Differences in the Perception of Social Support Among Rural Area Seniors—A Cross-Sectional Survey of Polish Population

Paweł Chruściel, Teresa Kulik, Klaudia Jakubowska and Dorota Nalepa
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Paweł Chruściel: Department of Basic Nursing and Medical Teaching, Chair of Development in Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, Poland
Teresa Kulik: Chair of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Klaudia Jakubowska: Department of Basic Nursing and Medical Teaching, Chair of Development in Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, Poland
Dorota Nalepa: Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, State Higher Vocational School Memorial of Prof. Stanisław Tarnowski in Tarnobrzeg, 39-400 Tarnobrzeg, Poland

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: Introduction and objective : Social support constitutes an important determinant of an elderly person’s health and of functioning in his or her living environment. It depends on available support networks and the type of help received. Measurement of social support should encompass both its structure and the functions it fulfills, which enables detailed assessment of the phenomenon. The aim of the study was to compare the perception of social support among rural area seniors provided with institutional care with those living in a home setting. Material and method : Using the diagnostic survey method and the technique of the distribution of a direct questionnaire, 364 respondents from rural areas were examined: those living in an institutional environment ( n = 190) and those living in their home (natural) environment ( n = 174). The respondents were selected on the basis of a combined sampling method: proportionate, stratified, and systematic. Variables were measured with the following questionnaires: Courage Social Network Index (CSNI) and Social Support Scale (SSS). Results : The living environment has been proved to differentiate average values of support both in the structural and functional dimensions in a statistically significant way ( p < 0.001). An untypical phenomenon was higher average values pertaining to emotional bonds, frequency of direct contacts, and help received in the group of respondents living in an institutional environment. Conclusions : The living environment and demographic variables affect the perception of social support among elderly people. Full-time institutional care of a senior citizen leads to the deterioration of social support; therefore, keeping an elderly person in a home environment should be one of the primary goals of the senior policy.

Keywords: social support; social networks; elderly; long-term care; institutional care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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