”. Social participation of older adults was a concept clarified with the efforts of older adults to stay active in the community. Categories are fully described in the manuscript.Conclusion:Staying active is one of the main concerns regarding the concept of older adults’ social participation. The existence of conducive underlying factors, such as a participation-seeking older adult, family, and society, assists in the development of social participation at various levels and multiple forms among older adults.

Functional Disability of Personal Activities and Social Participation in Older Adults Living Alone

연구목적 : 본 연구는 우리나라 독거노인의 개인적 활동의 기능적 장애와 더불어 사회적 참여의 기능적 장애를 살펴보기 위해 ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) 모델 기반으로 가설적 모형을 검정하였다. 연구방법 : 본 연구는 2017년 노인실태조사에 참여한 65세 이상 노인 중 독거노인 2,552명의 2차 자료로 기능적 장애 모형 검정을 실시한 탐색적 조사연구이다. 독거노인의 개인적 활동의 기능적 장애는 일상생활 수행 능력의 장애정도로 판단하고, 사회적 참여의 기능적 장애는 4가지 사회활동의 참여빈도 제한으로 측정하였다. 자료는 SPSS IBM Statistics Program 23 소프트웨어와 MPlus 7.0 프로그램으로 주성분분석과 확인적 요인분석을 실시하였다. 연구결과 : 확인적 요인분석을 통해 독거노인의 개인적 활동의 기능적 장애를 확인한 결과, 연구자의 모형이 자료에 잘 부합하고 각 지표변수가 상응하는 요인과 충분한 관계가 있어 하나의 요인으로 설명될 수 있음을 확인하였다. 그리고 주성분분석을 통해 독거노인의 사회적 참여의 기능적 장애를 확인한 결과, 연구자가 설정한 4개의 문항으로 구성된 사회적 참여의 기능적 장애가 하나의 주성분으로 추출됨을 확인하였다. 결론 : 본 연구는 기능적 장애를 ICF 모델 기반으로 개인적 활동뿐만 아니라 사회적 참여 측면에서 모형을 설정하여 독거노인의 자료에 의도했던 각 요인이 단일 차원으로 존재함을 구조적으로 확인하였다.

Impact of the Changes in the Frequency of Social Participation on All-Cause Mortality in Japanese Older Adults: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study.

Previous studies have shown that more frequent social participation was associated with a reduced risk of mortality. However, limited studies have explored the changes in the frequency of social participation in older adults. We investigated the impact of the changes in the frequency of social participation on all-cause mortality in Japanese older adults aged 60 years and older. The current study, conducted as a secondary analysis, was a retrospective cohort study using open available data. The participants were 2240 older adults (45.4% male and 54.6% female) sampled nationwide from Japan who responded to the interview survey. Changes in the frequency of social participation were categorized into four groups (none, initiated, decreased, and continued pattern) based on the responses in the baseline and last surveys. The Cox proportional-hazards model showed a decreased risk of all-cause mortality in decreased and continued patterns of social participation. Stratified analysis by sex showed a decreased risk of mortality in the continued pattern only among males. The results of the current study suggest that the initiation of social participation at an earlier phase of life transition, such as retirement, may be beneficial for individuals.

Designing Participatory Aging Research on Exclusion From Social Relations: A Citizen Science Project

Many policies and initiatives aim at enhancing the social participation of older adults. Despite this growing interest in increasing social inclusion and combating social exclusion in older age, the voices of socially-excluded older adults and their experiences remain underrepresented in research. Based on data from the Austrian research project “Socially Excluded Older Adults: Voices and Experiences” (SEVEN), I reflect on what it means to co-create research with the hard-to-reach populations of socially excluded older adults. Data discussed is derived By inviting this group to participate in each stage of the research, the project develops an innovative approach that, on the one hand, facilitates and advances ways for socially-excluded older adults to express their voices, thereby empowering them and their self-advocacy, and, on the other hand, creates research insights that are able to grasp the life worlds of older, socially excluded adults more accurately.

