A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Identifying and Selecting Articles
- Only peer-reviewed, empirical articles were included (i.e., quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, case studies, and review articles). Non-empirical (e.g., book reviews, letters to the editor) or non-peer-reviewed publications (e.g., theses and dissertations) were excluded.
- Articles were excluded that did not have full text available in English.
- Articles were excluded if the sample was not older adults or if there was a mixed age sample.
- Articles with samples from nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement homes, cohousing, or other older-adult-specific housing were excluded, as this review focused on community-dwelling older adults.
- Articles were excluded that used the phrase “sense of community” in ways not related to PSOC. While the literature on PSOC uses “sense of community” or “psychological sense of community” interchangeably, some literature outside of PSOC uses the general phrase “sense of community” to refer to unrelated constructs, such as a general reference to perceptions of community but with no reference at all to the construct of PSOC.
- Articles were excluded if PSOC was a minor focus, such as only making minor references to PSOC in the introduction or conclusion or using it as a minor variable in analyses as opposed to a key construct in the hypothesis or model.
2.2. Data Charting
2.3. Collating, Summarizing, and Reporting the Results
3. Results
3.1. Study Characteristics
3.2. Research Topics in Synthesis
3.2.1. WHO AFC Framework
3.2.2. PSOC, Health, and Well-Being
Author (Year) [Citation] | Sample Characteristics | Research Design and Use of PSOC in Analysis | Main Findings Related to PSOC | Research Topics in Synthesis |
---|---|---|---|---|
Au et al. (2020) [7] | Hong Kong, 55+ (N = 898) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | AFC domains of social participation, community/health services, civic participation and employment, and outdoor spaces and buildings were associated with higher PSOC. PSOC mediated relationships of social participation and community/health services with life satisfaction. | AFC Framework (Physical and Social); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Dionigi and Lyons (2010) [32] c | Australia (white exercise group participants), 65+ (N = 10) | Qualitative. PSOC guided analysis | Participating in exercise group increased PSOC. Participants felt PSOC in different levels from micro to macro and among different types of communities. | AFC Framework (Social) |
Dong et al. (2014) [39] a | USA (Chinese immigrants), 60+ (N = 3159) | Quantitative. PSOC as DV | Participants reported high PSOC. Correlates of PSOC included higher income, more children, longer length living in the U.S., longer length residence in their community, and better health and quality of life. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being; Relocation |
Fang et al. (2019) [36] | Hong Kong, 60+ (N = 738) | Quantitative. PSOC as DV | Information and communication technology use was associated with lower PSOC among older adults who had higher loneliness. | AFC Framework (Social) |
Guo et al. (2021) [2] | Hong Kong, 60+ (N = 1553) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | Results showed pathways from objective built environment to mental health and subjective well-being outcomes through paths of perceived built environment and PSOC. PSOC was positively associated with perceived built environment, mental health, and subjective well-being. More green space associated with lower PSOC; more health services associated with higher PSOC. | AFC Framework (Physical); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
He et al. (2020) [25] | Hong Kong, ~60+ (N = 271) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV and mediator | PSOC was part of latent variable, social inclusion. This predicted better psychological well-being but not physical well-being. Social inclusion mediated relationship between satisfaction with transportation and psychological well-being. Social inclusion and satisfaction with transportation were positively correlated. | AFC Framework (Physical); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Lai et al. (2019) [24] a | Chicago (Chinese immigrants), 60+ (N = 3159) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | PSOC associated with more engagement in social activities but not with cognitive activity engagement. | AFC Framework (Social); Relocation |
Lai et al. (2021) [20] | Hong Kong, 60+ (N = 1793) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator and moderator | PSOC moderated relationship between education and health; those with higher PSOC had stronger association between lower education and worse health. PSOC mediated relationship between disposable income and health; less disposable income predicted lower PSOC and worse health. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Li et al. (2014) [22] c | New Zealand (Chinese immigrants), 60+ (N = 32) | Qualitative. PSOC guided analysis | Participants felt PSOC in their current local community as well as their former home community. Strategies and barriers for building PSOC in both these settings are discussed. | Relocation |
Li et al. (2011) [9] | China (survivors of an earthquake), 55+ (N = 298) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV and moderator | PSOC moderated relationship between earthquake-related distress and depressive symptoms. PSOC associated with fewer depressive symptoms. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Liu and Besser (2003) [35] | USA (white, rural areas), 65+ (N = 2802) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | PSOC predicted higher level of involvement in community improvement activities. | AFC Framework (Social) |
Lyons and Dionigi (2007) [31] c | Australia (white participants in sports competition), 55+ (N = 110) | Qualitative. PSOC guided analysis | Four themes emerged related to PSOC and four domains from McMillan and Chavis (1986): shared sporting interest (membership), comrades in continued activity (emotional connection), relevant life purpose (needs fulfillment), and giving back (influence). PSOC lasts beyond the episodic event of a sports competition. | AFC Framework (Social) |
