A Comparative Study of Social Support, Depression, and Life Satisfaction in the Urban and Rural Elderly;

일부 도시와 농촌 지역 노인의 사회적지지, 우울, 생활 만족도에 관한 비교 연구

Purpose: The study was carried out to identify the correlations among social support, depression and life satisfaction, and compare them between the rural and urban elderly. Method: The study participants included 57 rural elderly and 59 urban elderly, who were surveyed and interviewed using social support and depression. like satisfaction inventories by nursing students from May, 2002 to June, 2002. Result: The mean scores of social support and life satisfaction in the urban elderly were higher than those in the rural elderly. However, significant differences in the variables between the two elderly groups were not found. The mean score of depression in the rural elderly was higher than that in the urban elderly, but a significant difference between the two groups in depression was not found. Social support was significantly correlates with age, religion, health status in the urban elderly and with family in the rural elderly. Depression was significantly correlated with religion, monthly expenditure, health status in the both groups. Life satisfaction was significantly correlated with age. marital status, religion, monthly expenditure in the urban elderly and with health status in the rural elderly. Social support, depression and life satisfaction were correlated each other in the urban elderly. The significant correlations were found between depression and life satisfaction, and between social support and life satisfaction in the rural elderly. Conclusion: The results suggest that further replicated studies are needed with larger samples. Appropriate nursing interventions with the consideration of characteristics of the rural and urban elderly are needed and developed to improve their social support and depression.