Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak caused health and social crises to all, particularly among older adults, who experienced worsened physical health, reduced social connectedness, and COVID-19 concerns. This study examines whether social support mediates the correlation between COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns and self-rated physical health among older adults in the United States. This study used data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) COVID-19 sub-study conducted in 2019-20.The study had a sample size of 2672 participants (response rate=58%), aged 50-99 years (mean=67.71). A mediation analysis was employed using PROCESS Procedure from SPSS Version 4.2, employing Model 4. Results showed that concern about COVID-19 concern significantly predicted lower perceived social support (b = -0.0397, p < .001) and worse SRPH (b = -0.0536, p < .001). The direct effect remained significant and negative (b = -0.0536, p < .001, the indirect effect through perceived social support is significant and negative (b = -0.0045, 95% CI [-0.0078, -0.0014], p = .006). Among the covariates, only marital status showed a significant negative association with perceived social support (b = -0.0318, p < .001).
Presenters
Swasati HandiqueStudent, Master of Arts in Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, Texas, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Aging, Intergenerational Solidarity and the Polycrisis
KEYWORDS
COVID-19, Pandemic, Social support, Older adults, Health
