scholarly journals Relationship between Individual Social Capital and Functional Ability among Older People in Anhui Province, China

Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zijing Wang ◽  
Tiantai Shao ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Zhi Hu

This study aimed to explore the relationship between individual social capital and functional ability, with a focus on whether there is an interactive relationship that exists among social capital related to functional ability among older people in Anhui province, China. We conducted a cross-sectional study with a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method from July to September 2017. Data were collected through questionnaire including demographic characteristics, individual social capital status, and functional capability status. Binary logistic regression analysis model and classification and regression tree model (CART) were utilized. Overall, this study included 1810 elderly people, 43% of whom had functional disability. After the adjustment, subjects with lower social participation (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.26–2.03) and lower social connection (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.34–2.25) had an increased risk of functional disability. However, social support (AOR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.57–0.94) was inversely related to functional ability. We also observed interactive relationship of social capital associated with functional ability, which indicated that special attention and efforts should be paid to older adults with less educational attainment, with multimorbidity, with advanced age, and with lower level of social participation, cohesion for the purpose of maintaining sound functional ability. Our findings may be of salient relevance for devising more targeted and effective interventions to prevent the onset of functional limitations among community-dwelling older adults.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zhiwei Xu ◽  
Xiaoru Xu ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Wenbiao Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To examine the relationship between social capital and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Anhui Province, China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among older people selected from three cities of Anhui Province, China using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaire interviews and information on demographic characteristics, social capital, and depression was collected. The generalized linear model and classification and regression tree model were employed to assess the association between social capital and depression. Results Totally, 1810 older people aged ≥60 years were included in the final analysis. Overall, all of the social capital dimensions were positively associated with depression: social participation (coefficient: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22–0.48), social support (coefficient:0.18, 95% CI:0.07–0.28), social connection (coefficient: 0.76, 95% CI:0.53–1.00), trust (coefficient:0.62, 95% CI:0.33–0.92), cohesion (coefficient:0.31, 95% CI:0.17–0.44) and reciprocity (coefficient:0.30, 95% CI:0.11–0.48), which suggested that older people with higher social capital had a smaller chance to develop depression. A complex joint effect of certain social capital dimensions on depression was also observed. The association with depression and the combinative effect of social capital varied among older adults across the cities. Conclusions Our study suggests that improving social capital could aid in the prevention of depression among older adults.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zhiwei Xu ◽  
Xiaoru Xu ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Wenbiao Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: To examine the relationship between social capital and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Anhui Province, China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among older people selected from three cities of Anhui Province, China using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaire interviews and information on demographic characteristics, social capital, and depression was collected. The generalized linear model and classification and regression tree model were employed to assess the association between social capital and depression. Results: Totally, 1,810 older people aged ≥ 60 years were included in the final analysis. Overall, all of the social capital dimensions were positively associated with depression: social participation (coefficient: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22 - 0.48), social support (coefficient:0.18, 95% CI:0.07 - 0.28), social connection (coefficient: 0.76, 95% CI:0.53 - 1.00), trust (coefficient:0.62, 95% CI:0.33 - 0.92), cohesion (coefficient:0.31, 95% CI:0.17 - 0.44) and reciprocity (coefficient:0.30, 95% CI:0.11 - 0.48), which suggested that older people with higher social capital had a smaller chance to develop depression. A complex joint effect of certain social capital dimensions on depression was also observed. The association with depression and the combinative effect of social capital varied among older adults across the cities. Conclusions: Our study suggests that improving social capital could aid in the prevention of depression among older adults. Keywords : Social Capital, Depression, Elderly, Mental Health, China


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zhiwei Xu ◽  
Xiaoru Xu ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Wenbiao Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: To examine the relationship between social capital and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Anhui Province, China.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among older people selected from three cities of Anhui Province, China using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaire interviews and information on demographic characteristics, social capital, and depression was collected. The generalized linear model and classification and regression tree model were employed to assess the association between social capital and depression. Results: Totally, 1,810 older people aged ≥ 60 years were included in the final analysis. Overall, all of the social capital dimensions were positively associated with depression: social participation (coefficient: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22 - 0.48), social support (coefficient:0.18, 95% CI:0.07 - 0.28), social connection (coefficient: 0.76, 95% CI:0.53 - 1.00), trust (coefficient:0.62, 95% CI:0.33 - 0.92), cohesion (coefficient:0.31, 95% CI:0.17 - 0.44) and reciprocity (coefficient:0.30, 95% CI:0.11 - 0.48), which suggested that older people with higher social capital had a smaller chance to develop depression. A complex joint effect of certain social capital dimensions on depression was also observed. The association with depression and the combinative effect of social capital varied among older adults across the cities. Conclusions: Our study suggests that improving social capital could aid in the prevention of depression among older adults.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zhiwei Xu ◽  
Xiaoru Xu ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Wenbiao Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: To examine the relationship between social capital and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Anhui Province, China.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among older people selected from three cities of Anhui Province, China using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaire interviews and information on demographic characteristics, social capital, and depression was collected. The generalized linear model and classification and regression tree model were employed to assess the association between social capital and depression.Results: Totally, 1,810 older people aged ≥ 60 years were included in the final analysis. Overall, all of the social capital dimensions were positively associated with depression: social participation (coefficient: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22 - 0.48), social support (coefficient:0.18, 95% CI:0.07 - 0.28), social connection (coefficient: 0.76, 95% CI:0.53 - 1.00), trust (coefficient:0.62, 95% CI:0.33 - 0.92), cohesion (coefficient:0.31, 95% CI:0.17 - 0.44) and reciprocity (coefficient:0.30, 95% CI:0.11 - 0.48), which suggested that older people with higher social capital had a smaller chance to develop depression. A complex joint effect of certain social capital dimensions on depression was also observed. The association with depression and the combinative effect of social capital varied among older adults across the cities.Conclusions: Our study suggests that improving social capital could aid in the prevention of depression among older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijuan Gu ◽  
Yang Cheng ◽  
David R. Phillips ◽  
Mark Rosenberg ◽  
Linsheng Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The importance of social and economic capital as predictors of health is widely documented, yet the complexity of interactions between them and effects on older people’s health is still unclear. Combining the material and psychosocial explanations of health, this study explores the potential interactions between social and economic capital in influencing older adults’ health in urban and rural China. Methods Using data from the China Family Panel Survey, physical and mental health in 2018 were regressed on social and economic capital indicators in 2016, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of 3535 respondents aged 65 and older. Rothman’s synergy index was calculated to investigate potential interaction effects. Results Economic hardships were significantly related to both self-reported health and mental health. Neighborhood cohesion and social participation were significantly associated with mental health for all, bonding trust was significantly associated with mental health for urban older people. We found no significant associations between social capital components and self-reported health. There was an interaction effect between low neighborhood cohesion and economic hardships, and between low social participation and economic hardships, creating an increased burden of poor mental health. The interaction effect between low bonding trust and economic hardships on mental health was apparent only among urban older people. Conclusions Geographical settings are important factors in the complexity between social and economic capital in affecting older health. Intervention efforts directed towards reducing simultaneously multiple dimensions of deprivation, such as poverty, social exclusion, social isolation, could be helpful in improving older people’s health. In materially deprived places, policies to promote health equity by improving social capital but without eliminating poverty may be less effective.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zijing Wang ◽  
Tiantai Shao ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Zhi Hu

