Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador

Background: Social integration is an essential element to the maintenance of health and well-being in elderly populations. In the Cumbaya Valley of Quito, Ecuador, community health clinics sponsor social clubs for specific populations to address this important aspect of health. Men, who tend to be l...

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Autores principales: John DiBello, Luke Murphy, Iván Palacios
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Ubiquity Press 2020
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/f2c465401a77486e9d849d99b16c13cc
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spelling oai:doaj.org-article:f2c465401a77486e9d849d99b16c13cc2021-12-02T12:48:57ZSocial Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador2214-999610.5334/aogh.3020https://doaj.org/article/f2c465401a77486e9d849d99b16c13cc2020-10-01T00:00:00Zhttps://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/3020https://doaj.org/toc/2214-9996Background: Social integration is an essential element to the maintenance of health and well-being in elderly populations. In the Cumbaya Valley of Quito, Ecuador, community health clinics sponsor social clubs for specific populations to address this important aspect of health. Men, who tend to be less socially integrated than women, are largely absent from these programs. Objective: This paper investigates the quality and extent of men’s social integration in the Cumbaya Valley of Quito to understand why men are less likely to attend the community health center clubs and to develop ideas for increasing male participation, which may differ from current methods. Methods: A composite survey was used to interview 100 men over the age of 40 to collect data on their social health and information regarding their interaction with community health center clubs and other local social groups. Findings: Social integration scores were varied, with some men having high social scores and others having low scores. Men generally had greater access to affectionate and tangible support but lower access to emotional support and positive social interaction. Men spend far more social time with their families and much less with friends and neighbors. Regression analysis revealed that social scores have a relationship with age and education. Qualitative results suggest gendered expectations of men in the community have negatively impacted their willingness to engage in community health groups. Participants also provided suggestions, including specific sports, gardening, and meal distribution, to promote male participation. Conclusion: There is a strong need to increase services, strategies, and programs that address the lack of social integration experienced by men. This paper presents the particular role community clinics can play in increasing the social well-being of its male patients.John DiBelloLuke MurphyIván PalaciosUbiquity PressarticleInfectious and parasitic diseasesRC109-216Public aspects of medicineRA1-1270ENAnnals of Global Health, Vol 86, Iss 1 (2020)
institution DOAJ
collection DOAJ
language EN
topic Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
spellingShingle Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
John DiBello
Luke Murphy
Iván Palacios
Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador
description Background: Social integration is an essential element to the maintenance of health and well-being in elderly populations. In the Cumbaya Valley of Quito, Ecuador, community health clinics sponsor social clubs for specific populations to address this important aspect of health. Men, who tend to be less socially integrated than women, are largely absent from these programs. Objective: This paper investigates the quality and extent of men’s social integration in the Cumbaya Valley of Quito to understand why men are less likely to attend the community health center clubs and to develop ideas for increasing male participation, which may differ from current methods. Methods: A composite survey was used to interview 100 men over the age of 40 to collect data on their social health and information regarding their interaction with community health center clubs and other local social groups. Findings: Social integration scores were varied, with some men having high social scores and others having low scores. Men generally had greater access to affectionate and tangible support but lower access to emotional support and positive social interaction. Men spend far more social time with their families and much less with friends and neighbors. Regression analysis revealed that social scores have a relationship with age and education. Qualitative results suggest gendered expectations of men in the community have negatively impacted their willingness to engage in community health groups. Participants also provided suggestions, including specific sports, gardening, and meal distribution, to promote male participation. Conclusion: There is a strong need to increase services, strategies, and programs that address the lack of social integration experienced by men. This paper presents the particular role community clinics can play in increasing the social well-being of its male patients.
format article
author John DiBello
Luke Murphy
Iván Palacios
author_facet John DiBello
Luke Murphy
Iván Palacios
author_sort John DiBello
title Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador
title_short Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador
title_full Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador
title_fullStr Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador
title_full_unstemmed Social Integration and Community Health Participation of Elderly Men in Peri-Urban Ecuador
title_sort social integration and community health participation of elderly men in peri-urban ecuador
publisher Ubiquity Press
publishDate 2020
url https://doaj.org/article/f2c465401a77486e9d849d99b16c13cc
work_keys_str_mv AT johndibello socialintegrationandcommunityhealthparticipationofelderlymeninperiurbanecuador
AT lukemurphy socialintegrationandcommunityhealthparticipationofelderlymeninperiurbanecuador
AT ivanpalacios socialintegrationandcommunityhealthparticipationofelderlymeninperiurbanecuador
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