Factors related to Meaning in Life in Elderly

Gong, Su Ja; Kim, Kye Ha

Abstract

PURPOSE
The study examined factors related to the meaning in life in elderly in one city. METHODS: The sample consisted of 217 subjects all of which were over 60 years of age and were recruited from two community senior centers from December 2008 to February 2009. Data collection instruments were the Meaning in Life Scale, Social Support Index, CES-D, and RULS questionnaire. SPSS/WIN 17.0 was used for descriptive analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The mean of the score from the Meaning in Life was 50.04 (range 10~70). There were significant differences in subjects' perception of meaning in life according to age, level of education, religion, having a spouse, satisfaction with relationship with children, and frequency of visits to a community senior center. Meaning in life was significantly correlated with family support, depression, and loneliness, which were significant predictors (21.5%) of meaning in life. CONCLUSION: To improve meaning in life of the elderly who visited a community senior center, nurses may pay attention to depression, loneliness, and family support.