Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2022 Mar 4;20(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s12955-022-01931-z.
Extensive studies have confirmed social support as a critical protective factor of people's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and subjective well-being (SWB). However, health promoting behaviors as a potential mechanism and age differences in this mechanism has received fewer attention. This study aims to examine the associations among social support, health promoting behaviors, HRQoL and SWB in older and younger persons in Hong Kong.
A convenience sample of both younger (12-35 years old) and older persons (55 years old and above) were recruited from three non-government organizations to complete a survey. Structural Equation Model (SEM) was conducted to test both the measurement model and structural models to examine the relationship between social support, health promoting behaviors, HRQoL and SWB. Multi-group SEM was also performed and compared to test whether there were significant age differences in the pathways between the key variables.
A final sample of 408 participants (older-persons: N = 200 (mean age: 71.63 (8.16); 180/200 female), younger-persons: N = 208 (mean age: 18.10 (5.04); 155/208 female) were included in the final analysis. Results showed that social support was positively associated with SWB directly and indirectly through health promoting behaviors for the whole sample (CFI = .95, IFI = .94, RMSEA = .07, SRMR = 0.056). Results suggested that the association between the variables differed across age samples. While social support showed a positive association with health promoting behaviors for both younger and older persons, how each of them associated with HRQoL and SWB was different.
Findings suggest that the pathway which social support linked with HRQoL and SWB might differ across age groups. Age-specific strategies should be considered when promoting HRQoL and SWB among the younger and older population.
大量研究证实，社会支持是人们健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）和主观幸福感（SWB）的关键保护因素。然而，健康促进行为作为一种潜在机制以及这种机制在年龄上的差异，受到的关注较少。本研究旨在探讨香港老年人和年轻人的社会支持、健康促进行为、HRQoL 和 SWB 之间的关系。
本研究从三个非政府组织招募了年轻人（12-35 岁）和老年人（55 岁及以上）的方便样本，让他们完成一项调查。采用结构方程模型（SEM）检验测量模型和结构模型，以检验社会支持、健康促进行为、HRQoL 和 SWB 之间的关系。还进行了多组 SEM 并进行了比较，以检验关键变量之间的路径是否存在显著的年龄差异。
最终纳入 408 名参与者（老年人：N=200（平均年龄：71.63（8.16）；180/200 名女性），年轻人：N=208（平均年龄：18.10（5.04）；155/208 名女性）。结果表明，社会支持与 SWB 直接相关，通过健康促进行为间接相关，这在整个样本中均成立（CFI=.95，IFI=.94，RMSEA=.07，SRMR=0.056）。结果表明，变量之间的关联在不同年龄样本中存在差异。虽然社会支持与年轻人和老年人的健康促进行为呈正相关，但它们与 HRQoL 和 SWB 的关联方式不同。
研究结果表明，社会支持与 HRQoL 和 SWB 之间的联系途径可能因年龄组而异。在促进年轻人和老年人的 HRQoL 和 SWB 时，应考虑年龄特定的策略。
