East Meets West: Collaborating Internationally to Mitigate Social Isolation

Chair(s)

• MI

  Megumi Inoue, PhD, MSW, RN (she/her/hers)

  Associate professor
  Social Work
  George Mason University
  Fairfax, Virginia, United States

  Slides

Co-Chair(s)

• 

  Takashi Amano, PhD, MSW (he/him/his)

  Assistant Professor
  Social Work
  Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
  Newark, New Jersey, United States

Individual Symposium Abstract First Author(s)

• YW

  Yuichi Watanabe, PhD

  Professor
  Social Welfare
  Musashino University
  Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan
• HM

  Hiroshi Murayama, RH, PHN, MPH, PhD

  Vice-Director
  Research Team for Social Participation and Healthy Aging
  Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology
  Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan

  Handouts
• HT

  Harry Taylor, PhD, MSW, MPH (he/him/his)

  Assistant Professor
  Faculty of Social Work
  University of Toronto
  Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• CM

  Christine Mair, PhD, FGSA

  Associate Professor
  Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Public Health
  University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
  Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Combatting social isolation in later life is a pressing global issue. This symposium assesses social isolation among older adults from various angles. Four presenters from North America and Japan examine the perception, disparities, and impact of social isolation within specific cultural contexts. The knowledge from diverse cultural backgrounds and policy frameworks of the different countries provides an opportunity to explore the intricate nuances and shared experiences of social isolation among older populations. Dr. Watanabe will introduce the status of social isolation among Japanese older adults who reside in a marginal community, where more than 50% of the population is 65 years or older. Dr. Murayama will describe the findings on different forms of social isolation and their impact on health outcomes, utilizing extensive cohort data from older adults living in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Dr. Taylor will examine disparities in loneliness among older adults in the U.S., with a particular focus on the mediation effects of socioeconomic factors on racial and ethnic differences in loneliness. Dr. Mair will discuss changing demographics of older adults and shifting cultural values from a global perspective, with implications for rethinking aging alone as a risk factor and traditional notions of successful aging in relation to limited family ties. These four presentations will provide a broad overview of social isolation in three countries and its implications for quality of life in later life. The symposium will help identify culturally-sensitive strategies for promoting the well-being of older adults in global communities.

Presentations:

• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST

  Social Isolation of Older Adults in a Marginalized Community in Japan
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Yuichi Watanabe, PhD – Musashino University
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST

  Differential Effect of Limited Social Network and Solitary Living on Health Implications: Paradox of Isolation
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Hiroshi Murayama, RH, PHN, MPH, PhD – Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST

  Racial/Ethnic Differences in Loneliness Among Older Adults: The Role of Income and Education as Mediators
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Harry Taylor, PhD, MSW, MPH (he/him/his) – University of Toronto
• 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PST

  Successfully "Aging Alone"? Unequal Opportunities and Rising Risks in Family-Based Models of Care Cross-Nationally
  

  Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Christine A. Mair, PhD, FGSA – University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)