Social support is a strong predictor of social well-being. Older people are key providers of social support to others, but an overemphasis on received social support in gerontological literature portrays them as mere recipients. We examined the association between social support provided by older people and its influence on their social well-being. Data were collected from 369 respondents residing in rural dwellings in Kitui County using mixed methods and were analyzed for association using chi-square statistics. Instrumental, emotional, and information support provision was determined by asking four questions in each category about whether the respondents provided social support to close network members. The subjective experience of support provision using a satisfaction question for each domain of social support was used to determine the influence of providing social support on the social well-being of older people. Provision of social support across the three domains was found to be significantly associated with social well-being. The level of statistical significance was highest for emotional and information support compared to instrumental support. Older people are important providers of social support. The majority of those who provided social support reported being satisfied. Therefore, offering social support, especially emotional and information support, is an important contributor to satisfaction with these aspects of social well-being.
Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether there are gender differences in the association between three domains of received social support and satisfaction with life among older persons in Kitui County, Kenya. Methods: This study utilized the convergent parallel mixed method design, cluster sampling technique and included 396 persons aged 60 and over derived through the Yamane formula. Satisfaction with life was measured using the single-item life satisfaction measure. Social support included one item from each of the three domains of instrumental, emotional, and informational support pervasive in previous studies of social support. Chi-square statistics were used to determine the gender differences in the association between received social support and satisfaction with life. Results: Regardless of the older person's gender, social support was significantly associated with life satisfaction, making it a crucial element of their quality of life.
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