Location
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Start Date
4-5-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2024 11:30 AM
Poster Number
171
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Elizabeth Erin Mauck
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Community and Behavioral Health
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Background: A vibrant community encourages healthy lifestyles. Belonging to a community reduces social isolation, especially among older adults. Communities provide emotional and practical support for aging well. Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine factors associated with a sense of community (SOC) among older adults aging in place in Northeast Tennessee. Methods: The survey was administered to 82 older adults living in senior apartment complexes in Northeast Tennessee from February to March 2023. The evaluation of SOC utilized the 8-item Brief Sense of Community Scale. Low SOC was defined as a score of 24 or less. We used logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of SOC. Results: Nearly one in six (15.85%) experienced a very low or moderately low SOC. Not having a caregiver quadrupled the odds of reporting a low SOC compared to individuals with a caregiver (AOR=4.41; 90% CI: 1.05-18.52, p=0.09). Similarly, experiencing barriers to aging-in-place increased the odds of low SOC compared to without barriers (AOR=6.63; 90% CI: 1.57-27.97, p=0.03). Older adults who had a low leisure time activities score and who rated their community livability as fair to poor were also more likely to report a low SOC (AOR=16.99, 90% CI: 3.20-90.20, p=0.005; AOR=16.67, 90% CI: 3.43-81.52, p=0.003, respectively). Conclusions: These findings can be used to develop tailored strategies to promote SOC among the region’s aging population. The findings should be interpreted with caution, given the small sample size and the extremely wide confidence intervals. Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Factors Associated with Sense of Community Among Older Adults Aging in Place in Northeast Tennessee: A Cross-Sectional Study
D.P. Culp Center Ballroom
Background: A vibrant community encourages healthy lifestyles. Belonging to a community reduces social isolation, especially among older adults. Communities provide emotional and practical support for aging well. Objectives: The aim of the study was to examine factors associated with a sense of community (SOC) among older adults aging in place in Northeast Tennessee. Methods: The survey was administered to 82 older adults living in senior apartment complexes in Northeast Tennessee from February to March 2023. The evaluation of SOC utilized the 8-item Brief Sense of Community Scale. Low SOC was defined as a score of 24 or less. We used logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of SOC. Results: Nearly one in six (15.85%) experienced a very low or moderately low SOC. Not having a caregiver quadrupled the odds of reporting a low SOC compared to individuals with a caregiver (AOR=4.41; 90% CI: 1.05-18.52, p=0.09). Similarly, experiencing barriers to aging-in-place increased the odds of low SOC compared to without barriers (AOR=6.63; 90% CI: 1.57-27.97, p=0.03). Older adults who had a low leisure time activities score and who rated their community livability as fair to poor were also more likely to report a low SOC (AOR=16.99, 90% CI: 3.20-90.20, p=0.005; AOR=16.67, 90% CI: 3.43-81.52, p=0.003, respectively). Conclusions: These findings can be used to develop tailored strategies to promote SOC among the region’s aging population. The findings should be interpreted with caution, given the small sample size and the extremely wide confidence intervals. Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings.