Social support and life satisfaction among Hong Kong Chinese older adults: family first?
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Yeung GTY
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5546368 | biostudies-other | 2007 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Similar Datasets
Project description:The social adaptiveness of emotion regulation (ER) may differ across cultures due to different social values for the experience and expression of emotions. Specifically, suppression might disrupt social interactions among Germans, but not among Hong Kong Chinese (HKC) and Japanese, due to an emphasis on self-expression and authenticity in Western cultures. In the present study, we examined cultural differences in associations of ER strategies with life satisfaction and social support. Extending prior research, we also test whether social support functions as a mediator for relationships between ER strategies and life satisfaction within cultural groups. University students from Germany (N = 148), Hong Kong (N = 125), and Japan (N = 127) participated in our online survey. Moderation analyses revealed that suppression was related to lower life satisfaction and less social support among Germans, but not among HKC nor Japanese. Social support completely mediated the negative relationship between suppression and life satisfaction among Germans. Furthermore, for Germans and HKC, social support partially mediated the positive relationship between reappraisal and life satisfaction, and the negative relationship between rumination and life satisfaction. Our findings suggest that cultural differences in the associations between ER and well-being might be largely explained by the differential effect of ER strategies on social functioning and adaptation in the respective cultural context.
| S-EPMC8558612 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and objectivesWe developed a new group practice using strength- and meaning-based narrative therapy (NT) for older Chinese living in Hong Kong (HK), to enhance their life wisdom. This paper reports on the intervention and its short- and longer-term effectiveness.Research design and methodsA randomized waitlist-controlled trial was conducted. A total of 157 older adults were randomly recruited, of whom 75 were randomly assigned to the intervention group which received four 2-hr biweekly NT sessions using the "Tree of Life" metaphor. The others were placed on a waitlist. Perceived wisdom was assessed using the Brief Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale. Assessment occurred at baseline (T0), end of treatment (T1), and 4 (T2) and 8 months later (T3). Overtime effects of NT on wisdom scores were assessed using latent growth curve models with time-invariant covariates for impact.ResultsThe intervention (NT) group showed significant, sustainable overtime within-group improvement in perceived wisdom. Furthermore, when compared to the control group, the NT group showed significant immediate improvements in perceived wisdom [F(2.726, p = .041)], which were maintained at all follow-up points. This effect remained after controlling for age, gender, and educational level (T ML(11) = 17.306, p = .098, root mean square error of approximation = 0.079, comparative fit index = 0.960). No adverse reaction was recorded.Discussion and implicationsNT underpinned by a ToL methodology offers a new theory to understand, promote, and appreciate perceived wisdom in older Chinese living in HK. It contributes to psychotherapy and professional social work practice for older Chinese.
| S-EPMC8489428 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of our study was to identify the incidence rate of and the risk factors for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among Chinese older adults with multimorbidity in primary care in Hong Kong. Older adults aged 60 years and above with multimorbidity were recruited from the public primary care clinics in Hong Kong. Incidence rates were calculated with the person-years. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to predict the risk factors for MCI. Sensitivity analysis was performed using multiple imputation. Among 462 participants included in the main analysis, 45 progressed from normal to MCI with an incidence rate of 80.9 cases per 1000 person-years. Older age (HR 2.82, 95% CI 1.26-6.28) and being single (HR 2.15, 95% CI 1.11-4.19) were risk factors for developing MCI in the multivariable regression model. A total of 660 participants were included in the sensitivity analysis, with an MCI incidence of 114.4 cases per 1000 person-years. Older age and being single remained to be risk factors for MCI among older adults with multimorbidity. There may be a high incidence of MCI among Chinese older adults with multimorbidity in primary care in Hong Kong. Future larger studies need to confirm the prevalence and incidence of MCI among primary care Chinese patients.
| S-EPMC7057945 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Forty seven healthy HK-Chinese subjects between ages 18-30 were recruited. Subjects need to pass the McMonnies Questionnaire prior to the data collection. Visual functions and anterior ocular health were first assessed. One hour later, the subjects’ tear osmolalities were tested by the TearLab Osmometer. Tear samples were then collected by disposable microcapillary tubes. TripleTOF 6600 Mass Spectrometer was used to analyze the tear protein components.
