Seeking and Processing Information for Health Decisions among Elderly Chinese Singaporean Women

Information behavior includes activities of active information seeking, passive acquisition of information, and information use. Guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model, this study explored elderly Singaporean women’s health information behavior to understand how they sought, evaluated, and used health information in everyday lives. Twenty-two in-depth interviews were conducted with elderly Chinese women aged 61 to 79. Qualitative analysis of the interview data yielded three meta-themes: information-seeking patterns, trustworthiness of health information, and peripheral route of decision making. Results revealed that elderly women took both systematic and heuristic approaches to processing information but relied on interpersonal networks to negotiate health choices.     

Vital Satisfaction as a Health Indicator in Elderly Women

The long life expentancy of the elderly motivates interest in their quality of life. Our study analyzes vital satisfaction as a global indicator of the three dimensions (physical, mental, and social) of the quality of life in relation to health. The subjects were 310 women, with an average age of 71.22 years old (SD 6.72), with minimum education, and active aging. The reliability was examined with the COOP-WONCA Charts and the Nottingham Health Profile. The results show that vital satisfaction significantly correlates with the three dimensions of health, in particular with the mental domain.     

The Important Things in the Life of Older People: Elderly Women in Social Houses and Home Care

The purpose of the article is to analyze the aging experiences of elderly women in Estonia and the factors influencing them. The assessments of two groups using social services are compared—the elderly living in Tallinn’s social houses and the elderly receiving care at home. From February to August 2011, a total of 80 elderly women were interviewed. Inhabitants of social houses find that their old age is satisfying more often (65% of the inhabitants of social houses and 40% of the people in home care). Many home care clients were convinced that it is best to spend old age among loved ones and in a familiar environment. Those living at home have many difficulties, which is why 20% of them are on a waiting list to go to a social house. Home services should include services with which the inhabitants of social houses are very satisfied.     

中国老年人口的健康状况、福利需求与前景

利用中国2005年1%人口抽样调查资料对老年人口身体健康状况进行分析,并利用联合国人口预测资料,对2050年以前的中国老年人口身体健康状况及其对养老机构床位数需求进行预测。结果表明,2005年中国老年人口中"不能正常工作或生活不能自理"者占15.02%,规模达2 169万人。不同性别、年龄与城乡的老年人口的身体健康状况之间存在明显的差异,人口老龄化与家庭养老功能急剧弱化使得未来中国需要入住养老机构的老年人数量急剧增加。     

Productive Activity and Life Satisfaction in Korean Elderly Women

The purpose of this study is to explain the effect of participation in productive activities on life satisfaction and its implications for social evaluation of productive aging. This study uses data collected from 1,250 elderly women living in urban areas. The regression model was used to examine the influence of elderly women's participation in productive activities on their life satisfaction. Elderly women who participate in volunteer work, learning, and social group activities commonly recognized their activities as meaningful, feeling like worthwhile members of society, and evaluated such activities as very positive. In contrast, elderly women who participated in household chores and family care activities expressed a negative life satisfaction. The difference in life satisfaction regarding productive activities stems not only from the physical and environmental differences but also from the gap between the official social value underpinned by the recognition of surrounding people, their support, and the value of productive activities.     

中国女性老年人口的现状及问题分析

在快速的人口老龄化过程中,由于女性老年人寿命长于男性,因此成为一个规模快速增加的群体。女性在受教育、就业比例以及收入水平上一般要低于男性,因此她们在晚年生活中的弱势积累效应更加明显,表现为经济保障、健康医疗、婚姻家庭生活方面的困难更加突出。在当今家庭养老照料功能减弱和社会保障及社会服务能力不足的情况下,女性老年人口问题需要给以更多的关注。采用2005年全国1%抽样调查资料,对我国当前老年妇女的人口、婚姻、受教育、经济来源、职业以及健康状况给以描述和分析,以期为学术研究和政府管理工作提供必要的信息和依据。     

Experiencing Undesired Daily Life Events,Instrumental Functioning,Social Support and Well-Being of Israeli Elderly Women: Comparison Between Caregivers/Non-Caregivers for Adult Children with Mental Retardation

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to examine the extent to which 160 mothers who care for an adult child with mental retardation differ in respect to undesired daily life events, instrumental functioning, social support and well-being from a comparably matched group of age peers. Findings indicated that caregivers for adult children with mental retardation reported more undesired daily life events in comparison to the matched group. However, no differences were found in respect to their instrumental functioning, social support and well-being. A detailed analysis showed significant variations in measures of undesired daily life events and social support.     

老年社会贫困影响因素的定量和定性分析

中国的社会转型和家庭变迁一方面对传统家庭的养老功能提出挑战,另一方面,由于社会养老制度的缺失或不完善,也由于家庭中老年人口比例的增加,老人对家庭养老的需求依旧十分强烈。利用定量和定性数据,探讨在家庭变迁和公共福利不足背景下老年社会贫困(衡量为健康欠佳、精神慰藉不足)的发生率和发生概率。模型分析结果显示,公共福利的有无、家庭形式和居住安排、子女数量和性别、子女的经济支持都作用于自评的健康水平和精神慰藉。因此,改善公共支持及服务体系、且将公共福利真正落到实处将有助于提高老人的社会福利。     

Construct and Criterion Validity of a Norwegian Instrument for Health Related Quality of Life Among Elderly Women Living at Home

Purpose of the study: The aim of the current study is to validate an instrument consisting of five items and first used in the Nord-Trondelag Health Survey (HUNT-5), as a measure of health related quality of life (QOL) in a population of elderly women living at home. Design and methods: A random sample of 307 women aged 75 years and over (mean 80.8 years, response rate 74.5%) and living at home were interviewed using the HUNT-5 instrument, the 20-question version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20) and the respondents’ records of their health status and functional ability. Results: No significant relationships were found between age and the sumscores of GHQ-20 and HUNT-5. Factor analysis indicated that HUNT-5 is primarily unidimensional. The Cronbach α for HUNT-5 was 0.79 and that for GHQ-20 was 0.87. The correlation between the HUNT-5 and the GHQ-20 sumscores was 0.75 (p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between some of the health and function items and the two QOL instruments (ranging from 0.14 to 0.68). Implications: This evaluation supports the psychometric validity of HUNT-5 for elderly women living at home. It is important to take into consideration the women’s own experience of their health and functional ability in planning therapy and in obtaining the best possible QOL for them.