Abstract Background: We aimed to examine the association between social capital and loneliness in Anhui Province, China. Methods: Data were collected from a cross-sectional study using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy. Data on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, social capital, and loneliness in 1810 older adults (aged 60 years and older) were used for analysis. Binary logistic regression models and a classification and regression tree model were performed to assess the association of social capital and loneliness. Results: Our results indicated that social capital in terms of lower level of social participation (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.10-1.74), social connection (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.18-1.93), and reciprocity (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13-1.90) were associated with higher odds of developing loneliness. We noted the interactive effect of different social capital dimensions on loneliness, suggesting that the risk for suffering loneliness was greatest in older people limited in functional ability, with less trust, less social connection, and less social participation. Conclusions: Our findings show that social capital is associated with loneliness in older adults. This implies that social capital, especially in terms of trust, social connection, and social participation may be significant for alleviating loneliness in later life.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zijing Wang ◽  
Tiantai Shao ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Zhi Hu

Abstract Background: We aimed to examine the association between social capital and loneliness in Anhui Province, China. Methods: Data were collected from a cross-sectional study using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy. Data on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, social capital, and loneliness in 1810 older adults (aged 60 years and older) were used for analysis. Binary logistic regression models and a classification and regression tree model were performed to assess the association of social capital and loneliness. Results: Our results indicated that social capital in terms of lower level of social participation (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.10-1.74), social connection (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.18-1.93), and reciprocity (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13-1.90) were associated with higher odds of developing loneliness. We noted the interactive effect of different social capital dimensions on loneliness, suggesting that the risk for suffering loneliness was greatest in older people limited in functional ability, with less trust, less social connection, and less social participation. Conclusions: Our findings show that social capital is associated with loneliness in older adults. This implies that social capital, especially in terms of trust, social connection, and social participation may be significant for alleviating loneliness in later life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zijing Wang ◽  
Tiantai Shao ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Zhi Hu

Abstract Background We aimed to examine the association between social capital and loneliness in Anhui Province, China. Methods Data were collected from a cross-sectional study using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy. Data on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, social capital, and loneliness in 1810 older adults (aged 60 years and older) were used for analysis. Binary logistic regression models and a classification and regression tree model were performed to assess the association of social capital and loneliness. Results Our results indicated that social capital in terms of lower level of social participation (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.10–1.74), social connection (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.18–1.93), and reciprocity (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13–1.90) were associated with higher odds of developing loneliness. We noted the interactive effect of different social capital dimensions on loneliness, suggesting that the risk for suffering loneliness was greatest in older people limited in functional ability, with less trust, less social connection, and less social participation. Conclusions Our findings show that social capital is associated with loneliness in older adults. This implies that social capital, especially in terms of trust, social connection, and social participation may be significant for alleviating loneliness in later life.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongliang Bai ◽  
Zijing Wang ◽  
Tiantai Shao ◽  
Xia Qin ◽  
Zhi Hu

Abstract Background Although the relationship between social capital and loneliness in later life has been widely researched in western countries, this evidence is largely lacking in China. We aimed to examine the association between social capital and experienced loneliness in Anhui Province, China. Methods Data were collected from a cross-sectional study using a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy. Data on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, social capital, and loneliness in 1810 older adults (aged 60 years and older) were used for analysis. Binary logistic regression models and a classification and regression tree model were performed. Results Our results indicated that social capital in terms of social participation (AOR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.10–1.74), social connection (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.18–1.93), and reciprocity (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.13–1.90) were associated with loneliness. We noted the interactive effect of different social capital dimensions on loneliness, suggesting that the risk for suffering loneliness was greatest in older people limited in functional ability, with less trust, less social connection, and less social participation. Conclusions Our findings show that social capital is associated with loneliness in older adults. This implies that social capital, especially in terms of trust, social connection, and social participation may be significant for alleviating loneliness among older adults.


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