Associations between social isolation, perceived ageism and subjective well-being among rural Chinese older adults: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social isolation, perceived ageism and subjective well-being among rural Chinese older adults and its mechanisms of action. METHODS: A total of 403 rural resident older adults were surveyed from March to April 2024. Data were collected using the General Information Questionnaire, the General Alienation Scale (GAS), the Perceived Ageism Questionnaire (PAQ), and the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH). SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS macro were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation (p<0.01) between subjective well-being and social isolation (r = -0.720) and perceived ageism (r = -0.661) among rural older adults. Perceived ageism partially mediated the effect between social isolation and subjective well-being in rural older adults, and the mediating effect accounted for 29.9 % of the total effect (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Social isolation can reduce the subjective well-being of rural older adults through perceived ageism.