ArticleBMC geriatrics2026
Social support and associated factors among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore - a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe global population is rapidly ageing, creating unprecedented healthcare challenges. Social support, encompassing emotional and instrumental aspects, is crucial for healthy ageing and serves as a protective factor against adverse health outcomes. Research reveals significant variation in social support levels across populations. Limited research exists on social support in multi-ethnic Asian contexts like Singapore, particularly regarding relationships between social support, frailty, and community resource utilisation among older adults.
methodsThe descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to determine levels of perceived overall, emotional and instrumental social support among community-dwelling older adults and associated factors including sociodemographic factors, frailty and community resource utilisation. Older adults aged 65 and above were recruited from eight public primary care clinics in Singapore from March 2024 to March 2025. Data collected included sociodemographic information, frailty status as determined by Clinical Frailty Scale, social support as measured by the modified Medical Outcomes Study Social support survey and utilisation of community resources.
resultsThis study of 253 older adults (mean age 76.6 years, 81.8% Chinese, 55.3% female, 42.3% pre-frail to frail) found moderate social support levels with mean scores of 58.8 for overall support, 63.2 for instrumental support, and 54.9 for emotional support (out of 100). Only 13.8% utilised community resources, primarily due to perceived lack of need (64.6%). Regression analyses revealed being unmarried as a negative predictor across all support types, whilst female gender predicted higher support. Living alone and frailty were associated with lower support, whilst having domestic helpers and using community resources showed positive associations with social support.
conclusionsSocial support levels were comparable to international findings. Strategies are needed to enhance emotional support as scores were lowest in this domain. Frailty was associated with lower support, reinforcing a need to focus on support for this at-risk population. The positive association between community resource utilisation and social support despite low utilisation represents an area of untapped opportunity.
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