Li Jining, Cai Xinzhao, Wamsiedel Marius
Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215123, China.
Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L697ZX, UK.
BMC Geriatr. 2024 Dec 23;24(1):1033. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-05629-3.
Understanding and promoting healthy aging are increasingly important as China transitions into an aging society. Our study examines the challenges and opportunities faced by the older adults in urban areas regarding social engagement, potentially informing the development of effective, context-sensitive interventions and policies.
The study is based on in-depth interviews with 30 participants from a Northern city in Mainland China regarding their daily lives, attitudes towards and subjective experiences of aging, and involvement in social activities. The participants were selected through purposive sampling, with the aim to maximize the diversity of perspectives and experiences. The data was subjected to thematic analysis.
The factors that facilitate social engagement among the older adults in urban China include financial security, available free time, heightened health awareness, access to organized recreational activities, community amenities, and well-developed urban infrastructure. Among the barriers to social engagement for urban Chinese older adults, the study identifies physical limitations, chronic illnesses, shrinking social networks, institutional ageism, and limited digital literacy.
The social engagement of the older adults in urban China reflects and is influenced by the wider socio-economic transformation of the country in the recent decades. Financial security afforded by the pension system has lessened the older adults' need to engage in income-generating activities. Combined with an increase in leisure time, this represents a luxury previously unavailable to earlier generations. However, institutional ageism and low digital literacy are important constraints, particularly for the 'oldest old' and those with limited socio-economic status.
随着中国向老龄化社会转型，理解和促进健康老龄化变得越来越重要。我们的研究探讨了城市地区老年人在社会参与方面面临的挑战和机遇，这可能为制定有效的、因地制宜的干预措施和政策提供参考。
该研究基于对中国大陆北方一个城市的30名参与者进行的深入访谈，内容涉及他们的日常生活、对衰老的态度和主观体验以及参与社会活动的情况。参与者通过目的抽样法选取，旨在最大程度地增加观点和经历的多样性。对数据进行了主题分析。
促进中国城市老年人社会参与的因素包括经济保障、可自由支配的时间、增强的健康意识、有组织的娱乐活动、社区设施以及发达的城市基础设施。在阻碍中国城市老年人社会参与的因素中，该研究确定了身体限制、慢性病、社交网络萎缩、机构年龄歧视以及有限的数字素养。
中国城市老年人的社会参与反映了近几十年来该国更广泛的社会经济转型，并受到其影响。养老金制度提供的经济保障减轻了老年人从事创收活动的需求。再加上休闲时间的增加，这是前几代人以前无法享有的奢侈条件。然而，机构年龄歧视和低数字素养是重要的制约因素，特别是对于“最年长的老年人”和社会经济地位有限的人而言。
