Reham Dyab
University of Haifa, Israel
Title: Expected filial piety, intergenerational solidarity and quality of life among senior Arabs in Israel
Biography
Biography: Reham Dyab
Abstract
Background: Life quality among seniors in societies undergoing transformation processes is different than that of seniors in past-traditional societies, as in the Arab population in Israel. Help sources for senior – informal sources (family), in comparison to combined formal (senior centers) and informal sources – may have a different effect on the senior's quality of life. Other factors which might have an impact are norms of expected filial piety (normative solidarity) and the combined formal and informal care (structural solidarity). Therefore, this study's research question is: Do both structural and normative solidarity affect life quality among Arab seniors in Israel? Method: The research design is cross-sectional, case-control. It examined Arab seniors, 65 years old or older, who used senior center services along with family care, compared to seniors who used family care only (the two study groups) (N=157). Data was collected via a questionnaire and a structured interview for each subject. Statistical tests were held to examine research model and reliability of expected filial piety scale. Findings: Regression analyses revealed significant differences in physical life quality between the two groups (p< 0.001), after adjustments for level of functioning (ADL) (p<0.001), number of chronic diseases (p< 0.001), and help from family members (p< 0.01). Age, gender, marital status and education level variables were non-significant. Expected filial piety was not associated with life quality. The Expected Filial Piety Scale required adjustments for the Arab population (α Cronbach=0.89). Conclusions: Future services for Arab seniors in Israel must consider the unique needs of this community.