Relationship Between Square Dancing and Meaning in Life Among Older Adults: Examining an Age-Based Moderation Model.

PURPOSE: Square dancing may help older adults experience meaning in life (MIL). However, it remains unclear how square dancing facilitates MIL. To address this question, we examined whether participation frequency, transcendent experiences, and social support correlated positively with MIL, and whether age moderated the correlation between transcendent experiences and MIL. METHOD: We studied 268 older adults using in-person surveys to collect data on age, participation frequency, transcendent experiences, social support, and MIL. We analyzed data using hierarchical regression. RESULTS: High frequency of participation and high levels of transcendent experiences and social support simultaneously predicted high levels of MIL, and age decreased the positive relationship between transcendent experiences and MIL. CONCLUSION: Based on the hierarchical regression results, we recommend strategies to increase older adults' MIL by providing square dancing opportunities; working with them to improve square dancing skills that facilitate transcendent experiences; and guiding them in seeking sources of social support. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 17(3), 141-147.].

Do walking and social support always relate to autonomic nervous system function in later life? Reexamining an age-based moderating model.

Although walking and social support relate to healthy function of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in later life, it is unclear whether age groups moderate the relationships of walking frequency and social support with ANS function. To address this area of limited research, we conducted a cross-sectional study with 300 older adults to examine these moderating relationships. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that walking frequency and social support correlated positively with ANS function. The correlation between walking frequency and ANS function was moderated by age groups, but that between social support and ANS function was not. Therefore, increasing frequency of walking and levels of social support should be considered critical elements of healthy ANS function in later life. However, increasing frequency of walking may be ineffective for old-old adults. We recommend that healthcare practitioners guide old-old adults in seeking sources of social support to promote ANS function.

Gratitude Strengthens the Relationship Between Leisure Social Support and Self-Rated Health Among Nursing Home Residents.

A central outcome indicator of person-oriented services in primary health care is self-rated health (SRH). Therefore, promoting SRH among nursing home residents is valuable. We examined whether demographic variables, gratitude, and leisure social support (LSS) related to SRH, and whether gratitude moderated the relationship between LSS and SRH. To collect demographic information and measure gratitude, LSS, and SRH, we conducted face-to-face interviews with 237 participants from four nursing homes in Taiwan. We used hierarchical regression analysis to examine data. Results demonstrated that duration of residence, gratitude, and LSS predicted SRH, and that gratitude interacted with LSS. We discuss implications of these results in terms of facilitating gratitude to promote SRH among nursing home residents and guiding them to seek sources of LSS. In particular, we further discuss how gratitude strengthens the relationship between LSS and SRH. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(2), 23-30.].

Relationships of leisure social support and flow with loneliness among nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic: An age-based moderating model.

Identifying predictors of loneliness is important to develop interventions that help older adults residing in nursing homes reduce their loneliness, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we examined whether leisure social support and flow (also identified as optimal experience) were predictive of loneliness, and whether age moderated the relationship between flow and loneliness. In total, 235 nursing home residents, aged 65 years or older, participated in our study. We conducted in-person surveys to measure their age, leisure social support, flow, and loneliness as well as used multiple linear regression analysis to analyze data. Results indicated that high levels of leisure social support and flow predicted low levels of loneliness. However, age decreased the negative relationship between flow and loneliness. We discuss implications of these results in terms of reducing loneliness, without depending highly on the presence of others, during times of social isolation associated with responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.