Okun and Michel (2006) [33] | USA (white), 60+ (N = 653) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | PSOC predicted increased likelihood of volunteering. | AFC Framework (Social) |
Pozzi et al. (2014) [34] | Italy (white volunteers), 60+ (N = 143) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | Religiousness and sense of responsibility associated with PSOC, and PSOC predicts volunteer motivation and generativity. PSOC was mediator with outcomes of psychological well-being. | AFC Framework (Social); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Roos et al. (2014) [23] c | South Africa (females who were forcibly relocated during apartheid), 70+ (N = 11) | Qualitative. PSOC guided analysis | Sense of current and former communities were explored. Connections to place and sense of belonging emerged as themes, and personal history and context helped shape conceptions of community. There was stronger connection among peers of the same age group and those who shared common interests and beliefs than among generational groups and with current or past physical places. | Relocation |
Tang et al. (2017) [29] a | USA (Chinese immigrants), 60+ (N = 3159) | Quantitative. PSOC as DV | Social activity engagement and positive social support associated with higher PSOC. | AFC Framework (Social); Relocation |
Tang et al. (2018) [5] a | USA (Chinese immigrants), 60+ (N = 3159) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | Higher PSOC associated with lower likelihood of reporting worse health and more depressive symptoms. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being; Relocation |
Tang et al. (2020) [19] a,b | USA (Chinese immigrants), 60+ (N = 2713) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | PSOC not significantly associated with better cognitive functioning. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being; Relocation |
Tang et al. (2021) [26] | Hong Kong, 50+ (N = 2247) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | PSOC mediated relationship between age-friendliness of built environment (outdoor spaces and buildings) with physical and mental health-related quality of life. Built environment positively associated with PSOC, and PSOC positively associated with quality-of-life measures. | AFC Framework (Physical); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Toohey et al. (2013) [27] | Canada (white), 50+ (N = 884) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | PSOC does not mediate relationship between dog walking or neighborhood characteristics and recreational walking. Frequent dog walking associated with higher PSOC, and neighborhoods with lower education associated with lower PSOC. | AFC Framework (Physical and Social) |
Yao et al. (2018) [37] | China, 60+ (N = 391) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | Results show chain mediation from perceived discrimination to life satisfaction through national identity and PSOC. PSOC positively associated with life satisfaction. | AFC Framework (Social); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Yu (2021) [28] | Hong Kong, 55+ (N = 257) | Quantitative. PSOC as DV | Quality of space in one’s neighborhood environment associated with higher PSOC, but quantity of open space was not. | AFC Framework (Physical) |
Yu et al. (2019) [6] | Hong Kong, 60+ (N = 1798) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV, DV, and mediator | PSOC mediated relationship between physical and social neighborhood environments and self-rated health. Overall, AFC and each AFC domain were positively associated with PSOC. Overall, PSOC and domains of needs fulfillment, influence, and emotional connection were positively associated with health. | AFC Framework (Physical and Social); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Zhang et al. (2017) [8] | China (partnered couples), 60+ (N = 516) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | PSOC associated with better life satisfaction. This was moderated by psychological resilience; those with lower resilience had weaker relationship of PSOC and life satisfaction. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Zhang et al. (2018) [3] | China, 60+ (N = 628) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | PSOC mediated relationship between neighborhood characteristics (i.e., public space, older adult population density, and senior services) and well-being. Neighborhood characteristic variables predicted higher PSOC, which was then associated with better well-being. | AFC Framework (Physical); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Zhang (2019) [30] | China (females, moved from rural to urban), 50+ (N = 205) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | PSOC mediated relationship between community participation and relocation adjustment outcomes (depression, loneliness, well-being). PSOC directly associated with better relocation adjustments outcomes. Resilience moderated relationship of PSOC and relocation adjustment outcomes. | AFC Framework (Social); PSOC, Health, and Well-being; Relocation |
Zhang and Zhang (2017) [4] | China, 50+ (N = 720) | Quantitative. PSOC as mediator | PSOC mediated relationship between perceived residential environment and measures of subjective well-being (satisfaction with life, meaning in life, and positive affect). Perceived residential environment was significant predictor of PSOC. | AFC Framework (Physical); PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
Zheng et al. (2020) [38] | China, 60+ (N = 418) | Quantitative. PSOC as IV | PSOC associated with better life satisfaction, and this was mediated by psychological resilience. | PSOC, Health, and Well-being |
3.2.3. Relocation
4. Discussion
4.1. Physical AFC Environment
4.2. Social AFC Environment
4.3. PSOC, Health, and Well-Being
4.4. Relocation and PSOC
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Buckley, T.D. A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 8395. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148395
Buckley TD. A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community-Dwelling Older Adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(14):8395. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148395
Chicago/Turabian StyleBuckley, Thomas D. 2022. "A Scoping Review of Psychological Sense of Community among Community-Dwelling Older Adults" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 14: 8395. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148395