Ageing Happily in Ghana: How Does Social Inclusion Contribute?

Abstract

BackgroundPromoting happiness has become increasingly important in old age for a wide range of reasons. In this study, we aim to examine the association between social inclusion (SI) and happiness among older adults in Ghana and identify the mediating factors.MethodsThe study included 1201 community‐dwelling adults aged ≥50 (mean age = 66.4 ± SD 11.9 years; 63.3% female) from the 2016–2018 Ageing, Health, Psychological Well‐being, and Health‐seeking Behaviour Study. We assessed happiness with a self‐rated and cross‐culturally validated item on a five‐point scale. SI was operationalised using the modified Berkman–Syme Social Network Index. The hypothesised associations were evaluated by hierarchical regressions and bootstrapping techniques from Hayes' PROCESS macro programme.ResultsThe prevalence of happiness was 24.3% (all of the time), 43.6% (most of the time), 28.3% (little of the time), and 3.7% (none of the time). After controlling for potential confounders, higher SI was associated with increased levels of happiness (odds ratio (OR) = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16–2.51). Aside from family/friends contacts, all other SI domains positively influenced happiness (OR = 1.45–1.81). The link between SI and happiness was mediated by depressive symptoms (65.2%), generalised anxiety (30.1%), and sleep problems (9.5%).ConclusionsOur data suggest that psychological factors may largely explain the positive SI‐happiness link. Efforts should target these factors to promote happiness in old age. Longitudinal analysis may confirm our findings.

The well‐being equation: How inner fulfilment drives the impact of older persons on the Ghanaian society

“…A high psychological well-being is positively associated with high social contribution. This finding is consistent with the result by and Gyasi, Hajek, et al (2023) which shows that high psychological well-being has a positive effect on older persons' involvement in social events. Similarly, good mental health is identified to promote social contribution (Amegbor et al, 2020;Choi et al, 2021;Mackenzie & Abdulrazaq, 2021).…”

“…A positive association is found between high levels of physical well-being and high social contribution (high impact on society). Being physically well and taking part in social activities provide older persons with a sense of purpose and fulfilment and are motivated to impact society Gyasi, Hajek, et al, 2023). A more active lifestyle is linked to physical well-being, which impacts older persons' ability to contribute to society (Ranasinghe et al, 2020;Suzuki, Maeda, et al, 2020;Suzuki, Nishita, et al, 2020).…”

“…Conversely, Choi et al (2021) found that higher emotional well-being is associated with social participation, suggesting that feeling good enhances social contribution. A plausible explanation could be that although they have high emotional well-being, some older persons may suppose that they have fulfilled their social responsibilities given that they have already made significant contributions to society Gyasi, Hajek, et al, 2023). It could also be that even with high emotional well-being, certain older persons endure physical and cognitive issues that can make it difficult for them to actively engage in social activities like volunteering or advocacy (Moradi et al, 2023).…”

“…Compared with those who were never married, older persons who were ever married (i.e., married, separated/divorced and widowed) had lower odds of social contribution. If they were married, older people might have dedicated a large amount of their lives to taking care of their families and providing care like caring for a spouse and grandchildren and performing other household chores Gyasi, Hajek, et al, 2023). This limits the amount of time and energy they may have for community work.…”