Minor positive effects of health-promoting senior meetings for older community-dwelling persons on loneliness, social network, and social support Show others and affiliations
2017 (English) In: Clinical Interventions in Aging, ISSN 1176-9092, E-ISSN 1178-1998, Vol. 12, p. 1867-1877Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development Sustainable Development
Abstract [en]
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the 1-year effect of the health-promoting intervention “senior meetings” for older community-dwelling persons regarding loneliness, social network, and social support. Methods: Secondary analysis of data was carried out from two randomized controlled studies: Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone and Promoting Aging Migrants’ Capabilities. Data from 416 participants who attended the senior meetings and the control group at baseline and the 1-year follow-up in the respective studies were included. Data were aggregated and analyzed with chi-square test and odds ratio (OR) to determine the intervention effect. Results: The senior meetings had a positive effect on social support regarding someone to turn to when in need of advice and backing (OR 1.72, p=0.01). No positive intervention effect could be identified for loneliness, social network, or other aspects of social support. Conclusion: Health-promoting senior meetings for older community-dwelling persons have a minor positive effect on social support. The senior meetings might benefit from a revision to reinforce content focused on loneliness, social network, and social support. However, the modest effect could also depend on the lack of accessible social resources to meet participants’ identified needs, a possible hindrance for a person’s capability. This makes it necessary to conduct further research to evaluate the effect of the senior meetings and other health-promoting initiatives on social aspects of older community-dwelling people’s lives, since these aspects are of high importance for life satisfaction and well-being in old age.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Dove Medical Press , 2017. Vol. 12, p. 1867-1877
Keywords [en]
Aged, Evaluation studies, Group intervention, Health promotion, Prevention, Quality of life, adult, aging, chi square test, controlled study, evaluation study, female, follow up, human, life satisfaction, loneliness, major clinical study, male, randomized controlled trial, secondary analysis, social aspect, social network, social support, wellbeing, independent living, organization and management, very elderly, Aged, 80 and over, Humans
National Category
Occupational Therapy
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-54445 DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S143994 ISI: 000414680200002 PubMedID: 29158669 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85034594524 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-54445 DiVA, id: diva2:1590224
2021-09-022021-09-022021-09-05 Bibliographically approved