Research Review
1. The role of social engagement in life satisfaction: Its significance
among older individuals with disease and disability
Yuri Jang, James A Mortimer, William E Haley and Amy R Borenstein Graves,
Journal of Applied Gerontology, Vol. 23 No. 3, September 2004 266-278
Rowe and Kahn (1997) describe successful ageing as the ability to maintain three key behaviors or characteristics: (i) low risk of disease and disability; (ii) high functional capacity; and (iii) active engagement with life. However, the degree to which all three must be present to achieve high life satisfaction is unclear. Indeed, some individuals live a satisfying life even in the presence of severe disease and disability.
This research examines the degree to which active engagement with life plays a central role in life satisfaction among older individuals with different combinations of disease and disability.
Numerous studies have shown that, social engagement, through interpersonal relationships and participation in social activities, promotes physical and emotional well-being and lowers mortality rates in later life (Lennartsson and Silverstein, 2001).
Social engagement not only provides physiologic benefits (immune system function, cardiovascular reactivity, cardiopulmonary fitness) and psychological benefits (sense of belonging, self–esteem, purpose of life) but also promotes healthful behaviours (smoking cessation, proper diet, exercise, help-seeking behaviour). These, in turn, enhance physical and emotional wellbeing (Berkman, Glass, Brissette and Seeman, 2000).
However, the degree of social connectedness and the magnitude of its association with life satisfaction may vary in terms of disease and disability status. Given the prevalence of chronic disease and disability in the older population, it is important to examine the effects of social engagement on life satisfaction among older individuals with different combinations of disease and disability.
Disease and disability generally have negative consequences for life satisfaction. Although some research places greater importance on disability showing that disability is a significant risk factor for poor wellbeing, regardless of a disease status (Kendig, Browning, & Young, 2000), the effects of diseases on wellbeing usually depends on whether disease effects are accompanied by functional impairment.
This study examines social engagement (social network and participation in social activities) and its relation to life satisfaction among 354 community-dwelling, cognitively intact older individuals (Mean age=72.4 years) with different combinations of disease and disability. Specifically, the analysis focused on individuals with disease but no disability (N=186) and those with both disease and disability (N=168). Individuals with both disease and disability had significantly lower levels of participation in social activities and life satisfaction; however, their level of social engagement was more strongly associated with life satisfaction as compared to individuals with disease but no disability. Disabled individuals may compensate for their lower physical function by placing more emphasis on social networks and social activities. Implications for enhancing social engagement and improving the quality of life among disabled older individuals are discussed.
The research findings clearly point to the value of enhancing social networks and providing opportunities for social activities for older disabled individuals. Concrete steps that might be taken include provision of transportation services and physical assistance to facilitate participation in social activities. The resulting increase in active life engagement is likely to be particularly beneficial for those in whom other components of successful ageing are compromised.
Thus, more attention should be made to promoting the level of social engagement and thereby increasing the quality of life of older populations with disease, disability, or both.
Ref: http://jag.sagepub.com/
2. Volunteering and mental health: Benefits of engagement or social selection?
Yunqing Li, Purdue Libraries, Date: 2004
While studies have focused exclusively on explicating the beneficial effects of volunteer work, little is known about whether social selection processes also influence the relationship between volunteering and health at different stages of the adulthood. Given the fact that people experience numerous life transitions over the life course, their social engagement and personal wellbeing are likely to be affected. Little research was available that explored whether a stressful life event, such as widowhood, influences subsequent volunteer participation and whether volunteering mitigates the negative impact of widowhood on wellbeing.
This research uses 3-wave panel data from the Americans' Changing Lives study to examine these broad aspects in the relationship between volunteer work and health. This is a multistage stratified area probability sample of persons 24 years of age or older resident in continental United States. The baseline data were collected in 1986 (N=3,617) and include an over-sample of African American adults ( N=1,174) and persons 60 years of age or older ( N=1,669). The analyses entail three interrelated but distinct projects.
The first project addresses whether social benefit and selection processes exist in the relationship between volunteer work and depressive symptoms in later life. The results show that formal volunteering exerts a beneficial effect on depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms are also associated with a subsequent increase in formal volunteer work (compensation effect). Functional impairment—not depressive symptom benefits —emerged as an important barrier to volunteer participation.
Project two extends the first project by examining the relationship among formal volunteering, depressive symptoms, and functional limitations over middle and late adulthood. The health benefits of volunteering are evident in the sample of older adults. While functional limitations are a barrier to volunteering in later life, depressive symptoms appear to be a barrier to volunteering in middle age. Depressive symptoms increase volunteer participation over time among older adults.
The last project investigates the impacts of widowhood on volunteering and wellbeing in later life. The analyses show that widowhood increases subsequent volunteer participation. Widowhood exacerbates depressive symptoms and self-efficacy over time, but volunteering moderates these negative effects. The time elapsed since widowhood also influences psychosocial adjustments to spousal loss.
Monika
Monika Bhatia
Project Manager and Editor, Quality4life
16 October 2006
