title: Social support and mortality among the aged people with major diseases or ADL disabilities in Taiwan: a national study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of social support on mortality among the aged people with major diseases or ADL disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective cohort study, data were retrieved from the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging from 1996 to 2007. Data for 1297 males and 1666 females aged ≥65 years were collected. The participants were divided into having major diseases or ADL disability or none. Subjects received financial, instrumental, and emotional support, and they actively provided instrumental and emotional support to others. The effect of the association between providing and receiving social support on mortality was examined using Cox regression analysis after adjusting several covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed a significant finding that providing instrumental support can lower mortality rates in the aged people [Hazard ratio (HR)=0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.66-0.90; p=0.0009] and those with major diseases or impairment of activities of daily living [Hazard ratio (HR)=0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.50-0.78; p≤0.0001] after adjusting for several covariates. Providing instrumental social support to others may prolong life expectancy in the aged people and even those with major diseases or those facing difficulties performing ADL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the finding, we should encourage older adults who have major diseases or ADL disabilities to be supporting providers especially in providing instrumental social support.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Armed Forces General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Center for Education and Research on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Center for Education and Research on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Hsin
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Center for Education and Research on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Miao-Yu
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Residential Care Team, Swedish Medical Group, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Center for Education and Research on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan. Electronic address: alexyeh@csmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chih-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Center for Education and Research on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, Taichung Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan. Electronic address: mengchihlee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Meng-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012944:Social Support; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: ADL disability; Elderly; Major disease; Mortality; Social support