Family and social support, and quality of life: factors explaining reception of help and care among older adults in Spain, 2008-2011

FERNANDEZ-MAYORALAS, G.; TALAVERA, J.C.; ROJO-PEREZ, F.; RODRIGUEZ-RODRIGUEZ, V.; FORJAZ, M.J.; PRIETO FLORES, M.E.; ROJO-ABUIN, J. M.

Congreso; XII Quality of Life Conference; 2014

International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies

Introduction. Family and social network are two essential dimensions for quality of life, particularly when ageing involves need of family and social support. Within this context, this study aims to analyse factors explaining reception of help and care among older adults in Spain, comparing data from 2008 and 2011.Sources and methods. Two highly comparable cross-sectional data sources, collected in 2008 (CadeVima-Spain project, n=1106) and 2011 (The Ageing in Spain Longitudinal Study-Pilot Survey-ELES project, n=917 - 60 years and more, weighted cases -), were used. Objective and subjective indicators of the most important quality of life dimensions (health and functioning, family and social network, economic resources, and leisure activities), as well as sociodemographic features and residential characteristics, were considered in groups of independent variables. Reception of help/care was the dependent variable, based on need for performing activities of daily living (ADL) in 2008 (23 items) and in 2011 (24 items). Descriptive statistical analysis (Chi-Square and t-Test) and Logistic Regression Analysis (LRA) (Nagelkerke pseudo R2) were carried out. Partial LRA was run for each group of independent variables, controlling by age and gender, in order of selecting significant variables to be included in a final LRA for each year.Results. Of the interviewed people, 23.2% and 14.9% reported having received help/care for performing their ADL in 2008 and 2011, respectively. Both in 2008 and 2011 the main effect came from functioning variables (pseudo R2 = .736 and .516, respectively). By order of entering in the final model, in 2008 were included: number of ADL needing help (instrumental activities, self-care, and mobility outwards), age, diseases, educational level, and frequency of contacts with family and friends (valid cases = 987; pseudo R2 = .757), indicating that reception of care was associated with needing help in ADL, being older, having more diseases, a lower level of education, and more contacts with family and social network. The final model for 2011 incorporated: number of ADL needing help (instrumental activities, and mobility outwards), age, gender, perceived health status, and facilities in the building (valid cases = 638; pseudo R2 = .501), showing that reception of care was also associated with needing help in ADL and being older, as well as being women, perceiving worse their health status, and having more facilities in the building.Conclusions. Although the dependent variables were no strictly comparable, results remained stable between 2008 and 2011, revealing that the most significant factor for receiving care was need of help for ADL. Self-perceived health status and number of diseases also can act as need variables. Age, educational level or sex, all seem to predispose for receiving help. Contacts with family and friends, as well as number of facilities in the building could act as enabling factors. A better fit was found for the model in 2008 than in 2011 and objective indicators were more important than subjective indicators, with the exception of self-perceived health status. The use of two cross-sectional data sources could limit the results from a longitudinal perspective.