Page 105 - GHES-2-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Exploring the relationship between perceived

social support and quality of life among Indian
elderly population: A cross-sectional study

Mukesh Kumar Gupta * , Dewaram A. Nagdeve , and Jitendra Kumar 2
1
1
1 Department of Fertility and Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Economics, School of Management, Pondicherry Central University, Kalapet,
Puducherry, India

Abstract

The function of society is vital in influencing the quality of life (QOL) for the
elderly population. With this context, the influence of perceived social support on
enhancing the QOL among the geriatric population is substantial. This study sought
to explore the relationship between perceived social support and QOL, employing a
descriptive correlational study method. A multi-stage random sampling method was
employed, involving 476 elderly persons. Data collection was conducted utilizing
three organized interview schedules: The World Health Organization Quality of Life
Scale (BREF version), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a
Academic editor: sociodemographic questionnaire. Data were tabulated and subsequently analyzed
Mihajlo Jakovljevic M.D. Ph.D. MAE
using STATA version 16.0, with categorical data presented as percentages (%) and
*Corresponding author: quantitative data as mean ± standard deviation. The ages of the respondents ranged
Mukesh Kumar Gupta
(mukesh21@iipsindia.ac.in) from 60 to 96 years. Pearson correlation analysis assessed the associations among
numerical variables, with statistical significance set at a p ≤ 0.05. The findings revealed
Citation: Gupta, M.K., Nagdeve, that physical health-related QOL was lower among the elderly participants, while
D.A. & Kumar, J. (2024). Exploring
the relationship between perceived social relationship QOL was the highest. More importantly, the family emerged as
social support and quality of life the primary source of social support. Significant positive correlations were identified
among Indian elderly population: A between total QOL and total social support, emphasizing the pivotal role of social
cross-sectional study. Global Health
Econ Sustain, 2(3):2358. support in enhancing the well-being of the elderly. The study highlighted that active
https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2358 social engagement is instrumental in mitigating age-related health issues. Through
Received: December 2, 2023 the sharing of experiences, elderly individuals can support each other, derive
meaning in life, and collectively improve their QOL. By fostering social connections
Accepted: March 7, 2024 and encouraging open communication, these strategies can contribute to a more
Published Online: August 1, 2024 fulfilling and healthier life for the elderly population.
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Perceived social support; Quality of life; Elderly population; Siwan; India
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience The elderly population has been rising for decades across the globe (United Nations,
Publishing remains neutral with 2020). Advances in medical science and technology, as well as early detection, treatment,
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional and prevention of diseases, have contributed to a decrease in mortality and an increase in
affiliations. average lifespan. These advancements in preventative healthcare have led to an extended

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2358