scholarly journals Activity Engagement Patterns Among Older Chinese Immigrants

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 232-232
Author(s):  
Fengyan Tang ◽  
Mary Rauktis

Abstract Activity engagement is a major component of well-being in later life. However, very few studies have focused on older immigrants who are often at risk for social isolation and psychological distress. We aim to map the pattern of activity engagement and examine its variations in relation to immigration-related factors and social aspects of neighborhoods in a representative sample of older Chinese immigrants. We used data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE), a population-based epidemiological study of US Chinese older adults that were conducted between 2011 and 2013 (N=3,157). Latent class analysis and multinominal regression analysis were conducted to identify activity engagement patterns and examine the associated factors. Four patterns of activity engagement were identified: restricted (15%), diverse (31%), informal social (32%), and community-based social (21%). Acculturation and family-oriented immigration differentiated the restricted from the diverse class membership. Positive attributes of social environment measured by social network size, positive social support, neighborhood cohesion, and sense of community were associated with the probabilities of class membership relative to the restricted class. Findings point to the importance of positive attributes of social environment in enhancing engagement with life among older Chinese immigrants. Efforts are needed to assist the vulnerable restricted group and recent older immigrants while meeting the demands of older immigrants who are less educated and less acculturated. Creating a supportive environment is important to provide information, access, and resources needed for activity engagement in the marginalized minority aging populations

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 182-182
Author(s):  
Kun Wang

Abstract Due to the fast pace of population aging and the “4-2-1” family structure, institutional care was proposed as “support” for the elderly care service system in China. The purpose of this systematic review paper was to identify factors that are associated with the well-being of older residents living at institutional care facilities in China. Studies were included if participants (1)aged 60 years or older, (2) were living at an institutional care facility in mainland China. Studies were excluded if participants (1) were Chinese Immigrants, or residents in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, (2) were cognitively impaired, or (3) at the end of their lives and need palliative care in institutional facilities. A total of 12 articles were selected in this review study based on PRISMA guidelines: 10 quantitative studies and 2 qualitative studies. Anderson healthcare utilization model was used in this study to categorize related factors into three dynamics: predisposing factors, enabling factors, and need factors. Among predisposing factors, older, more educated, widowed adults with higher income were more likely to have higher levels of well-being in institutional care facilities. Social supports, such as family visit, activity engagement and peer support, were very important enabling factors. The actual need, such as ADL, health status and depression, was another important dimension for the well-being of older Chinese living in institutional care facilities. Aiming at increasing older residents’ well-being, the present study suggested more tailored interventions should be designed and implemented to enhance their social support, activity engagement and peer support.


2012 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Matz-Costa ◽  
Elyssa Besen ◽  
Jacquelyn Boone James ◽  
Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes

Author(s):  
Woosang Hwang ◽  
Xiaoyan Zhang ◽  
Maria T. Brown ◽  
Sara A. Vasilenko ◽  
Merril Silverstein

We used classification analysis to examine change in religiosity among baby boomers from young adulthood to early old age and how religiosity transition patterns are associated with psychological well-being in later life. In addition, we tested the gender difference in the above association. We applied latent class and latent transition analysis to 392 baby boomers who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Generations in Wave-1 (1971) and Wave-9 (2016). We identified three classes describing religiosity at each wave (strongly religious, doctrinally religious, and weakly religious), and considered five types of change or stability in religious class membership from Wave-1 to Wave-9. Multiple regression with gender interactions revealed that men who stayed strongly religious over the period reported better psychological well-being compared to men who declined in their religiosity; no such pattern was found for women. Our findings suggest that maintaining strong religiosity over the life course was beneficial for baby boom men in later life.


Author(s):  
Nancy A. Pachana

How we interact with others, with the physical and social environment, as well as how well we cope with life events, role changes, and positive and negative stresses all affect how we age. Later life is also intimately connected to, and affected by, circumstances and decisions earlier in life. Social support and engagement are critical for physical and emotional well-being. ‘Social and interpersonal aspects of ageing’ explores ageing in a social and societal context. The ways in which older adults engage with younger cohorts and their contribution to their family, communities, and society more broadly have changed over time and have also been affected by social and technological advances.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 698-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Chih Chen ◽  
Michelle Putnam ◽  
Yung Soo Lee ◽  
Nancy Morrow-Howell

