Browsing by Author "Tong, Hongmei"

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    Exploring the Lived Experiences of Spousal Bereavement and Widowhood among Older Chinese Immigrants in Calgary
    (2019-02-26) Wang, Qianyun; Walsh, Christine Ann; Tong, Hongmei; Tam, Dora; Wada, Kaori
    Spousal bereavement poses considerable challenges to adults in late life. Some populations, such as older immigrants, may experience heightened negative outcomes as a consequence of spousal bereavement, due to migratory stress and marginalization. Spousal bereavement is also culturally-embedded as it is related to cultural beliefs and attitudes concerning death and family relationships. However, studies on spousal bereavement or widowhood among older immigrant groups are limited. This study aims to fill the gap by exploring, via a phenomenological approach, the lived experiences of widowed older Chinese immigrants in Calgary. This study addressed two main research questions: 1) What are the lived experiences of widowed Chinese older immigrants in coping with their spousal bereavement? and 2) What supports do widowed older Chinese immigrants draw from to cope with their bereavement and to adjust to widowhood? Findings were categorized into four levels, individual, family, community and society. It was found that grief was long-lasting among participants. They took grief privately, with using rituals and faith. Although family and ethno-cultural communities played an important role in providing supports to participants during their widowhood, both were unable to directly help them cope with the spousal loss. Most participants did not access social services for bereavement support. Participants’ lived experience of widowhood were also embedded with multi-dimensional identities: age, gender, immigration, and ethnicity. Immigration background and ethno-cultural factors were recognized in relation to their significant impact on participants’ late-life widowhood. Limitations of this study, implications for further research and social work practice and policy-making were included.
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    Social Exclusion and Health Among Older Chinese in Shanghai: From the Social Determinants of Health Perspective
    (2013-09-25) Tong, Hongmei; Lai, Daniel W. L.
    China is experiencing dramatic socio-economic transitions, in which older adults are facing increasing challenges related to social exclusion. Several gaps in the study of social exclusion remain: (a) limited knowledge about social exclusion in older age; (b) existing research on social exclusion and older adults is limited to Western countries, with little known about social exclusion experienced by older adults in Asia countries; (c) knowledge on the relationship between social exclusion and health status of older adults is scant. By adopting a social exclusion framework, this study examined the characteristics of social exclusion and its relationship to the health status of older Chinese in Shanghai, China. Chinese citizens aged 60 years and older were identified through a multistage sampling procedure from three communities in Shanghai and completed a structured questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews. Social exclusion was represented by the variables related to six domains: material resources, housing conditions, social relations, civic activities, basic services, and neighbourhood. Health status was measured by four health variables including number of chronic illnesses, self-rated general health, depression, and life satisfaction. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used. This study showed that the proportion of older adults reporting exclusion in the six domains ranges from 12% to 45%. Over a third (39%) of the respondents reported experiencing multiple exclusions. Being older, having a lower level of education, a lower level of self-perceived financial adequacy, living in the Jing An District, not being a member of the Communist Party, and living in poverty for a longer period of time were the most important factors that were significantly associated with one or more dimensions of social exclusion. The relationship between social exclusion and health status varied according to type of social iii exclusion and health variables. Multiple exclusions were significantly related to a higher number of chronic illnesses, depression, and unfavourable life satisfaction. Despite some limitations, this study is an important addition to the literature on social exclusion in older adults and social determinants of health. This study calls for greater attention to social exclusion and its relationship on the health of older Chinese adults.