Factors shaping social participation among community-dwelling older adults in China: A mixed-methods study from the perspectives of older adults and community workers

OBJECTIVES: Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this study aimed to examine multilevel influences on social participation among community-dwelling older adults from the perspectives of older adults and community workers. METHODS: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. The quantitative component included 641 community-dwelling older adults from five communities in Beijing, China. The qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with 18 older adults and 14 community workers. Findings were integrated through an SEM-guided joint display and triangulation protocol. RESULTS: Older age, cognitive impairment, impairment of activities of daily living, and poor self-rated health were associated with lower social participation, whereas higher educational attainment, social support, weekly exercise, and active community encouragement were associated with higher participation. Qualitative findings identified 10 subthemes, showing that participation was also linked to interest preferences, family and peer relationships, communication and mobilization, activity design, accessibility, resource support, and policy and institutional conditions. Integrated analysis showed the clearest convergence for health- and function-related influences, while qualitative findings clarified how social support and community encouragement operated in practice. DISCUSSION: Social participation among community-dwelling older adults appears to be associated with interrelated factors across individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. Efforts to support participation in later life may benefit from addressing not only functional vulnerability but also the relational, organizational, and contextual conditions that makes participation feasible in community settings.