Bidang Kajian : Warga Emas
Pelajar/Pengkaji Oleh: Nur Diyana Asyiqin Binti Khairi
Alamat Emel: nurdiyanaasyiqin99@gmail.com
Tarikh: 04/09/2023
Abstrak Kajian
Introduction: Social support has become a significant determinant of quality of life (QOL) among older people. However, there was insufficient study and information regarding social support and quality of life among elderly living in institutions in Malaysia. Thus, this study aims to determine the association between perceived social support and quality of life (QOL) among elderly living in institutions. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 118 older people who lived at Rumah Seri Kenangan Cheras, Selangor and Rumah Seri Kenangan, Taiping, Perak. They completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment – Brief Version (WHOQOL-Bref) which measured levels of perceived social support and the quality of life (QoL), respectively. Results: Findings indicated the elderly received moderate social support from family and friends. While the environment domain of quality of life (QoL) had the highest mean score and the social domain had the lowest mean score. From the results, it shows that there was a relationship between perceived social support and all domains of quality of life (QoL). It was found that social support was associated with age, however there was no significant difference among the elderly. Next, there were no significant differences between social support with gender, marital status, educational background and working history. However, it was found that financial support has significant differences among the elderly living in institutions. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the elderly received moderate social support which the majority received from friends, followed by family support and significant others. This study also reported that the social support perceived by older people has no significant difference with the demographic factors except for financial support. Nevertheless, it remains crucial to ensure that the elderly population receive adequate and continuous social support from their surroundings to enhance a better quality of life.
Keywords: Social support, Elderly, Quality of Life, Institution