Frontiers in psychiatry
Perceived autonomy, family cohesion, and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults in China: a cross-sectional study
By Hua J, Zhang Y, Chen Y and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Loneliness is a significant public health concern among older adults and is associated with various adverse physical and psychological outcomes. Self-determination theory suggests that autonomy satisfaction may coexist with more voluntary engagement and emotional connectedness in family relationships. Few studies have examined the association between autonomy, family cohesion, and loneliness among Chinese community-dwelling older adults.
Objective
This study examined the direct association between perceived autonomy and loneliness and the indirect association through family cohesion among community-dwelling older adults in China.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among community-dwelling older adults in China. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires, including the Chinese version of the Perceived Autonomy Scale, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales II, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. PROCESS Macro (model 4) for SPSS was used to examine the indirect association between perceived autonomy and loneliness through family cohesion while adjusting for covariates. The significance of the indirect association was tested using 5,000 bootstrap resamples with 95% confidence intervals.