Abstract Background and Objectives The health benefit of activity participation at older ages is documented in the current literature. Many studies, however, only explored the health benefits of engaging in a few activities and did not examine mechanisms connecting activity participation to health. We investigated the pathway between activity and health by testing the mediation role of the nature of engagement (physical, cognitive, and social) on physical, mental, and cognitive health of older adults. Research Design and Methods We analyzed data of 6,044 older adults from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study linked with 2011 Consumption and Activity Mail Survey. We used latent class analysis to identify the patterns of participating in 33 activities as well as patterns of nature of engagement, and examined how these patterns were associated with cognition, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health in later life. Results Meaningful patterns of activity (high, medium, low, passive leisure, and working) and the nature of activity engagement (full, partial, and minimal) were identified. High and working groups, compared to the passive leisure group, showed better health and cognition outcomes. The nature of engagement mediated the relationship between activity patterns and health, especially for older adults who were either full or partially engaged. Discussion and Implications The nature of engagement may play a more important role than the activity itself in relation to health. Identifying the heterogeneity in activity engagement in later life is critical for tailoring interventions and designing programs that can improve the health of older adults.


2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 786-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Wen Li ◽  
Darrin Hodgetts ◽  
Elsie Ho

Psychologists have foregrounded the importance of links between places and daily practices in the construction of subjectivities and well-being. This article explores domestic gardening practices among older Chinese immigrants. Initial and follow-up interviews were conducted with 32 Chinese adults ranging in age from 62 to 77 years. Participants recount activities such as gardening as a means of forging a new sense of self and place in their adoptive country. Gardening provides a strategy for self-reconstruction through spatiotemporally establishing biographical continuity between participants’ old lives in China and their new lives in New Zealand.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1671-1679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Lin ◽  
Christina Bryant ◽  
Jennifer Boldero ◽  
Briony Dow

ABSTRACTBackground:Few current studies explore psychological well-being among older Chinese immigrants in Australia. The study addressed this gap and provided preliminary data on psychological well-being among this group. Four indicators, namely depression, anxiety, loneliness, and quality of life, were used to present a comprehensive picture of psychological well-being.Methods:Participants were two groups of community-dwelling older people, specifically 59 Chinese immigrants and 60 Australian-born people (median age=77 and 73, respectively). Data were collected through standardized interviews. The Geriatric Depression Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire were used to measure depression, anxiety, loneliness, and quality of life, respectively.Results:Chinese participants’ median quality of life score was higher than the scale mid-point, indicating relatively high levels of quality of life. However, 10% exhibited symptoms of depression, 6% had symptoms of anxiety, and 49% felt lonely. Compared to Australian participants, Chinese participants reported poorer quality of life and higher levels of loneliness. Importantly, the difference in quality of life remained when the impact of socio-demographic factors was controlled for.Conclusions:This study was the first to use multiple indicators to explore psychological well-being among older Chinese immigrants in Australia. Its results suggest that their psychological well-being might be worse than that of Australian-born people when using loneliness and quality of life as indicators. In particular, loneliness is a common psychological problem among this group, and there is a need for public awareness of this problem.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jinyu Liu ◽  
Weiyu Mao ◽  
Man Guo ◽  
Ling Xu ◽  
Iris Chi ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (10) ◽  
pp. 2240-2249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C Jensen ◽  
Makayla K Nielson ◽  
Jeremy B Yorgason

Abstract Objectives Adults in mid to later life experience shrinking social networks, which may hinder well-being. Siblings may be important sources of social contact. Yet, little is known about adults’ patterns of contact with siblings and how contact is linked to well-being. Method Participants included 491 adults from across the United States (M age = 58.96, SD = 6.25; 68% female) recruited online via Amazon Mechanical Turk; they reported on their contact with their sibling in person, over the phone, via email, texting, and social media. Results Latent class analysis found evidence for four patterns of contact (classes) among siblings: low, medium, high, and traditional. Those with high contact reported greater life satisfaction than those in the other groups. Those in the high group reported lower self-rated health when they recalled being treated less favorably, relative to their sibling, by their mother as children. Discussion These findings suggest that differing patterns of sibling contact exist among older adults. In some cases, contact may promote well-being. In other cases, more contact may serve as a reminder of hurtful or painful past family experiences related to mothers’ differential treatment, in which case more contact may be linked to poorer health.


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