Shannon Ang

Objectives: This study examines the bidirectional relationships between social support (family vs. friend) and cognitive function among older Chinese adults, and whether these associations differ by source of support and by urban and rural settings. Methods: Data were from 3 waves (2014, 2016, and 2018) of the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N = 2,700; mean age = 68). Dynamic panel models with fixed effects were applied to examine the reciprocal relationships between social support and cognitive function and determine whether these associations are moderated by hukou status (rural vs. urban). Results: In the overall sample, higher levels of friend support but not family support predicted subsequent cognitive function. In contrast, influences from cognitive function on subsequent family or friend support were not detected. However, hukou status moderated these associations. Both family and friend support promoted enhanced cognitive function only among rural older adults. Conversely, cognitive function was positively associated with subsequent family support among urban older adults but negatively associated among rural older adults. Discussion: The results provide evidence for the social benefit and health selection mechanisms that operate in source-specific (family, friend) and context-specific (rural, urban) ways in China. These findings also indicate the need to consider the cultural norms and structural context when examining the bidirectionality of social support and cognitive function in later life.

Although later-life learning is an important contributor to active ageing, research suggests that older adults with lower socio-economic status (SES) may participate less in learning. Simultaneously, we know little about whether the benefits of later-life learning, in terms of quality of life (QoL), vary by older adult SES. Hence, we investigated whether SES shapes older adults’ participation in and benefits from learning. Using two waves of data (2016–17; 2019) from a nationally representative cohort of Singaporeans aged 60 to 95 years ( n = 2,502), we find that older adults with higher education and occupational prestige had greater participation in both job- and nonjob-related learning. Moderation analyses showed that the beneficial effects of nonjob-related learning on QoL were only observed for lower-SES older adults. Our findings suggest that although lower-SES older adults benefit more from later-life learning, they are less likely to participate in it.

Objectives: Recent studies suggest that the association between social participation (SP) and mental health may change with age, although the direction of this relationship is unclear. Although some suggest that the mental health benefits of SP decline with age, others argue they become more important in later life. In this article, we suggest a context-dependent divergence in aging trajectories: whereas urban older adults continue to gain mental health benefits from SP, their rural counterparts gradually stop deriving such benefits over time. Methods: We drew on four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2018; N = 16,233; 53,056 person-years) to examine how SP shapes depressive symptoms among adults aged 45 and older. Growth curve models were employed to assess the age-related trajectories of the effects of SP on depressive symptoms, and interaction terms were introduced to analyze urban–rural differences. Results: A significant three-way interaction (Informal Social Participation × Rural × Age) revealed that the mental health benefits of informal SP increased with age among urban older adults but gradually declined among their rural counterparts. This divergence became statistically significant at around age 60 and continued to widen thereafter, indicating a growing urban advantage in the protective effects of informal engagement over time. Discussion: These findings suggest that the mental health benefits of SP change with age in ways shaped by residential context, highlighting the need to consider how urban and rural environments differently influence aging trajectories.

Although inter-ethnic ties are important building blocks for a cohesive society, they remain the exception rather than the norm. For example, Blacks in America remain segregated from all other groups in marriage and friendship, even as more integration has occurred between Whites and other minority groups (e.g., Hispanics and Asians). Family, school and neighbourhood socioeconomic characteristics explain only part of this ethnic segregation, suggesting that race is a potent force. While inter-ethnic ties are beneficial, not all efforts at social assimilation translate into better economic outcomes for minority groups. Overall, patterns, processes, and payoffs of inter-ethnic ties are influenced by variations in social context. We contrast findings from Singapore and India to show how ties to dominant ethnic groups (such as Chinese and Brahmins respectively) are associated with different payoffs.

This study examines how interpersonal conflict at work is associated with worker well‐being in Singapore. More importantly, it assesses how this association is contingent upon belief in angelic intervention and belief in supernatural evil. Using data from the 2021 Work, Religion, and Health Survey (N = 508), the analyses show that interpersonal conflict at work is positively associated with anxiety and job burnout. In addition, belief in angelic intervention and belief in supernatural evil moderate the association. Specifically, the positive association between interpersonal conflict at work and anxiety is weaker for those who report the belief in angelic intervention. Similarly, higher levels of belief in supernatural evil reduce the positive association of interpersonal conflict at work with anxiety and job burnout. These findings indicate that belief in supernatural agents acts as a key personal resource in the workplace, buffering against the harmful effects of interpersonal conflict at work on worker well‐being.

Objectives: Volunteering is known to be associated with well-being among older adults. However, less is known about the psychosocial pathways (e.g., personal mastery, social support) through which this occurs, with past studies tending to rely on cross-sectional data, which are susceptible to selection biases. This study, using longitudinal data, investigates how formal and informal volunteering may affect older adults’ quality of life through personal mastery, perceived social support, and received social support. Methods: Data are from 2 waves of a nationally representative study of older adults aged 60 years and older in Singapore, conducted between 2016 and 2019 (N = 2,887). We estimate indirect effects using a 2-wave mediation model, relying on bootstrapped confidence intervals for significance testing. Results: We find indirect effects from volunteering to quality of life through perceived social support and personal mastery, but not through received social support. While any type (formal/informal) and frequency (regular/nonregular) of volunteering promotes quality of life through perceived social support, indirect effects through personal mastery are limited to regular volunteering in formal settings. Discussion: Results provide longitudinal evidence for perceived social support as a key pathway from volunteering to quality of life. Volunteering may be an effective way to improve quality of life by helping older adults feel more supported, even if it may not affect the actual help that they receive. Further, a structured and sustainable environment may be required for volunteering to promote personal mastery (and through it, quality of life) among older volunteers.

We examine rural-urban differences between internet use and cognitive functioning among older Chinese adults and the mediating role of perceived social support networks across rural and urban areas. Data were from the 2016 and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N = 9591). Ordinary least squares regression and mediation analyses were used to examine the specific hypotheses. General internet use was significantly associated with improved cognitive functioning among older adults in the overall sample. Social support networks mediated the relationship between general internet use and cognitive functioning, but only for older adults living in rural areas. After disaggregating internet use into specific online activities, watching shows was associated with better cognitive functioning for older adults living in urban areas. For those in rural areas, chatting was positively associated with cognitive functioning, while playing games was negatively associated with cognitive functioning. We showed that social support mediates the relationship between internet use and cognitive functioning differently in rural and urban areas. Cognitive benefits derived from specific types of online activities also depend on their residence. These findings suggested that effort aimed at improving internet use among rural older adults may be more fruitful if they focus on building social opportunities for older adults.