a Faculty of Health Sciences , Western University , London , Canada.
b School of Nursing and Allied Health , Liverpool John Moores University , Liverpool , UK.
Clin Gerontol. 2019 Jan-Feb;42(1):114-126. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2017.1395377. Epub 2017 Dec 5.
Ethnic minority elders have high levels of social isolation and loneliness. Assumptions about the family providing enough social support exist in the literature, contradicting ethnic minority elders' reported levels of isolation and loneliness. While structural barriers influence feelings of isolation and loneliness, limited information exists about the role of cultural factors such as acculturation and family values. Accordingly, this study investigated the roles of acculturation and family values on loneliness and social isolation among ethnic minority elders.
Ethnic minority elders (N = 123) completed a questionnaire that assessed their social connectedness, measured by social network and levels of loneliness, and structural factors such as income. Additionally, cultural and family values were assessed by acculturation and the 'family as referents' dimension of familism, which refers to the belief that family members' behaviour should meet with familial expectations.
Statistical analysis using hierarchical regression indicated that 'family as referents' and acculturation predicted loneliness, but not social network.
This study raises the importance of considering cultural values when investigating predictors of loneliness among ethnic minority elders.
Findings highlight the importance of addressing familial expectations in programs aimed at alleviating loneliness among ethnic minority elders.
少数民族老年人社交孤立和孤独感水平较高。文献中存在关于家庭提供足够社会支持的假设，与少数民族老年人报告的孤立和孤独感水平相矛盾。尽管结构障碍会影响孤独感和隔离感，但关于文化因素（如文化适应和家庭价值观）的作用的信息有限。因此，本研究调查了文化适应和家庭价值观对少数民族老年人孤独感和社交孤立的作用。
少数民族老年人（N=123）完成了一份问卷，评估了他们的社交联系，通过社交网络和孤独感水平来衡量，以及收入等结构因素。此外，还通过文化适应和家庭价值观的“家庭作为参照”维度来评估文化和家庭价值观，这是指家庭成员的行为应该符合家庭期望的信念。
使用层次回归的统计分析表明，“家庭作为参照”和文化适应预测了孤独感，但不能预测社交网络。
本研究提出了在调查少数民族老年人孤独感预测因素时考虑文化价值观的重要性。
研究结果强调了在针对少数民族老年人孤独感的项目中，解决家庭期望的重要性。
