Association of living arrangements with happiness attributes among older adults

Examining the impact of Co-residence with a daughter-in-law on older adult health in China: Evidence from a frailty index-based study

Background

The increasing geriatric population and variation in the disease spectrum among older adults in China contribute to a growing demand for more aged adult care in Chinese society. Relevant studies have shown that living arrangements with various family members have variable impacts on the older adult's health. This study employs the Frailty Index as a unified measurement standard to assess the overall health levels, integrating the specific "in-law relationships" into the research on living arrangements and the health of older adults.

Methods

This study used data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey 2016-2018. OLS and Quantile Regression were used to investigate the in-law relationship on older adult health and whether this impact is homogeneous across older individuals with varying infirmity levels. The study used a lag model and propensity score matching to compensate for potential endogeneity concerns.

Results

The study found that residing with a daughter-in-law (20.22%) had a significant positive correlation with the frailty index (β=0.0088, P＜0.001), indicating that the relationship between parents-in-law and daughters-in-law can influence the health of the older adult. This impact is nonlinear and non-homogeneous for older adult people with various levels of frailty, exhibiting an approximately decreasing and then increasing U-shaped distribution, which denotes that older adult people with different health conditions have distinct demands for intergenerational care. In addition, this impact varies among older adult groups of disparate genders, urban and rural areas, and age groups.

Conclusion

This study investigates the impact of "in-law relationships" within living arrangements on the health of older adults. It shows that co-residing with a daughter-in-law has adverse effects on the health of older adults. Therefore, the study suggests that when the health and economic conditions of the elderly permit, a "live-near-but-not-with" living arrangement with their children can be considered.

Factors associated with happiness among community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To identify factors associated with self-reported happiness among community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Searches were conducted in the PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus and Pubmed databases for relevant articles published in English, Spanish or Portuguese using the following search strategy and Boolean operators: (happiness*) AND (elder* OR (old adult*)). No restriction was imposed with regards to year of publication. This review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018107302).

RESULTS

Forty-six articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Economic, social and health-related factors were associated with happiness among community-dwelling older adults. The sociodemographic characteristics of older adults, such as the female sex, being married, an older age, a higher level of schooling and having a religion, were also associated with happiness.

CONCLUSIONS

The articles included in the present systematic review demonstrate that social, economic and health-related aspects have an association with happiness in community-dwelling older adults.

The relative importance of friendship to happiness increases with age

Happiness is predicted by social relationships in general and contact frequency in particular. This study aims to examine if the relative importance of social contacts with the closest family/relative, friend, and neighbor in happiness changes with advancing age. We used data for all participants aged 19 years and older (n = 229,099) in the 2019 Community Health Survey, which measured the frequency of contact with the closest relative/family, neighbor, and friend among a representative sample of Koreans between August 16 and October 31, 2019. The Shapley value decomposition method was used to measure the relative importance of each predictor of happiness. Overall, contact frequency was positively associated with happiness (p<0.001). The relative importance value of contact with the closest family, neighbor, and friend to happiness increased from 4.70%, 3.98%, and 7.35%, respectively, in the 19-29 years group to 8.09%, 4.44%, and 11.00%, respectively, in the 60 years and older group. Frequent interactions with the closest friend could have a greater impact on happiness in old age than those with the closest family and neighbor.

The subjective perception of the happiness of older adult residents in Colombia

Introduction

Happiness is understood as the perception of subjective well-being, it can be a quality, a result, or a state characterized by well-being or satisfaction that every person wants to achieve. In older adults, this satisfaction is a sum of lifelong achievements and triumphs; However, some factors influence this ideal.

Objective

Analyze demographic, family, social, personal, and health factors associated with the subjective perception of happiness in older adults, using data from a study conducted in five cities in Colombia, in order to make a theoretical contribution in the search for improvement of their physical, mental and social health.

Materials and methods

A quantitative, cross-sectional, analytical study was carried out, using primary source information, obtained with 2,506 surveys from voluntary participants aged 60 and over, who had no cognitive impairment, and who reside in urban areas but not in long-term centers. The variable happiness (classified as high or moderate/low) was used for: (1) A univariate explorative characterization of older adult, (2) a bivariate estimation of the relationships with the factors studied, and (3) a multivariate construction of profiles through multiple correspondences.

Results

67.2% reported high happiness levels, with differences by city: Bucaramanga (81.6%), Pereira (74.7%), Santa Marta (67.4), Medellín (64%), and Pereira (48.7%). Happiness was explained by the absence of risk of depression and little hopelessness, strengthened psychological well-being, a perception of high quality of life, and living in a functional family.

Conclusion

This study provided an overview of possible factors that can be enhanced and strengthened with public policies (structural determinant), community empowerment, family strengthening (intermediate determinant), and educational programs (proximal determinant). These aspects are included in the essential functions of public health, in favor of mental and social health in older adults.

