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http://dx.doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2017.18.12.443

The Effects of the Stress of Elderly People Living Alone in Urban Areas on the Quality of Life: With a Focus on the Mediating Effect of Social Support  

Gim, hyoung-gee (Dept. of Social Welfare, Hansei University)
Publication Information
Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society / v.18, no.12, 2017 , pp. 443-451 More about this Journal
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to examine ways to improve the quality of life of elderly people living alone in urban areas by identifying their stress, social support, and quality of life as well as analyzing the relationships between these factors. In this research, a questionnaire survey was conducted for approximately two weeks including 232 elderly people aged 65 years and above who were using 10 senior welfare centers in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. The results of the analysis based on the collected data showed that of the stresses experienced by elderly people living alone in urban areas, the stresses of health, family, and psychological and social stresses had negative effects on social support and quality of life. Also, it was found that the social support of elderly people living alone had positive effects on the quality of life. Additionally, it was found that social support had a mediating effect in the relationship between stress and quality of life of elderly people living alone in urban areas. In other words, social support plays a buffer role in enhancing the quality of life regarding health, family, economy, and psychological and social stresses. This research has significant implications in that it was conducted on elderly people living alone, since elderly people living alone are not only under more stressful circumstances in a vulnerable environment than other seniors but also their quality of life is much lower. The implications of this research are that, from a social point of view, these elderly people living alone should no longer be neglected and that differentiated policy interventions for elderly people living alone is required.
Keywords
Elderly people Living alone; Stress; The quality of life; Social support; Mediating effect;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 3  (Citation Analysis)
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