2019-09-11 | PXD011864 | Pride
Project description:BackgroundIn observational studies moderate alcohol use reduces cardio-respiratory mortality. However observational studies may be biased by many factors including residual confounding by unmeasured differences between moderate alcohol users and other groups or by changes in alcohol use with ill-health and aging. We used two different analytic strategies in an under-studied population, i.e. southern Chinese, to provide an assessment of the specific impact of moderate alcohol use on mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).MethodsIn a population-based case-control study of all adult deaths in Hong Kong Chinese in 1998, we used adjusted logistic regression to compare alcohol use in decedents aged > or = 60 years from IHD (2270) and COPD (1441) with 10,320 living and 9043 dead controls (all non-alcohol related deaths). We also examined whether the association of alcohol use with death from IHD or COPD varied with sex or smoking status.ResultsUsing living controls and adjusted for age, socio-economic status and lifestyle, occasional and moderate alcohol use were generally associated with lower mortality from IHD and COPD. However, using dead controls the protection of occasional and moderate alcohol use appeared to be limited to ever-smokers for IHD (odds ratio (OR) 0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46 to 0.73 for moderate compared to never-use in ever-smokers, but OR 1.07, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.50 in never-smokers), and possibly to men for COPD. High alcohol use was associated with lower IHD mortality and possibly with lower COPD mortality.ConclusionHigh levels of alcohol use in an older Chinese population were associated with lower IHD mortality. Moderate alcohol use was less consistently protective against IHD mortality. Alcohol use was associated with lower COPD mortality particularly in men, either due to some yet to be clarified properties of alcohol or as the artefactual result of genetic selection into alcohol use in a Chinese population. Given the increasing use of alcohol in China with economic development, other designs and analytic strategies are needed to assess the impact of alcohol in this population, so that an evidence-based public health policy can be formulated.
| S-EPMC2649071 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThere is on one hand sufficient evidence showing strong association between resilience and self-rated successful aging. On the other hand, strength training could contribute the cultivation of resilience among older adults. Therefore, the current study aims to examine the effectiveness of resistance training on resilience among Chinese older adults in Hong Kong.MethodsThis study will apply a three-group, double blinded (outcome assessors and data analysts), randomized controlled trial (RCT) to examine the effectiveness of the interventions on resilience, functional fitness, and health related quality of life immediately after a 16-week intervention, as well as the residual effects 12 weeks after completion of the interventions.DiscussionIt is expected that resistance training is promising or even superior to aerobic training in the improvement of resilience. Given the limited evidence on the literature, it is urgently needed to explore the effects of resistance training on the improvement of resilience in older adults. Findings of the current study can contribute to the development of effective resistant training programs for the promotion of resilience among older adults.Trial registrationThe trial is registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov PRS (Trial ID: NCT04690465 ; Date of First Posted: 30/12/2020).
| S-EPMC8050886 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Functional and physical impairment are factors believed to lead to declined life satisfaction among older adults. This study aimed to examine life satisfaction among older adults and the influence of frailty. Baseline data from two studies addressing frail older adults aged 80+ in Gothenburg, Sweden, (n=577) were used. Frailty was measured through eight indicators. Life satisfaction was measured with Fugl-Meyer's instrument LiSat-11. Perceived life satisfaction was rather high within the studied population, with 66% being satisfied with life as a whole. Most life satisfaction items were significantly associated with frailty status, with non-frail participants being satisfied to a higher extent for all items with the exception of financial situation, sexual life and partnership relation. The factors significantly explaining life satisfaction were psychological health, partner relationship, leisure and ADL. This study shows that older adults' satisfaction with life as a whole is almost as high as in younger age groups. Respondents with higher degree of frailty reported significantly lower degrees of life satisfaction, indicating a possibility to maintain life satisfaction by preventing or delaying the development of frailty.
