Family support, anticipated support, negative interaction, and psychological well-being of older parents in Thailand

Influence of social support on subjective well-being of patients with chronic diseases in China: chain-mediating effect of self-efficacy and perceived stress

Introduction

The well-being of patients with chronic diseases is an issue of widespread concern in public health. While social support is thought to have a positive effect on it, the mechanisms of its influence have not been fully addressed. Thus, we explored the possible mediating effects of self-efficacy and perceived stress to determine the relationship between social support and well-being in these patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4,657 patients with chronic diseases in China. The PROCESS Macro model 6 of SPSS was employed to explore the intermediary role between variables.

Results

Self-efficacy and perceived stress played a partial intermediary role between social support and subjective well-being, with an effect ratio of 48.25% and 23.61%, respectively. Self-efficacy and perceived stress had a chain intermediary effect (28.14%) between social support and subjective well-being.

Discussion

This study suggested that improving the self-efficacy of patients with chronic diseases to cope with the changes in social support caused by the disease could reduce stress and enhance subjective well-being.

Multidimensional measure of instrumental support in transitional care - design and pilot test of a questionnaire assessing instrumental support among older adults with chronic diseases

Background

Previous studies indicated that poor quantity and quality of instrumental support are one of the main barriers in the application of transitional care. Instrumental support, as one common function of social support, is the provision of financial assistance, material goods, or services. The purpose of our study is to develop an Instrumental Support in Transitional Care Questionnaire (ISTCQ) and use this questionnaire to make an assessment among older adults with chronic diseases.

Methods

The draft questionnaire was examined by 18 experts from different professional fields performing three rounds of content validity testing with the Delphi method. Afterward, we conducted a pilot test recruiting 174 participants as a convenience sample in Nantong, China. The construct validity was confirmed via exploratory factor analysis and reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.

Results

The authority coefficient of experts was 0.74–0.99 and Kendall harmony coefficient W was 0.381. The exploratory factor analysis indicated that the questionnaire can be interpreted by three factors: namely, anticipated support (items 1, 2, 3, 4), received support (items 5, 6, 7, 8) and support satisfaction (items 9, 10, 11, 12). These three factors (eigenvalues > 1 and factor loading > 0.4) explained 69.128% of the total variance. Furthermore, the calculation of Cronbach's alpha and test–retest reliability have shown good reliability among each dimension of the 12-item questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha 0.711–0.827, test–retest reliability 0.704–0.818).

Conclusion

Results from the pilot test demonstrated excellent reliability and validity of ISTCQ through each dimension and as an entire.

Development and validation of the Thai mental well-being scale

Mental well-being is a state of positive mental health, but there is currently no valid tool for assessing mental well-being in the Thai population. The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a mental well-being scale for Thai people. Data from 2000 Thai citizens were analyzed to explore the structural components of mental well-being. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 1000) was conducted and determined a mental well-being factor structure consisting of three factors: 1) positive emotion and thinking, 2) positive relationship and 3) positive functioning. Confirmatory factor analysis of a validation group (n = 1000) identified 10 items within these three factors of mental well-being. Psychometric analyses supported internal consistency reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity of the scale. The findings suggest that the construction of this new mental well-being scale for Thai people is reliable and valid. This scale will be a useful tool for addressing and identifying mental health problems among the Thai population.

Typology of Family Support in Home Care for Iranian Older People: A Qualitative Study

The world population is rapidly aging. In older people, age-related biological decline in most body systems causes functional decline, an increase in dependence, and an increased need for support, especially by their family members. The aim of this study was to explore the main aspects of family support for older parents in home care. This qualitative study was conducted using a deductive qualitative content analysis approach. Participants were 21 older parents living in their own homes, as well as four family members of some participants. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and then were analyzed using the primary matrix developed based on the existing literature. The main aspects of family support for older parents were grouped into five predetermined categories and one new category: "instrumental support", "financial support", "psycho-emotional support", "healthcare-related support", "informational-technological support", and "social preference support ". Family support for older people in home care is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. Family members can identify the needs of their older parents and provide them with appropriate support in collaboration with healthcare professionals to enhance their quality of life, autonomy, and satisfaction with life.

Malnutrition, Family Support, and Possible Sarcopenia in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Background

Possible sarcopenia, aortic valve stenosis, and malnutrition are important issues that afflict older adults.

Objective

The aims of this study were to compare the differences in nutritional status and family support in older adults with possible sarcopenia and those without sarcopenia after undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and to identify the predictors of malnutrition and demonstrate changes in heart function over time after undergoing TAVI.

Methods

A case-control design was conducted. Possible sarcopenia was identified by measuring calf circumference, grip strength, and gait speed. The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form and numerical family support rating scale were used to collect data. Left ventricular ejection fraction and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class were assessed at 5 time points to evaluate heart function.

Results

Eighty-one participants were categorized into those without sarcopenia (34) and those with possible sarcopenia (47). Logistic linear regression showed albumin and possible sarcopenia to be predictors of malnutrition (odds ratio, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–30.19). Family support was associated with nutrition status (P = .019). For patient heart function, the results of NYHA functional class and left ventricular ejection fraction improved over time after TAVI. The improvement in NYHA functional class at T2 was significantly different between the 2 groups compared with that at T0.

