BACKGROUND

Health promoting lifestyle (HPL) may be a facilitator for empty nesters' active aging against depression. Social support (SS) may improve their HPL. This study aimed to examine moderating effect of SS and its three sources of SS on relationship between depression and HPL among empty nesters. The compensating role of socioeconomic status (SES) for lack of SS was examined, too.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of empty nesters (n = 1593) was conducted in six districts of Taiyuan, China, using a stratified random cluster sampling method. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess moderation models by SS and its three sources.

RESULTS

The findings indicated that low depression (p < 0.001) and sufficient perceived SS (p < 0.001) could directly predict better HPL among empty nesters. The effect of SS on HPL declined with the raise of educational level (p < 0.001). Family support (β = 0.083, p < 0.001), friends support (β = 0.085, p < 0.001) and others support (β = 0.098, p < 0.001) expressed significant negative buffer effects on depression and HPL individually.

LIMITATIONS

There was a cross-sectional study that limited the moderating effect of SS on depression and HPL just for empty nesters in Taiyuan, China. The results cannot explain the causal relationships among the study variables.

CONCLUSIONS

SS might be a protective factor of empty nesters' health in China. Three sources of SS all showed moderating effect on the relationship between depression and HPL among empty nesters, and should be integrated to achieve maximum utility. Friends support/ others support could play complement role for lack of family support. SES expressed partial compensatory for lack of SS.