| S-EPMC4768568 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Postgraduate vocational training in family medicine (FM) is essential for physicians to build capacity and develop quality primary care. Inadequate standards in training and curriculum development can contribute to poor recruitment and retention of doctors in primary care. This study aimed to investigate: 1) the satisfaction level of doctors regarding vocational training in family medicine and associated demographics; and 2) the satisfaction level of doctors regarding their family medicine career and associated factors. METHOD:This is a cross sectional study of all family medicine physicians across all government-funded primary care clinics (GOPCs). The study questionnaire consisted of items from a standardized and validated physician survey named the Physician Worklife Survey (PWS) (Konrad et al., Med Care, 1999). We selected three scales (7 items) relating to global job satisfaction, global career satisfaction and global specialty (family medicine) satisfaction with additional items on training and demographics. All significant variables in bivariate analyses were further examined using stepwise logistic regression. RESULTS:Out of 424 eligible family medicine physicians, 368 physicians successfully completed the questionnaire. The response rate was 86.8%. Most participants were male (52.6%), were aged between 35 and 44?years (55.5%), were FM specialists (42.4%), graduated locally (86.2%), and had postgraduate qualifications. Eighty-two percent (82%) of participants were satisfied with their training. Having autonomy and protected time for training were associated with satisfaction with FM training. Satisfaction with family medicine as a career was correlated with physicians' satisfaction with their current job. Doctors who did not enroll in training (p?<?0.001) and physicians who were older (p?=?0.023) were significantly less satisfied. Stepwise multivariate regression showed that doctors who subjectively believed their training as "broad and in depth' had higher career satisfaction (p?<?0.001). CONCLUSION:Overall, the satisfaction level of physicians on current family medicine training in Hong Kong was high. Having autonomy and protected time for training is associated with higher training satisfaction levels. Perceiving FM training as "broad and in-depth" is associated with higher family medicine career satisfaction.
| S-EPMC6800987 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study describes the psychometric properties of a Hong Kong Chinese version of the short form of the Support Person's Unmet Needs Survey (SPUNS-SF) for caregivers of patients with cancer. A convenience sample of 280 patient-caregiver dyads was recruited between April and June 2018. A subsample of 70 caregivers completed the survey again, two weeks later. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) examined the instrument's factorial structure, ordinal alpha coefficients evaluated the internal consistency, and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) assessed the test-retest reliability. Convergence validity was evaluated by the correlations with sleep disturbance and caregiver burden in caregivers. The Hong Kong Chinese version of the SPUNS-SF (SPUNS-SFHKC) had a high completion rate of 96.8% (271/280) among caregivers. The original five-factor model provided an acceptable fit with the data in the CFA. The ordinal alpha coefficients were 0.866-0.945, and the two-week test-retest reliabilities were 0.524-0.678. The correlations of the five domains of the SPUNS-SFHKC with caregiver burden were 0.257-0.446, and for sleep disturbance were 0.075-0.464. The SPUNS-SFHKC has a suitable factor structure and psychometric properties for use in assessing unmet supportive needs among Chinese caregivers of patients with cancer. The applicability of the instrument for long-term use still needs to be studied.
| S-EPMC6862032 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundIn 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) affected 1,755 people in Hong Kong, including 386 health care professionals, some of whom were infected during resuscitation attempts of affected patients. This study seeks to explore whether this epidemic has altered the willingness of Hong Kong medical students to perform basic life support and mouth-to-mouth ventilation during an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.MethodsA questionnaire was used to survey Year 4 medical students at the end of their undergraduate anaesthesia attachment, during which basic life support (BLS) skills were taught. The survey was conducted during July and August 2003, approximately two months after Hong Kong was removed from the World Health Organisation SARS Infected Areas list, and was designed to examine student confidence in BLS skills, their perceptions of the risks associated with performing BLS and their willingness to perform BLS in varying situations.ResultsThe response rate was over 60% (35 from a possible 54). Students were positive regarding the adequacy of their BLS training. They were concerned about disease transmission during resuscitation but were less positive regarding whether the risks had increased due to SARS. In all situations they were significantly more likely to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation for a family member compared with a stranger (p < 0.001) and to withhold mouth-to-mouth ventilation if either vomit or blood were present in the victim's mouth.ConclusionsHong Kong medical students feel able to perform BLS if required. They are concerned about the risk of disease transmission, including SARS, during resuscitation, but would be more likely to withhold mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in the presence of vomit or blood than due to a fear of contracting SARS.
| S-EPMC7116926 | biostudies-literature