Interconnections among 2-way social support, ambivalent ageism, productive ageing, and productive engagement in community-dwelling older adults: a network analysis

Abstract Background Social support and age-related attitudes may be closely related to productive ageing and productive engagement among older adults. However, previous studies have mainly focused on individual factors or pairwise associations, leaving the overall pattern of interconnections among the specific components of 2-way social support, ambivalent ageism, productive ageing, and productive engagement insufficiently understood. Objective To examine the interconnections among 2-way social support, ambivalent ageism, productive ageing, and productive engagement in community-dwelling older adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 549 older adults recruited by convenience sampling from five communities in Changsha, China. Participants completed the Brief 2-Way Social Support Scale, Ambivalent Ageism Scale, Productive Activities Questionnaire, and Productive Engagement Scale. Thirteen components of the four constructs were included as network nodes. A network based on Spearman correlations was estimated using the EBICglasso method, and node strength, bridge strength, predictability, and network stability were examined. Results Paid work showed the highest node strength. Productive engagement showed the highest bridge strength, although this finding should be interpreted in light of its single-node community structure. Among nodes belonging to multi-node communities, giving emotional support and paid work showed relatively high bridge strength. The strongest edge was observed between cognitive assistance/physical protection and unwanted help, followed by the connection between productive engagement and giving instrumental support. The network showed good stability. Conclusion 2-way social support, ambivalent ageism, productive ageing, and productive engagement formed an interconnected network. Paid work and the “giving” components of social support showed relatively prominent network connections, providing a more detailed structural perspective on productive life in later adulthood.