earticle

영어

The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of social support on the relationship between elderly people's experience of agiesm and difficulties in social activities. The subjects in this study were 350 selected elderly people who were users of senior welfare centers located in the city of Busan. A survey was conducted by visiting the elderly people. The instrument used to assess social support was the support and relationship section of the environmental area of the WHO(2001)'s ICF(International Classification of Functioning). Formal support and informal support that were provided for the elderly people were measured by this instrument. The major findings of the study were as follows: First, whether there would be any differences among the senior citizens in social support according to their personal characteristics was analyzed, and the respondents who were female, who were older, who didn't have spouses, who were less educated, who faced more financial difficulties and who were unhealthier had greater needs for formal support. The less-educated group had more needs for informal support. Second, whether formal support had any mediating effects on the relationship between experience of ageism and difficulties in social activities was analyzed, and that was found to have produced partial mediating effects. Third, informal support was also found to have had partial mediating effects on the relationship between experience of ageism and difficulties in social activities. How to provide social support for elderly people to have no or less difficulties in social activities was suggested on the basis of the findings of the study.

한국어

본 연구의 목적은 노인의 차별경험과 사회적 활동 어려움과의 관계에서 사회적 지지의 매개효과를 살펴 보고자 한 것이다. 조사는 부산시 소재 노인복지관을 이용하고 있는 노인 350명을 대상으로 방문 조사하였 다. 사회적 지지에 대한 측정도구는 WHO(2001)의 ICF(International Classfication of Functioning)에서 환경요 인 중 지원과 관계영역을 적용하였으며 이를 공식적 지지와 비공식적 지지로 나누어 살펴보았다. 연구결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 조사대상자 개인특성에 따른 사회적 지지의 차이를 살펴본 결 과, 여성, 연령이 높은 집단, 배우자가 없고, 학력이 낮은 집단, 그리고 경제적으로 곤란하고 건강하지 않은 경우에 공식적 지지의 욕구가 큰 것으로 나타났다. 비공식적 지지는 학력이 낮은 집단에서 욕구가 큰 것으 로 조사되었다. 둘째, 차별경험과 사회적 활동 어려움과의 관계에서 공식적 지지의 매개효과를 살펴 본 결 과 부분매개효과를 갖는 것으로 확인되었다. 셋째, 차별경험과 사회적 활동 어려움과의 관계에서 비공식적 지지 역시 부분 매개효과를 가지는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 향후 사회적 지지의 개입을 통한 노인의 사회 적 활동 어려움을 예방하거나 감소할 수 있는 방안을 제안하였다.