Strategies to Design Technology Promoting Social Participation of People With Dementia and Their Caregivers

Community-dwelling people with dementia and their caregivers face increasing challenges to active social participation as the condition progresses. Potential difficulties include disclosing the condition, navigating through available support and sustaining interpersonal relationships. Dementia-friendly support services and interventions targeting caregiving dyads can promote social participation. Interventions serve as a communication channel for the dyads to engage, interact and partake in their community. Technology as a facilitator is gaining momentum; increasing evidence suggests that technological solutions contribute to promoting social health for people with dementia and family caregivers. Patient and public involvement and rigorous evaluations of solutions are needed to ensure successful implementation of dementia-friendly technologies. This symposium, presented as a part of the Marie-Curie Innovative-Training-Network action, H2020-MSCA-ITN, grant agreement number 813196, comprises four pertinent presentations. The first presentation outlines the effectiveness of technological interventions to improve social participation of older adults with and without dementia, and barriers and facilitators these interventions present. The second presentation describes disclosure decisions faced by dyads and Patient and public involvement findings on how an existing empowerment intervention supporting disclosure decision-making can transfer to an online environment. The third presentation reports on findings from a study evaluating a tablet-based activation system designed to engage caregiving dyads in social sessions. The final presentation lifts the focus towards how existing online environments can be adapted through dementia-friendly privacy policy agreements, and thereby support social participation of this user group online. Our discussant, Jane Flanagan, synthesizes the presentations and leads a discussion of future directions for policy and practice.

Impacts of psychological resources, social network support and community support on social participation of older adults in China: Variations by different health-risk groups.

Social participation comprises comprehensive interactions between individual health and relevant environmental characteristics, which play an increasingly important role in promoting older adults' health and quality of life. Although many studies have examined impacts of various factors on the social participation of older adults, some internal mechanisms between health characteristics and environmental characteristics have not been revealed. This study aimed to examine the moderating effects of health characteristics on the relationships among psychological resources, social network support, community support and social participation of Chinese older adults. Based on some key health indicators, this study used the two-step cluster algorithm to divide the participants aged over 60years from the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey in 2016 (N=8669) into low (47.2%), moderate (33.8%) and high (18%) health risk groups. A multiple-group structural equation model was then built to examine the effects of psychological resources, social network support and community support on social participation across the three groups. The results suggested that with the increase in health risks, the contributions of psychological resources and community support to social participation decreased from 28.6% to 23.7% and from 61.5% to 50.7%, respectively, while that of social network support increased from 9.9% to 25.6%. These variations suggest that individual health has a significant moderating effect on the psychological and social compensating mechanisms of the social participation among Chinese older adults.

Reliability of stair-climbing speed in two cohorts of older adults

Background/Aims The ability to climb stairs is an important prerequisite for activities of daily living and social participation in older adults, and is therefore an important part of rehabilitation. However, there is no consensus on how to measure stair-climbing ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the test–retest reliability of the measurement of stair-climbing speed (steps per second) as a parameter for functional ability in older adults. Methods A total of 57 participants who were in hospital and 56 participants who were community-dwelling and did not have any limitations in activities in daily living, all aged 60 years and over, ascended and descended a set of 13 stairs twice. The halfway point of the staircase was marked in order to split the time required for both the ascending and the descending actions. Additional measurements consisted of the Functional Reach Test, the Timed Up and Go Test, walking ability using the GAITRite walkway system and the isometric strength of four muscle groups of the lower extremities using a handheld dynamometer. Results Test–retest reliability of the first and second half of the stair-climbing for both ascending and descending showed excellent results for the group of hospitalised participants (intraclass correlation coefficient, [ICC] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79–0.93 to 0.94, 95% CI 0.9 – 0.97 for comparison of first vs second half of stair climbing; ICC 0.9, 95% CI 0.83-0.94 to ICC 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.97 for comparing first vs second measurement)) and moderate to excellent results for the group of community-dwelling participants with no limitations (ICC 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.73 to ICC 0.76, 95% 95% CI 0.63-0.85 for comparison of first vs second half of stair climbing; ICC 0.82, 95% CI 0.71-0.89 to 0.92, 95% CI 0.87–0.95 for comparing first vs second measurement). As expected, hospitalised participants took significantly longer descending than ascending stairs (t(56)=6.98, P&lt;0.001, d=0.93). A general and significant trend of increasing speed while descending could be observed in both groups (performing paired sample t-tests). Conclusions The results indicate that stair-climbing speed is not constant and that different patterns exist in older adults who have no limitations and in those who are hospitalised. The use of stair-climbing speed as an assessment tool should include both stair ascent and descent, because differences in these speeds seem to be indicators of stair-climbing ability.

Impact of Different Type and Frequency of Social Participation on Depressive Symptoms Among Older Chinese Adults: Is There a Gender Difference?

