Parent-Child Interaction, Social Interaction and Age-Friendly Environment on Age Heterogeneity: An Age Specific Group Comparison

Abstract

This study examines the effects of parent-child interaction, social interaction, and age-friendly environment on the perspective of age heterogeneity, and seeks measures for building an age integrated society. A total of 659 study participants were divided into two groups. The middle-age group consisted of those aged between 45 and 64, and the old-age group consisted of those aged over 65. T-test and multiple regression analysis were performed to answer the research questions. The major findings of this study were as follows. Age-friendly environment was a significant predictor in explaining age heterogeneity in both the middle-age and old-age groups. However, social interaction was only significant in explaining age heterogeneity in the middle-age group, while parent-child interaction was only significant in explaining age integration in the old-age group. As a result, establishing an age-friendly environment for both groups, interacting more actively with their children for the old-age group, and engaging in more social interactions with other people for the middle-age group could be suggested in order to strengthen the awareness of age integration. This study is meaningful that it examines age integration from the perspective of age heterogeneity, and that it explores the influence of human interaction and age-friendly in an integrated context.