Liu Chang, Zhou Shuai, Bai Xue
Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Institute of Active Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Psychol. 2022 Aug 9;13:930857. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.930857. eCollection 2022.
A positive attitude toward later life is crucial for wellbeing among older adults. Maintaining a healthy relationship with adult children can help reduce older parents' sense of loneliness and nurture a positive life attitude. This study aimed to investigate the associations between multidimensional intergenerational relationship quality and attitudes toward later life among aging Chinese adults in Hong Kong and examine the mediating effects of a sense of loneliness. Representative survey data were collected from 801 participants (aged 50 years and over) with at least one adult child. Multiple linear regression was employed to investigate the associations between overall intergenerational relationship quality with a sense of loneliness as well as the attitude toward later life. To examine the mediating effects of a sense of loneliness, causal mediational analyses were performed. Results demonstrated that overall intergenerational relationship quality was positively associated with aging parents' attitude toward later life, and this relationship could be partially mediated by a sense of loneliness. Among the four subdomains of intergenerational relationship quality, the influences of structural-associational solidarity and intergenerational conflict on attitude toward later life were almost fully mediated by a sense of loneliness, whereas the influences of consensual-normative solidarity and affectual closeness were partially mediated. These findings contributed to an improved understanding of the relationship between intergenerational relationship quality, sense of loneliness, and attitude toward later life, and could inform future policies and service programs that promote aging adults' social integration and positive aging.
对晚年持积极态度对老年人的幸福感至关重要。与成年子女保持健康的关系有助于减轻老年父母的孤独感，并培养积极的生活态度。本研究旨在调查香港老年中国成年人多维代际关系质量与对晚年态度之间的关联，并检验孤独感的中介作用。从801名至少有一个成年子女的参与者（年龄在50岁及以上）中收集了代表性调查数据。采用多元线性回归来研究整体代际关系质量与孤独感以及对晚年态度之间的关联。为了检验孤独感的中介作用，进行了因果中介分析。结果表明，整体代际关系质量与老年父母对晚年的态度呈正相关，这种关系可以部分由孤独感介导。在代际关系质量的四个子领域中，结构 - 关联团结和代际冲突对晚年态度的影响几乎完全由孤独感介导，而共识 - 规范团结和情感亲密的影响则部分由孤独感介导。这些发现有助于更好地理解代际关系质量、孤独感和对晚年态度之间的关系，并可为促进老年人社会融合和积极老龄化的未来政策和服务项目提供参考。
