Gender Differences in the Relationship of Social Activity and Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Taiwanese Elders

Abstract

This study explores the gender differences in the relationship between social activity and quality of life (QOL). A cross-sectional survey of 220 community-dwelling elderly people was conducted in southern Taiwan. Social activity was classified into six categories. The brief version of the World Health Organization QOL (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to measure QOL. Findings revealed that the associations of six types of social activities with QOL were weaker among women than men. The regression analyses further showed that for women, only religious activity was positively related to total QOL, while for men only involvement in formal group activity was positively related to total QOL.

Keywords:

• gender
• social activity
• quality of life
• elderly

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by the Taiwan National Science Council (NSC 96-2516-S-006-003) and National Cheng Kung University project of promoting academic excellence and developing world-class research (D96-1100). We thank Professor Joy Johnson and Professor Susan Fetzer for their invaluable contribution in revising this manuscript.