In-home environment and happiness among older adults in Thailand

Background

The fact that housing can play a critical role in maintaining the health and independence related to happiness of the older population has been studied in more developed countries. However, research on the effect of housing conditions on happiness is rare in less developed countries. This study aimed to construct and test a structural equation model describing the structural relationship among personal aspects (living alone and physical disability), in-home environment (sleeping place and toilet/bathroom), and happiness among older adults in Thailand.

Method

The data on the population age 75 years or over were extracted from the 2017 national Survey of Older Persons in Thailand (n = 7,829).

Results

The median age of the sample population was 79. Almost 60 percent were women. The structural equation model showed a good fit with the data. Living alone did not directly influence happiness. Physical disability had a statistically significant negative direct effect on happiness. In-home environment not only had an impact on happiness directly, but also moderated the relationship between physical disability and happiness.

Conclusion

The research suggested that interventions to improve happiness of older adults, particularly those with physical disability, should aim to adapt their housing, including sleeping place and toilet design.

[The Effect of Socioeconomic Status to Depression of Perimenopause Women: Pathway Analysis Using the Reserve Capacity Model]

PURPOSE

Based on the Reserve Capacity Model, this study investigated the effects of pre- and postmenopausal women's socioeconomic status (SES) on depression, focusing on the mediating effects of self-esteem, happiness, and family relationship satisfaction with social network relationships.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved secondary analysis of national data on 771 perimenopause women gathered from the 16th Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) 2021. A path analysis model was constructed to evaluate the relationship between SES, social network satisfaction, self-esteem, perceived health status, and depression. Data were analyzed using ADANCO 2.3.1 and Mplus 8.4.

RESULTS

Although SES had no direct effect on depression, it did affect depression through self-esteem, happiness, and satisfaction with family relationships.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study indicate that perimenopausal women's personal resources-psychosocial variables such as self-esteem and happiness-had a higher effect on depression than tangible reserves like SES. Therefore, interventions for enhancing self-esteem and happiness may prevent depression in perimenopausal women effectively.

The mediating role of psychological resilience between social participation and life satisfaction among older adults in China

BACKGROUND

A significant correlation has been discovered between social participation and older adults' life satisfaction, but the relationships among social participation, psychological resilience, and life satisfaction remain to be confirmed. Therefore, this study aims to identify the relationship between social participation and life satisfaction for Chinese older adults and to analyse the possible mediating role of psychological resilience between these two aspects.

METHODS

Data on 15,779 people aged 65 years and above were extracted from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Social participation was classified into two levels: low-level involvement activities and high-level involvement activities. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to analyse the correlations between the two levels of social participation and older adults' life satisfaction as well as the mediating effects of psychological resilience on this association.

RESULTS

The results indicate that two levels of social participation were each positively correlated with life satisfaction. Specifically, high-level involvement activities (β = 0.070, P < 0.001) were more strongly associated with life satisfaction than low-level involvement activities (β = 0.051, P < 0.001). Moreover, psychological resilience was found to partially mediate the association between low-level involvement activities and high-level involvement activities and life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

A higher level of life satisfaction for older adults is related to participation in high-level involvement activities. Psychological resilience has a mediating effect on the association between two levels of older adults' social participation and life satisfaction. These findings suggest that the government and society should establish a more concrete understanding of the psychological resilience of older adults.

Development and evaluation of two brief digital health promotion game booths utilizing augmented reality and motion detection to promote well-being at a gerontechnology summit in Hong Kong

Background

The acceleration of population aging calls for simple and effective interventions catered for older people. Gerontechnology, the combination of gerontology and technology, can promote quality of life in older adults. However, public health-related events incorporating information communication technology (ICT) for older people have seldom been evaluated.

Objective

We reported the development and evaluation of two simple and brief digital health promotion games hosted at the annual Hong Kong Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES) in 2018 and 2019 to promote well-being.

Methods

Two game booths (Dinosaur Augmented Reality photo-taking in 2018, Sit-and-Stand fitness challenge in 2019) were designed by our interdisciplinary team. Four gaming technologies were employed: augmented reality, chroma key (green screen), motion detection and 3D modeling. Immediately after the game, we administered a brief questionnaire survey to assess participant satisfaction, happiness and perceived benefits, and collected qualitative data through observations and informal interviews.

Results

Majority of 1,186 and 729 game booth participants in 2018 and 2019, respectively, were female (73.4% and 64.7%) and older adults (65.5 and 65.2%). Overall satisfaction toward the game booths was high (4.64 ± 0.60 and 4.54 ± 0.68 out of 5), with females and older adults reporting higher scores. Average personal and family happiness of participants in 2018 were 8.2 and 8.0 (out of 10). 90.3 and 18.4% of participants in 2019 chose one or more personal (e.g. enhance healthy living habits 62.4%, enhance personal happiness 61.6%) and family (e.g. enhance family happiness 15.6%, improve family relationships 10.8%) benefits of the game booth, respectively. Participants showed enthusiasm toward the technologies, and pride in their physical abilities in the fitness challenge.

