Social participation, neighborhood, and subjective well-being of Chinese elderly

Abstract

This dissertation includes three essays that examine how social participation and neighborhood affect the subjective well-being of the elderly population in Chinese societies. The first essay examines how socioeconomic development influences the relative importance of living with children and social participation in enhancing subjective well-being among the elderly in Hong Kong, urban China, and Taiwan. It reveals that as the family value of society moves forward on a traditional-modern continuum, the elderly may benefit more psychologically from social participation and less from living with children. The second essay investigates the association between neighborhood characteristics and depression among Hong Kong elderly. It finds that neighborhood elderly centers that encourage social participation and personal interaction play a significant role in reducing depressive symptoms. The beneficial effect is greater among disadvantaged older populations living in low-socioeconomic-status (SES) neighborhoods. The third essay presents a theoretical framework for explaining how neighborhood affects depression among the elderly in Shanghai. It finds that social cohesion is an important mechanism for the neighborhood effect. Older people living in a less well-off neighborhood interact more frequently with neighbors and then perceive a higher level of social cohesion. Neighborhood elderly centers could enhance social cohesion by providing opportunities for social participation. Social cohesion, in turn, leads to a lower rate of depression.

Date of Award	2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology