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The Role of Poverty on Depression and Self-Rated Health of Older Adults Living Alone: The Mediating Effect of Social Participation

독거노인의 빈곤이 우울과 주관적 건강상태에 미치는 영향: 사회참여의 매개효과 분석

  • Won, Seojin (Department of Social Welfare, Daegu Cyber University)
  • 원서진 (대구사이버대학교 사회복지학과)
  • Received : 2020.04.20
  • Accepted : 2020.06.05
  • Published : 2020.06.30

Abstract

This study aimed to address the effect of poverty on depression and self-rated health in older adults living alone in Korea. In addition, this study identified the mediating effect of social participation on the poverty-depression and poverty-self-rated health relationships. The researcher conducted a secondary data analysis using the 6th wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging. The final sample was 1,093 older adults living alone. Using structural equation modeling, standardized coefficients of each path were analyzed. Then, the statistical significance of the mediating effect of social participation was addressed via analyzing direct, indirect, and total effects. Results show that older adults under poverty were more depressed and had a lower level of self-rated health than their counterparts. Moreover, frequent participation in religious gatherings, social gatherings, and leisure activities decreased depression in older adults living alone. Moreover, religious gatherings, social gatherings, and alumni meetings were positively related to self-rated health om older adults living alone. Significant mediating effects appeared in poverty-social gathering-depression, poverty-social gathering-self-rated health, and poverty-alumni meeting-self-rated health relationships. Based on the results, the researcher also discussed implications for social work practice.

본 연구는 독거노인이 경험하는 빈곤이 이들의 우울과 주관적 건강상태에 미치는 영향을 분석하고, 빈곤과 우울, 빈곤과 주관적 건강상태의 관계에서 사회참여의 매개효과를 파악하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 고령화연구패널조사의 6차년도 자료를 이용하여 2차자료 분석하였으며, 최종 모형에 포함된 연구대상은 60세 이상 독거노인 1,093명이다. 구조방정식을 통해 빈곤, 사회참여, 우울과 주관적 건강상태의 상호관계를 분석하고자 STATA 15.0을 이용하여 각 경로에 대해 표준화된 계수를 구하고, 효과분해를 통해 매개효과의 통계적 유의성을 검증하였다. 연구결과 빈곤은 독거노인의 우울과 주관적 건강상태에 영향을 미쳐, 빈곤독거노인이 비빈곤독거노인보다 우울감은 더 느끼고, 건강상태는 더 나쁘다고 인식하고 있었다. 사회참여활동 중 종교모임, 친목모임, 여가문화스포츠모임에 활발히 참여하는 독거노인은 참여도가 낮은 독거노인에 비해 우울감이 낮았다. 종교모임, 친목모임, 동창회모임의 참여도가 높은 독거노인의 주관적 건강상태가 참여도가 낮은 독거노인에 비해 좋았다. 친목모임의 참여도는 빈곤과 우울, 빈곤과 주관적 건강상태의 관계를 매개하였으며, 동창회모임의 참여도는 빈곤과 주관적 건강상태의 관계에서 통계적으로 유의한 매개효과가 있었다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 독거노인의 우울을 감소하고 주관적 건강상태를 증진시키기 위한 방법으로 사회참여 활성화방안을 제시하였다.

Keywords

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