Understanding social support and determinants of health in old age in South Africa using a mixed method approach.
Loading...
Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The study attempted to understand social support and determinants of health of people aged
60 years and older living in South Africa and provide a comprehensive definition of the
concept of old. This research was motivated by the fact that South Africa has witnessed an
increase in the proportion of older people. They have to live with threats inherent in the
demise of the extended family, their traditional support networks as well as the risk of being
marginalised as a result of modernisation and urbanisation. In the absence of alternative
social support, the elderly are left to fend for themselves. For decades, population aging has
been overlooked and there is nearly no empirical evidence on factors that affect health in old
age in Africa, let alone South Africa. Furthermore, there is no consensus on the concept of
old among scholars.
The study made use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the issue at hand.
For this study, both descriptive and explanatory research designs were used, drawing on 18
in-depth interviews from a primary study among participants in an old age home and a
nationally representative quantitative sample of publicly available data. The motivation for
this methodological approach was to improve the outcome of this study since strengths of one
data source will compensate for the weaknesses in the other source. A total of 3545
respondents aged 60 years and older who took part in NIDS wave 5, conducted in 2017, were
included in this study.
The findings from the in-depth interviews seem to suggest that the current concept of old was
flawed and irrelevant. Old age cannot be described using a one-size-fits-all approach, instead,
it is heterogeneous and depends on some factors including lifestyle. Old age was well
explained according to others and health played an important role in this regard. An older
person was regarded as a sickly individual who depended on others for performing activities
of daily living. In terms of gender, men and women were believed to age differently.
Moreover, from a cultural standpoint, the elderly were those who have procreated and lived
long enough to see their children becoming mature and independent members of the
community.
The elderly reported having at least one monthly medical appointment. The frequency of
visits to health care facilities was dependent on the number of medical conditions. It was
found that older people were affected by several conditions uncommon at younger ages and
some have been on medication for more than a decade. Despite the multiplicity of these
medical conditions, many older people were not living healthy.
Old age pension was found to be the main source of income of the households headed up by
the elderly. In becoming recipients of old age pensions, the elderly were able to keep their
medical appointments as they were able to afford taxi fare. The likelihood of receiving
emotional and instrumental support was higher than gifts and other donations. Adult children,
notably daughters and sons were the main source of support for their parents. It turned out
that childless older parents were less likely to receive gifts. Working adult children or family
members were more supportive than their unemployed counterparts. Social support was
associated with improved well-being and better health. This study could not confirm the
abandonment of the elderly highlighted by the modernisation and aging theory.
A great deal of ill-health in old age can be prevented by raising awareness about the positive
impact of a healthy lifestyle. Providing health care workers with adequate training and
making them knowledge about health challenges in old age is likely to change their
perception and care of older patients.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.