Conclusions

The nutrition level was higher among participants without sarcopenia than those with possible sarcopenia. Approximately 90% of the participants indicated that they had high family support. Demographic factors and albumin levels could be used to evaluate risk of malnutrition. Patients without possible sarcopenia showed greater improvement in NYHA class.

Negotiating Local and Global Values in a Globalized World: The Envisioned Futures of Thai Adolescents

This study investigates how adolescents growing up in a rapidly globalizing Thai city psychologically manage local and global values when considering their envisioned futures. Qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with 20 (16-18 years old) adolescents reveals four distinct patterns of local-global value negotiation. Findings indicate that adolescents at times dynamically reshape local values in order to encompass global values; at other times, adolescents conceive of themselves as sitting at the crossroads of value systems that cannot be readily integrated. By revealing how global youth negotiate local and global values, this study pushes forward the scientific understanding of biculturalism in contexts of rapid cultural change.

Peer effects in smoking cessation: An instrumental variables analysis of a worksite intervention in Thailand

While smoking is widely acknowledged to be a social activity, limited evidence exists on the extent to which friends influence each other during worksite-based tobacco cessation interventions. Drawing on data from adult smokers (N = 1823) in a large, cluster randomized controlled trial in worksites in Thailand, this study examines the presence of social spillovers in the decision to abstain from smoking. We leverage a unique aspect of social network structure in these data-the existence of non-overlapping friendship networks-to address the challenge of isolating the effects of peers on smoking behavior from the confounding effects of endogenous friend selection and bidirectional peer influence. We find that individuals with workplace friends who have abstained from smoking during the trial are significantly more likely to abstain themselves. Instrumental variables estimates suggest that abstinence after 3 and 12 months increases 26 and 32 percentage points, respectively, for each additional workplace friend who abstains. These findings highlight the potential for workplace interventions to use existing social networks to magnify the effect of individual-level behavior change, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where tobacco cessation support tends to be limited.

Emotional regulation as a mediator between the filial behaviour of the oldest son and subjective well-being of older parents in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

The link between the filial behaviour of an adult child and older parents' well-being is well entrenched, and theoretical evidence has indicated that it may be mediated by emotional regulation. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine whether emotional regulation (i.e. cognitive reappraisal and suppression) mediates the association between filial behaviour of the oldest son (i.e. the filial behaviour of respect and filial behaviour of daily maintenance) and subjective well-being in older parents.

METHODS

This correlational study recruited 400 community-dwelling older parents in Rawalpindi Pakistan through a multistage cluster random sampling technique. Subjective well-being was measured by Concise Measure of Subjective Well-being; filial behaviour was examined through receipt of 12 domains; emotional regulation was assessed by using the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire. The structural equation modelling was employed to test the mediation effects.

RESULTS

Cognitive reappraisal was found to partially mediate the relationship between filial behaviour of respect and subjective well-being (β in direct model = 0.661, P < 0.000; β in full mediational model = 0.327, P < 0.000), but it failed to mediate between filial behaviour of daily maintenance and subjective well-being (β in direct model = 0.080, P = 0.149; β in full mediational model = 0.030, P = 0.362). Moreover, suppression did not exert mediation effects in the associations between the filial behaviour of respect and subjective well-being (β = 0.003, P = 0.338); and filial behaviour of daily maintenance and subjective well-being (β = -0.004, P = 0.221).

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the results suggest that different dimensions of the filial behaviour of the oldest son exert differential effects on emotional regulation and subjective well-being in older parents. Based on the current findings, there is a need to develop adaptive emotional regulatory capacity intervention programs for the development and enhancement of subjective well-being in older parents within their familial context.

Quality of life and clinical correlates in older adults living in the community and in nursing homes in Macao

AIM

There have been no previous studies of quality of life (QOL) in older adults in Macao. This study aimed to examine QOL in relation to the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of adults aged ≥50 years in Macao.

METHODS

A sample of 451 subjects (203 living in the community, 248 living in nursing homes) was interviewed using standardized instruments. Basic sociodemographic and clinical data including QOL were collected.

RESULT

There were no significant differences between the community and nursing home groups in any of the QOL domains. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that poor physical QOL was significantly predicted by severe depressive symptoms, insomnia, major medical conditions, unmarried status, and lower education ( F _11,438  = 26.2, P < 0.001), which accounted for 38.2% of the variance. Poor psychological QOL was significantly predicted by severe depressive symptoms and lower educational level ( F _11,438  = 24.3, P < 0.001), which accounted for 36.4% of the variance. Poor social QOL was significantly predicted by severe depressive symptoms, male gender, and unmarried status ( F _11,438  = 5.6, P < 0.001), which accounted for 12.5% of the variance. Poor environment QOL was significantly predicted by lower educational level, severe depressive symptoms, and younger age ( F _11,438  = 6.6, P < 0.001), which accounted for 12.1% of the variance.

CONCLUSION

Older Macanese adults had poorer scores on physical and social QOL domains than the general Hong Kong Chinese population. Their QOL was more strongly related to severe depressive symptoms, major medical conditions, and insomnia.