Search

Objective: Using a published quality of life model, to investigate the moderating roles played by social functioning and post-stroke depression in buffering the relationship between physical functioning and life satisfaction among elderly Chinese stroke survivors. Design: Cross-sectional survey through face-to-face interviews. Setting: Fangshan district of the Beijing Municipality in China. Participants: A representative random sample of 511 community-dwelling elderly Chinese stroke survivors aged 60 years or above. In total, 127 participants were categorized as stroke survivors with clinical depression and 384 without. Measures: Satisfaction With Life Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, International Residential Assessment Instrument Activities of Daily Living Hierarchy scale, International Residential Assessment Instrument Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Performance scale, De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and Lubben Social Network Scale. Results: Analyses revealed that the unique variance shown by social functioning (16%) is more important than physical functioning (5%) or depressive symptoms (12%) in promoting life satisfaction among all elderly stroke survivors. The moderation model denotes the interaction effect between depressed mood and physical functioning (β =.152 to.176, p <.001) for all stroke survivors. For stroke survivors without clinical depression, loneliness (β =.264 to.287, p <.001) and social support (β =.115 to.151, p <.05) buffered the relationship between physical functioning and life satisfaction; whereas for those with clinical depression, only loneliness (β = -.264 to.236, p <.05) moderated the corresponding relationship. Conclusions: Social functioning and post-stroke depression buffered the relationship between physical dependence and life satisfaction among elderly Chinese stroke survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia is ageing fast. To develop more effective health promotion initiatives among older adults, more knowledge of the environmental correlates of physical activity is needed. However, research in this age group is rare, and most existing studies have been conducted within Western contexts. The present study explores the interaction effects of objective neighbourhood environment and satisfaction with neighbourhood environment on leisure‐time physical activity in older adults in Beijing, China. This study follows a cross‐sectional design and involves older adults aged 65 years and over. The questionnaire was collected in 2018 and 2,061 older adults living in Yanshan, Beijing, China were included in the analysis. Linear regression was applied to examine the effects. The findings show that residents who live in places with higher levels of walkability, or those who are more satisfied with neighbourhood environment (either path/road/street condition or recreational resources) spent significantly longer participating in leisure‐time physical activity. However, the objective neighbourhood accessibility of recreational resources was not a significant factor of physical activity. Satisfaction with neighbourhood recreational resources can significantly moderate the relationship between objective neighbourhood accessibility of recreational resources and leisure‐time physical activity respectively. This is the first study conducted in China examining the relationships between objective neighbourhood environment, satisfaction with neighbourhood environment and leisure‐time physical activity among older adults. This study may have implications for urban planning and service provision planning. The design of built environments that considers quality rather than only quantity can play a significant role in improving older adults' leisure‐time physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to validate the newly developed Filial Piety Scale for Chinese Elders (FPSCE) in measuring elders' filial norms in contemporary China by administering questionnaire survey with 521 elders aged 70 years and older in Beijing, China. Validity and reliability tests were applied. Through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, a conceptually meaningful three-factor model with 12 items was obtained, consisting of "caring for parents," "familial entirety," and "familial aspiration." The FPSCE showed good internal consistency, satisfactory discriminant validity, criterion-related validity, and significant correlations for some variables related to demographic characteristics, health status, and financial condition. The construction of the FPSCE indicates that elders' understanding of filial piety and their expectation of their children may have changed. The FPSCE shows that contemporary elders in China hold less authoritative but more reciprocal stances toward filial piety. The FPSCE can be used to advance the contextualized understanding of filial piety in contemporary Chinese societies, to help facilitate the development of family-friendly policies in aging societies, and to meet the challenges associated with an accelerating aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the ascending turnover rate among social workers in China, this article presents the idea, based on social identity theory, that professional identity is an important factor influencing turnover rate. Employing structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques, the study found that professional identity was negatively associated with social workers' turnover intentions, and that social workers' job satisfaction mediated the relationship between professional identity and their turnover intentions. The findings suggest that more work needs to be done on social work education and public image construction in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mid-1990s China introduced a means-test cash benefit called the Minimum Living Standard Guarantee System ( dibao). Alongside the increases in both the number of beneficiaries and the budget, there is growing public concern that dibao is creating welfare dependency. Using survey data collected in three cities in China, we investigated to what extent dibao beneficiaries look for work. Focus group discussions were held with programme administrators and beneficiaries. While headline figures suggest that a considerable proportion of beneficiaries are of working-age and able to work, their personal and household circumstances are important factors in determining their long-term unemployment. There are also dibao design issues that have created financial disincentives to work. The specific origins of the policy of addressing the problem created by layoffs of inefficient state-owned enterprises are still affecting the implementation of the programme and preventing it from playing a significant role in poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]