AUTHOR=Zong Di , Lu Zhongqian , Shi Xinfei , Shan Ying , Li Shixue , Kong Fanlei 

TITLE=Mediating effect of family support on the relationship between acculturation and loneliness among the migrant elderly following children in Jinan, China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.934237

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.934237

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=The total number of the migrant elderly following children (MEFC) gradually increased as the population ageing and urbanization in the past decades in China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of family support on the relationship between acculturation and loneliness among the migrant elderly following children in Jinan, China. A total of 656 MEFC were selected by multistage cluster random sampling. Loneliness was measured using the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6); acculturation and family support were assessed using a self-designed questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, univariate analysis and structural equation model (SEM) were conducted to illustrate the relationship between the above indicators and loneliness. Results: The average ULS-6 score of MEFC was 10.19±3.43 in this study. Acculturation of MEFC exerted negatively direct effect on loneliness and positively direct effect on family support simultaneously; family support exerted negatively direct effect on loneliness. Family support partially mediated the relationship between acculturation and loneliness [95% CI: -0.072-0.012, P< 0.001], while the mediating effect of family support accounted for 14.0% of the total effect. Conclusions: The average ULS-6 score of 10.19±3.43 implied a low level of loneliness of MEFC in Jinan, China. Acculturation was found to be correlated with loneliness, while the mediating role of family support between acculturation and loneliness was established. Policy recommendations were given to reduce the loneliness and improve the acculturation and family support of the MEFC according to the findings above.