Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T05:34:54.619Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Interpersonal Trust and Ability of Elderly Victims to Perform Activities of Daily Living in the Ya’an Earthquake Reconstruction Area, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2016

Ying Liang  and
Wei Ju
Ying Liang*
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
Wei Ju
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Ying Liang, PhD, Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu Province, People’s Republic of China (e-mail: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the socioeconomic status and interpersonal trust of elderly victims of the Ya’an earthquake on their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).

Methods

Random sampling was done in the 8 counties of Ya’an in Sichuan, China (N=691). A multistage random sampling method was used. Samples were selected from counties, towns, and villages, respectively. The Faith in People Scale was used to measure interpersonal trust, and the Barthel ADL Index was used to measure ADLs. Both scales have strong reliability.

Results

A total of 37.34% of elderly earthquake victims relied on others moderately to live, and their self-rating of interpersonal trust was relatively unfavorable. Factors such as being female, being widowed, having a low educational level, and income negatively affected ADLs, among which education had the greatest influence. Interpersonal trust was vital in enhancing the level of ADLs of elderly victims.

Conclusions

A high level of interpersonal trust can significantly improve the ADLs of elderly persons. However, this may be achieved by weakening the negative effect of deteriorating social structure of victims. Attention should be focused on elderly victims whose social network worsens to improve their ADLs. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 7)

