Abstract
Life space, which is the area in which a person travels, is a measure of community mobility. With an ageing population in Singapore, there is increasing concern over older adults’ mental and social well-being. Understanding the possible association of psychosocial factors, such as depression and social engagement, with life space can advance the active aging agenda. This study examines the relationships between older adults’ 1) depression and social engagement, 2) social engagement and life space, and 3) depression and life space. 976 participants (≥50 years old) responded to a quantitative survey comprising the University of Alabama Life-Space Assessment (UAB-LSA) scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-SF) and the Lubben’s Social Network Scale (LSNS-R), which measured their life space, levels of depression, and social engagement respectively. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed to assess the relationships between these variables while controlling for demographics. The results show a significant negative correlation between LSNS-R and GDS-SF scores (r=-.35, p<.001), demonstrating that higher social engagement was associated with lower depression. LSA scores were positively correlated to LSNS-R scores (r=.17, p<.001) and negatively correlated to GDS-SF scores (r=-.23, p<.001), which meant that larger life spaces were associated with higher social engagement levels and lower depression scores. In conclusion, caring for older adults’ mental and social well-being is imperative for maintaining older adults’ mobility in the community as these psychosocial factors are significantly correlated to life space.
Presenters
Teresa LeongResearch Coordinator, Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation, Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd, Central Singapore, Singapore Sharon Chew
Research Coordinator, CPHRI, Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), Central Singapore, Singapore
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Life Space, Depression, Social Engagement, Community Mobility, Psychosocial, Older Adults
