Page 111 - GHES-2-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Social support and quality of life in Indian elderly

Similarly, Khan et al. (2014), in their investigation of the The findings of this study highlight that the participants
elderly population in rural Bangladesh using WHOQOL- perceived the highest social support from their families.
BREF, found that the social relationship domain had the This trend is possibly attributed to the robust family bonds
highest average score. Ghosh et al. (2014), in their study prevalent in Northern India, where familial connections
involving 132 older individuals in Burdwan Municipality, are integral and often serve as a significant form of social
reported the maximum mean score in the social domain. support. This outcome aligns with earlier research, such
In contrast, Praveen & Rani (2016), in their study involving as the study by Banovcinova & Baskova (2016), which
50 older individuals in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil also identified family as the primary source of perceived
Nādu, discovered that the domain of social relationships social support. A study from Pakistan conducted by
scored the lowest among all QOL domains. Likewise, Datta Naz et al. (2014) similarly emphasized the pivotal role
et al. (2015), in their research among older individuals in of family as the immediate source of social support.
the urban municipal zone of Sonarpur and Kolkata in However, it is important to note that there are variations
West Bengal, India, revealed that the average score in the in findings. For instance, Mahmoud et al. (2017) found
social domain was notably low. The outcomes of our study that patients perceived the highest social support from
revealed that the physical domain attained the lowest mean significant others. This discrepancy may be explained by
QOL score. Likewise, Mondal et al. (2020) also reported the nature of support provided to mental health patients;
the lowest mean score in the physical health domain where significant others such as doctors, nurses, clerks, or
among all four domains of QOL in their study. Conversely, partners play a crucial role in offering assistance beyond
Thadathil et al. (2015), in their study involving 220 elderly that provided by family members.
individuals using the WHOQOL-BREF scale in a rural The results observed in the present study emphasized
setting of Kerala, observed that the highest mean scores for noteworthy and statistically significant positive
QOL were identified in the domain of physical health. associations between overall QOL and the comprehensive
A study conducted by Sowmiya & Nagarani (2012), social support received from family, friends, and significant
involving 476 elderly individuals in Tamil Nadu, revealed others. This positive relationship underscores the
that the social relationships domain garnered the highest pivotal role that close relationships – family, friends, and
mean QOL score, while the physical domain obtained significant others – play in shaping individuals’ lives. Social
the lowest mean QOL score. Similarly, findings from support emerges as a crucial factor with a beneficial impact
the study by Qadri et al. (2013) in the Ambala district of on both the physical and psychological well-being of the
Haryana indicated that the domain with the greatest mean elderly population. It acts as a buffer against the adverse
QOL score was social interactions, contrasting with the effects of life stressors, fostering coping mechanisms
lowest mean QOL score observed in the physical domain. and resilience. These findings align with prior research.
Another investigation by Kumar & Shankar (2018) on 402 For instance, Mahmoud et al. (2017) found statistically
older residents in remote areas in the Varanasi district significant positive associations between perceived social
demonstrated that the mean score in the social relationship support and QOL among psychiatric patients in Egypt.
domain surpassed all other domains of QOL. These Yanos et al. (2001) similarly identified positive associations
consistent findings resonate with the results obtained in between social interactions and QOL among individuals
our present study. diagnosed with severe mental illness in the United States.
The present study indicates that people in their later In addition, Eom et al. (2013) observed that declined QOL
years continue to view their QOL as moderate, aligning was linked to lower perceived social support, while studies
with previous research findings (Ercan Şahin & Emiroğlu, by Smith et al. (2010) and Zhou et al. (2010) indicated that
2014; Arpaci et al., 2015; Altay et al., 2016). Furthermore, higher perceived social support correlated with elevated
our results reveal positive associations among the various QOL. Charles & Kulandai (2020) also found statistically
domains of QOL and with the total QOL score. In addition, significant positive associations between total QOL and
perceived social support from family, friends, and total social support, suggesting that individuals with higher
significant others exhibits positive correlations with each perceived social support scores exhibited a superior QOL.
other and with the overall perceived social support. This The results of the regression analysis conducted
finding is consistent with a study conducted in Egypt by by Şahin et al. (2019) further substantiate a positive
Banovcinova & Baskova (2016), which identified a positive relationship between MSPSS and QOL, with increased
correlation between all functional domains of QOL, total social support associated with improved QOL. Similarly,
QOL, and the total social support from family, friends, and Kumcagiz & Shahin (2017) identified a positive
significant others subscale. relationship between support from friends and family

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 7 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.2358