Keywords

health impact assessmentearthquakesnatural disasterspublic healthresiliencepsychological
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 10 , Issue 5 , October 2016 , pp. 739 - 745
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Doney, PM, Cannon, JP, Mullen, MR. Understanding the influence of national culture on the development of trust. Acad Manage Rev. 1998;23(3):601-620.Google Scholar
2. Bègue, L. Beliefs in justice and faith in people: just world, religiosity and interpersonal trust. Pers Individ Dif. 2002;32(3):375-382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00224-5.Google Scholar
3. Kaase, M. Interpersonal trust, political trust and non‐institutionalised political participation in Western Europe. West Eur Polit. 1999;22(3):1-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01402389908425313.Google Scholar
4. Uslaner, EM. Trust and social bonds: faith in others and policy outcomes reconsidered. Polit Res Q. 2004;57(3):501-507. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/106591290405700314.Google Scholar
5. Paton, D. Preparing for natural hazards: the role of community trust. Disaster Prev Manag. 2007;16(3):370-379. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09653560710758323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Zhao, Y. Social capital and post-disaster recovery: a sociological study of natural disaster [in Chinese]. Soc Stud. 2007;5:164-187.Google Scholar
7. Kohn, S, Eaton, JL, Feroz, S, et al. Personal disaster preparedness: an integrative review of the literature. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2012;6(03):217-231. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/dmp.2012.47.Google Scholar
8. Smith, DW, Hogan, AJ, Rohrer, JE. Activities of daily living as quantitative indicators of nursing effort. Med Care. 1987;25(2):120-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00005650-198702000-00005.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Zhang, X, Hu, XR, Reinhardt, JD, et al. Functional outcomes and health-related quality of life in fracture victims 27 months after the Sichuan earthquake. J Rehabil Med. 2012;44(3):206-209. http://dx.doi.org/10.2340/16501977-0945.Google Scholar
10. Ardalan, A, Mazaheri, M, Mowafi, H, et al. Impact of the 26 December 2003 Bam Earthquake on activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living of older people. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2011;26(02):99-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X11000045.Google Scholar
11. Ardalan, A, Mazaheri, M, Vanrooyen, M, et al. Post-disaster quality of life among older survivors five years after the Bam earthquake: implications for recovery policy. Ageing Soc. 2011;31(02):179-196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X10000772.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Barefoot, JC, Maynard, KE, Beckham, JC, et al. Trust, health, and longevity. J Behav Med. 1998;21(6):517-526. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1018792528008.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. Liang, Y. Correlations between health-related quality of life and interpersonal trust: comparisons between two generations of Chinese rural-to-urban migrants. Soc Indic Res. 2015;123(3):677-700. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-014-0755-y.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Gilson, L. Trust and the development of health care as a social institution. Soc Sci Med. 2003;56(7):1453-1468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00142-9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Aida, J, Kawachi, I, Subramanian, SV, et al. Disaster, Social Capital, and Health, Global Perspectives on Social Capital and Health. NY: Springer New York; 2013:167-187. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7464-7_7.Google Scholar
16. Rosenberg, M. Misanthropy and attitudes toward international affairs. J Conflict Resolut. 1957;1(4):340-345. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002200275700100403.Google Scholar
17. Twenge, JM, Campbell, WK, Carter, NT. Declines in trust in others and confidence in institutions among American adults and late adolescents, 1972–2012. Psychol Sci. 2014;25(10):1914-1923. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797614545133.Google Scholar
18. Densley, JA, Cai, T, Hilal, S. Social dominance orientation and trust propensity in street gangs [published online ahead of print May 18, 2014]. Group Process Intergroup Relat. doi: 10.1177/1368430214533161.Google Scholar
19. Collin, C, Wade, DT, Davies, S, et al. The Barthel ADL Index: a reliability study. Disabil Rehabil. 1988;10(2):61-63.Google Scholar
20. Wade, DT, Collin, C. The Barthel ADL Index: a standard measure of physical disability? Disabil Rehabil. 1988;10(2):64-67.Google Scholar
21. Leung, SOC, Chan, CCH, Shah, S. Development of a Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index—validity and reliability. Clin Rehabil. 2007;21(10):912-922. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269215507077286.Google Scholar
22. Yan, S. The real situation and the mechanism of social mobility in mega-cities: an empirical analysis of the questionnaire survey of Tianjin residents [in Chinese]. Soc Sci China. 2000;3:104-114.Google Scholar
23. Shi, G, Wu, X, Yi, Y, et al. The mental health and life satisfaction of children of drug abusers in Wenzhou, China. Appl Res Qual Life. 2015;10(3):525-542. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11482-014-9332-4.Google Scholar
24. Zhou, Y, Zhou, L, Fu, C, et al. Socio-economic factors related with the subjective well-being of the rural elderly people living independently in China. Int J Equity Health. 2015;14(1):5-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12939-015-0136-4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25. Liang, Y, Cao, R. Is the health status of female victims poorer than males in the post-disaster reconstruction in China: a comparative study of data on male victims in the first survey and double tracking survey data. BMC Womens Health. 2014;14(1):18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-14-18.Google Scholar
26. Norstrand, JA, Xu, Q. Social capital and health outcomes among older adults in China: the urban–rural dimension. Gerontologist. 2012;52(3):325-334. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnr072.Google Scholar
27. Chou, FHC, Chou, P, Su, TTP, et al. Quality of life and related risk factors in a Taiwanese village population 21 months after an earthquake. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2004;38(5):358-364. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2004.01364.x.Google Scholar
28. Seplaki, CL, Goldman, N, Weinstein, M, et al. Before and after the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake: traumatic events and depressive symptoms in an older population. Soc Sci Med. 2006;62(12):3121-3132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.11.059.Google Scholar
29. Cramm, JM, van Dijk, HM, Nieboer, AP. The importance of neighborhood social cohesion and social capital for the well being of older adults in the community. Gerontologist. 2013;53(1):142-152. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/gns052.Google Scholar
30. Aldrich, N, Benson, WF. Disaster preparedness and the chronic disease needs of vulnerable older adults. Prev Chronic Dis. 2008;5(1):A27.Google Scholar
31. Liang, Y, Cao, R. Employment assistance policies of Chinese government play positive roles! The impact of post-earthquake employment assistance policies on the health-related quality of life of Chinese earthquake populations. Soc Indic Res. 2015;120(3):835-857. http://dx.doi:10.1007/s11205-014-0620-z.CrossRefGoogle Scholar