| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 健康促進與衛生教育學系 === 106 === The purpose of the study was to explore the relationhips among health status, social participation and life satisfaction of the elderly living alone.This cross-sectional study employed a questionnaire survey of 172 older adults at the Health Service Center of the Nangang District. The survey was conducted face-to-face by public health nurses. A total of 131 older adults signed an informed consent and completed the questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 76.2% . The questionnaire included questions regarding the respondent’s socio-demographic attributes, health status, social participation, and life satisfaction..The data was analyzed using SPSS 22.0 to conduct t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson's product-moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis.
According to the analysis, respondents were relatively old with an average age of 80.2. The average score of self-assessed health status was 70.31±15; 16.8% of respondents may have depression; 14.5% had cognitive impairment; 71% were totally independent; 34.4% were disabled; and 28.2% were frail.
Results of the multiple regression analysis showed IADL, economic condition, and age were significant correlates of social engagement, explaining 38.4% of the variance of social enagement in the study respondents. Marital status and age were significant correlates of interpersonal interaction, explaining 31.3% by the variance. Education attainment was the only correlate of activity participation, explaining 23.9% by the varianace. Depression and education attainment were significant correlates of life satisfaction and explained 32.8% of the variance.
In this group of older adults who lived alone, socioeconomic status, physical and mental health condition, social participation, and life satisfaction appeared to be inter-correlated. In response to the rapid aging of the population and an increase of older adults living alone, government and care institutions should design age-appropriate, education-specific, and easy-to-participate activities, increase the number of facilities that are friendly to the elderly, and use incentives to improve the social participation and life satisfaction of older adults living alone. Finally, it is recommended that care should be extended to unlisted elders and long-term assessment of the impact of social participation on physical and mental health of older adults living alone is needed in oder to improve the life satisfaction and achieve active aging in this vulnerable population.
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