Association between frailty and life satisfaction among older people in Shandong, China: the differences in age and general self‐efficacy

Abstract

Background Frailty and other functional declines may be related to life satisfaction (LS) in the general elderly population. This study aims to investigate the association between frailty and LS among older individuals (age ≥60) and the impacts of age and general self‐efficacy on the relationships. Methods Using data from the 2017 Survey of the Shandong elderly Family Health Service, a cross‐sectional study was conducted and 7070 older people aged 60+ were analysed. LS was measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. A Frailty Index (ranged 0~1) was determined as a proportion of accumulated deficits over 51 categories. General self‐efficacy was measured using the Chinese version of the General Self‐Efficacy Scale. Multiple weighted linear regression was used to examine possible relationships between the research variables. Results There was a negative association between frailty and LS. A dose–response‐type relationship between net income and LS was observed. The interaction between frailty and age was found to be significantly associated with LS. Frailty has a stronger negative impact on LS among the young‐old (60–69 years) than among the middle‐old (70–79 years) and old‐old (80+ years), which suggests a protective effect of ageing on LS reduction due to frailty. However, this protective effect was observed among individuals with low and medium level self‐efficacy. Conclusions The relationship between frailty and LS generally weaken with age. The higher level of general self‐efficacy may provide a partial buffer against the negative impact of frailty on LS. Interventions that target to prevent and manage frailty should consider being prioritised among the young‐old population. Development of self‐efficacy could serve as an important strategy to buffer the negative effect of frailty on LS among older people.

Development and Assessment of the Validity and Reliability of the Short-Form Life Satisfaction Index (LSI-SF) among the Elderly Population

“…Our study showed a significant relationship between spousal status and LS, and previous research also pointed to a negative correlation between LS and lack of a spouse [ 46 ]. Greater frailty in an older person was correlated with lower LS, which was consistent with a previous finding that frailty state was negatively correlated with LS [ 47 ].…”

Gender Difference in General Self-Efficacy among Young-Old Elderly Aged 60–74 in Rural Shandong China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…We focused on the elderly aged 60-74 as young-old in combination with domestic and foreign studies [20][21][22]. The middle-old and oldest-old tend to focus on having peace of mind and the absence of anger, in spite of them being older and having more health-related problems, they rate their health more positively than the young-old, and they are also less affected by negative emotions than the young-old [23][24][25]. The young-old take up a considerable proportion of the elderly.…”

The effects of modified problem-solving therapy on depression, coping, and self-efficacy in elderly nursing home residents

“…Self-efficacy is a subjective judgement of an individual's own ability to behave judgment. Studies have revealed that the elderly with low self-efficacy have less confidence in handling daily events and less willing to partake in social activities, thus becoming lonely and depressed (Qin et al, 2020). Due to diminishing family support, changing interpersonal relationships, and adjustment to new environments, the elderly in nursing homes are prone to experience lower self-efficacy (Olsen et al, 2015;Könner et al, 2016).…”

“…The higher the total score, the higher the patient's self-efficacy level. This scale is a commonly used self-efficacy scale for the elderly at home and abroad, and the Chinese version of the scale has a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.81, which is suitable for screening self-efficacy of the Chinses elderly (Qin et al, 2020).…”