A comparison of physical health status, self-esteem, family support and health-promoting behaviours between aged living alone and living with family in Korea

Aims. This study examined and compared the physical health status, self-esteem, family support and health-promoting behaviours between aged living alone and the aged living with family. Background. As the Korean population ages, the number of older people living alone is steadily rising. Previous studies have been conducted to define the factors affecting the health of older people. However, research studies focused on the impact of family support, which potentially affects the overall health of older people, have been rarely conducted. Design. This was a comparative descriptive design. Methods. The survey included a set of four questionnaires. All measures were self-administered. In the data analysis, descriptive statistics were used to analyse the demographic characteristics. The Chi-square test and independent t-test were used to examine the differences between the aged living alone and the aged living with family. Results. The physical health status (t=-40·85, p<0·001), self-esteem (t=-26·75, p<0·001), family support (t=-16·46, p<0·001) and health-promoting behaviours, specifically exercise (t=-15·86, p<0·001) and nutrition (t=-17·29, p<0·001), of the aged living with family were higher than that of the aged living alone. Conclusions. This study shows that the aged living with family exhibited better physical health status, self-esteem and health-promoting behaviours than the aged living alone. Relevance to clinical practice. Clinical practice should be focused on emotional support with family or society for Korean aged, especially the aged living alone. Also, the practice should be adjusted to encourage the health-promoting behaviour for them as well.