Conte Kathleen P, Schure Marc B, Goins R Turner
a School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences , Oregon State University , Corvallis , OR , USA.
Aging Ment Health. 2015;19(9):835-43. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2014.967171. Epub 2014 Oct 17.
This study examined social support and identified demographic and health correlates among American Indians aged 55 years and older.
Data were derived from the Native Elder Care Study, a cross-sectional study of 505 community-dwelling American Indians aged ≥55 years. Social support was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey measure (MOS-SSS) of which psychometric properties were examined through factor analyses. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between age, sex, educational attainment, marital status, depressive symptomatology, lower body physical functioning, and chronic pain and social support.
Study participants reported higher levels of affectionate and positive interaction social support (88.2% and 81.8%, respectively) than overall (75.9%) and emotional (69.0%) domains. Increased age, being married/partnered, and female sex were associated with high social support in the final model. Decreased depressive symptomatology was associated with high overall, affectionate, and positive interaction support, and decreased chronic pain with affectionate support. The count of chronic conditions and functional disability were not associated with social support.
Overall, we found high levels of social support for both men and women in this population, with the oldest adults in our study exhibiting the highest levels of social support. Strong cultural values of caring for older adults and a historical tradition of community cooperation may explain this finding. Future public health efforts may be able to leverage social support to reduce health disparities and improve mental and physical functioning.
本研究调查了55岁及以上美国印第安人的社会支持情况，并确定了其人口统计学和健康方面的相关因素。
数据来源于美国原住民老年护理研究，这是一项对505名年龄≥55岁的社区居住美国印第安人进行的横断面研究。使用医学结局研究社会支持调查量表（MOS-SSS）评估社会支持，通过因子分析检验其心理测量特性。采用逻辑回归分析来确定年龄、性别、教育程度、婚姻状况、抑郁症状、下肢身体功能和慢性疼痛与社会支持之间的关联。
研究参与者报告的亲情和积极互动社会支持水平（分别为88.2%和81.8%）高于总体（75.9%）和情感（69.0%）领域。在最终模型中，年龄增长、已婚/有伴侣和女性性别与高社会支持相关。抑郁症状减轻与总体、亲情和积极互动支持水平高相关，慢性疼痛减轻与亲情支持相关。慢性病数量和功能残疾与社会支持无关。
总体而言，我们发现该人群中男性和女性的社会支持水平都很高，我们研究中年龄最大的成年人社会支持水平最高。关爱老年人的强烈文化价值观和社区合作的历史传统可能解释了这一发现。未来的公共卫生工作或许能够利用社会支持来减少健康差距，改善心理和身体功能。