Conclusion

Our report on the development and evaluation of brief game interventions with ICT showed high satisfaction and immediate perceived benefits in community participants. Females and older adults reported higher satisfaction. Simple tools measuring happiness and perceived benefits showed positive results. Older adults were receptive and enthusiastic about the new technologies. Our findings can inform researchers and organizers of similar events. More research on simple and enjoyable ICT interventions is needed to attract older adults and promote their well-being.

Trial registration

The research protocol was registered at the National Institutes of Health (Identifier number: NCT03960372) on May 23, 2019.

Analysis of Factors Associated with Subjective Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) among Older Adults Resident in the Community

This study explored the associated factors of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults, focusing on personal characteristics and health promotion activities. The research design of this study was a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. This study used secondary data from the 2019 community health survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). In this study, 20,041 older adults with subjective MCI and 52,587 healthy older adults-a total of 72,628 subjects-were analyzed as the final subjects in this study. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, an independent t-test, and logistic regression. The results indicate that the probability of experiencing subjective MCI significantly decreased with an increase in monthly income (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19-2.46); increased with an increase in depressive symptoms (odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04-1.15); and decreased with an increase in the quality of life level (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.82-0.99). Through the results of this study, several factors related to MCI in older adults were identified. If these related factors are properly managed, the possibility of MCI in older adults may be reduced. Therefore, MCI in older adults should be addressed as a preventable disease rather than a natural aging process.

Rising living alone among the elderly in Iran: prevalence and associated factors

Background

This study first examines the pattern and trend of elderly living alone during the last five censuses in Iran. Then, after describing the characteristics of the elderly who live alone, it determines how social, economic, and demographic characteristics relate to the solo living of the elderly.

Methods

The data for people aged 60 and above are from two sources, including the aggregate data from five successive Iranian censuses and the individual data of 2% of the 2016 Iranian census. To determine the relative importance of variables such as sex, age, education, and activity status of the elderly, a set of logistic regression models using STATA software has been used for individual data analysis of the 2016 census.

Results

The proportion of older people living alone in 1986, 1996, 2006, 2011, and 2016 was 9.1, 9.0, 10.9, 14.5, and 14.9%, respectively. City residents are less likely to live alone than villagers, and women are more likely to live alone than men. The odds of living solo among Illiterate, Primary school, Secondary & High school and Holding a high school diploma elderly higher than those with university education. Being a student and homemaker increases solo living relative to employees, but pensioners reduce solo living relative to employees. Moreover, the odds of solo living of the elderly in the early and middle stages of old age is less than in late old age. Also, the variables included in the analysis explained 16% of the variation in solo living.

Conclusion

The prevalence of elderly solo living is increasing. And this increase continues due to the fundamental decline in childbearing, changes in family structure, and the effects of culture and tradition. Also, due to the rise in life expectancy, which increases the number of years of life with the disease, and disability, the lack of relief organizations will create more difficult conditions for the older people living alone.

The relationship between happiness and quality of life: A model for Spanish society

A key goal for society as a whole is the pursuit of well-being, which leads to the happiness of its individual members; as such, it is of critical socioeconomic relevance. In this regard, it is important to study which factors primarily affect the happiness of the population. In principle, these factors are associated with income level and residential and job stability, or more specifically, citizens' quality of life. This research, which is based on a multidimensional concept of quality of life, uses a regression model to explain the dependence of Spaniards' happiness on the well-being or quality of life provided by their work, their family situation, their income level and aspects of their place of residence, among other factors. The data were collected through an anonymous survey administered to a representative sample of Spanish citizens. The methodology used approaches the intangible concept of happiness as resulting from different individual and social causes selected from dimensions addressed in the literature, and calculates their effects or importance through regression coefficients. One of the findings is that people with the highest level of well-being or quality of life in the most important dimensions mostly claim to be happy. With respect to gender, it has a significant influence on the dimensions included in the model of citizen happiness and on personal issues. It is also shown that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic negatively influenced the quality of life of Spanish citizens and therefore their happiness.

The structural equation modeling of personal aspects, environmental aspects, and happiness among older adults living alone: a cross-sectional study

Background

The happiness of older adults living alone warrants attention because they are more vulnerable to unhappiness than those living with families. The present study aimed to construct and test a structural equation model to elucidate the relationship among participation in social activities, satisfaction with the neighborhood environment, subjective health status, and happiness in older adults living alone in South Korea.

Methods

Secondary data of 2768 older adults (605 males and 2163 females) living on their own were extracted from the 2017 Korean Community Health Survey and used in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected via self-reported questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 and AMOS version 20.0.

Results

The hypothetical model exhibited a good fit: χ² = 342.06 (df = 58, p < .001), goodness-of-fit index = .98, adjected goodness-of-fit index = .97, root mean square error of approximation = .04, and nonstandard fit index = .92. Participation in social activities had a significant effect on participants’ subjective health status (path coefficient = .45, p = .001) and happiness (path coefficient = .20, p = .003).

Conclusions

Interventions to improve the health and happiness of older adults living alone should aim to enhance their social and physical environmental dimensions based on the participants’ various social activities and their neighborhoods’ characteristics.