Objectives: Social participation may prevent depressive symptoms in older adults. But research to date ignores gender differences in the associations between social participation and depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different type and frequency of social participation on depressive symptoms, as well as if there is a gender difference in these correlations among older Chinese adults.Methods: Data was obtained from adults aged 60 years or above in the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, a nationally representative sample of older adults in China. Depressive symptoms were measured using CESD-10. Social participation included participation in social groups, hobby groups, sports groups, and community-related organizations. The independent relationships between each type of social participation and depressive symptoms were assessed using multiple linear regression models.Results: A total of 6,287 older adults were included in this analysis, of whom 49.69% were women. Participating in social groups, sports groups, and community-related organizations with a frequency of one or more per week was all linked to better mental health. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the positive relationship between participation in social groups, hobby groups, and community-related organizations and depressive symptoms is more flexible for older men than for women.Conclusions: Older individuals who participate in social participation at a high frequency may have better mental health. The findings provide novel insights into mental health from the standpoint of social participation in older adults. Gender differences in the associations between social participation and depressive symptoms need to be considered when formulating interventions to prevent depression.

An Overview of Social Participation in Older Adults: Concepts and Assessments.

In older adults, social participation is an important component of rehabilitation and health promotion. Several studies have attempted to describe the definition and concepts of social participation, and there were many outcomes to measure social participation. This overview provides information about representative social participation and related concepts that have been defined in the literature. A standardized definition of social participation has not been developed; commonly, recognition for social participation was proposed as focused on involvement in social activities that provide interaction with others in a society or community. Many instruments assess the various aspects of social participation. Because of operational definition and diversity in social participation, performance in social participation was adopted as an aspect of assessment. Further discussions are needed to clarify the definition of social participation and evaluate the instruments used to assess social participation for it to be useful for rehabilitation and health promotion. In doing so, determining and developing assessment and intervention based on the purpose or perspective of social participation in older adults with and without disabilities is important.

Subjective memory complaints and social participation among older adults: results from the health and retirement study

Objectives:This study aims to examine whether subjective memory complaints (SMC) contribute to social participation among older adults. Method:The study sample was 4,713 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older from four waves (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) of the Health and Retirement Study. Hierarchical linear modeling analysis was used to examine the association of SMC with social participation after controlling for factors influencing social participation. Demographic factors (i.e. age, gender, and perceived socioeconomic status) were entered in block 1, health-related factors (i.e. health conditions, perceived health, instrumental activities of daily living, memory-immediate and delayed, and depressive symptoms) were entered in block 2, environmental factors (i.e. perceived social support and strain from spouse, child, family, and friend) were entered in block 3, and SMC was entered in block 4. Results:The result showed that factors significantly contributing to social participation are age (standardized β = –0.08, p < 0.01), perceived socioeconomic status (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), perceived health (β = 0.15, p < 0.001), instrumental activities of daily living (β = 0.12, p < 0.001), memory-immediate and delayed (β = 0.09, p < 0.001; β = 0.08, p < 0.001, respectively), social support from spouse and friend (β = 0.04, p < 0.05; β = 0.13, p < 0.001, respectively), social strain from friend (β = 0.07, p < 0.001), and SMC (β = –0.05, p < 0.001). The demographic factors explained 9.5%, health-related factors explained 8.5%, environmental factors explained 2.4%, and SMC explained 0.1% of the variance in social participation. Conclusion: This finding suggests that SMC may contribute to social participation in older adults. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1961123 .

Facilitators and Barriers to Social Participation of Community-dwelling Older Adults in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: Social participation in older adults is one of the key pillars of active aging. Social participation is influenced by multiple underlying factors. The present study aims to explore the facilitators and barriers to social participation in community-dwelling older adults in Iran. Methods &amp; Materials: This is a qualitative study using the grounded theory approach. The study population consisted of community-dwelling older adults. Fifteen samples were selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Information were collected until data saturation. Each interview lasted for 45-60 minutes. Analysis was done using the method of Corbin and Strauss (2015). Results: Three main categories and 11 sub-categories were found based on data analysis which were: Participatory elderly (with 5 sub-categories), participatory family (with 2 sub-categories), and community capacity for social participation (with 4 sub-categories). Conclusion: Facilitating social participation of community-dwelling older adults in Iran is associated by individual, family and community. Proper planning should be done in these areas. Providing facilitators for the development of social participation in the elderly can facilitate movement towards active aging.

Differences in social participation of older adults across European welfare regimes: Fourteen years of SHARE data collection

Social participation amongst older adults is considered generally beneficial and is supported by active ageing policies in Europe. However, efforts to increase the quality of life and enhance the ageing experience may have the unintended consequence of increasing later life inequalities. This study uses six waves from SHARE to illustrate how social participation develops over time and how it is structured by education, financial situation and health status in the context of five European welfare regimes. The level of participation slightly increases over time for the population 55+, whilst the inequalities in access to these activities and their outcomes remain stable. Therefore, support of these activities does not strengthen or reduce inequalities amongst older adults – it may rather legitimise the inequalities in its emphasis on individual responsibilities. These findings suggest that the active ageing approach needs to become more context-sensitive or replaced by other social policy approaches.