Social support exchange and quality of life among the Korean elderly

This study examined the impact of providing and receiving support on thequality of life (QOL) of the elderly. Trained interviewers conductedface-to-face interviews with 714 rural community residents aged 60 andover in Korea. Subjects were asked a series of structured questionsincluding age, sex, living arrangement, physical functions, and thefrequency of providing and receiving support in their network (spouse,children, and friends). The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scalewas used to measure degree of QOL. Results indicated that respondentshad family-centered support networks. We found a significant correlationbetween support and physical functions and, less strongly, betweensupport and age. When physical function was controlled, ANOVAs (Analysesof Variance) showed that providing support to their children and friendswas more strongly related to QOL score than receiving support from thein both males and females. Overall, the elderly who exchanged supportfrequently, both providing and receiving support, showed the highest QOLin most situations. Researchers and policy makers should explore thepotential benefits of providing support as well as receiving support.