This research presents the impactful findings of the “Enhancing Cross-Cultural Intergenerational Capacity in Social Capital” project, which successfully connected university students with older South Asians in Hong Kong, addressing critical issues of social isolation and cultural misunderstanding. Older South Asians often encounter barriers to community engagement and resource access. This initiative aimed to enhance students’ cultural competency while empowering older adults, fostering stronger community ties and promoting inclusivity. The project sought to cultivate cross-cultural communication skills among students, facilitate meaningful intergenerational interactions, and co-create culturally relevant services tailored to the unique needs of older South Asians. Through cultural competency training and collaborative co-creation workshops, students worked alongside community partners and older adults to design services that resonate with the community. Engaging over 50 participants, the project led to transformative outcomes: participants reported a 30% increase in cultural understanding and improved social connectivity, while students experienced a 40% boost in confidence in their service delivery. Qualitative feedback highlighted powerful personal stories of connection and growth, illustrating the profound impact on both students and older adults. These findings underscore the essential role of inclusive service-learning initiatives in fostering social capital and intergenerational solidarity, offering valuable insights for future community engagement practices and research.

The relationship between activity participation and well-being has been well documented for third age adults. However, little has been known about how the financial status influences this relationship. This study aims to investigate the moderating effect of financial status on the association of activity level with subjective happiness and quality of life among third age adults. Systematic sampling was used to select a sample of 304 adults aged 50 and older from an active ageing institute in Hong Kong. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that activity level was a salient predictor for subjective happiness and quality of life when controlling for socio-demographics. It was not salient anymore when its interaction term with financial status was added to the model. The interaction term significantly predicted quality of life but not subjective happiness. When the data were separated by financial status, activity level saliently predicted subjective happiness and quality of life for participants with good or very good financial statuses but not for those with poor or average statuses. The results suggested that financial status played a moderating role in the relationship between activity participation and well-being. Specifically, third age adults with limited financial resources need more welfare support to benefit from activity participation.

Aim: This research aimed to comprehensively explore the impact of diverse challenges encountered by older adults on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It delved into how these effects vary depending on individuals' levels of trust in authority and medical professionals, providing a nuanced understanding of the interplay between external challenges, personal trust, and mental health outcomes in the older population.Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant hardships, particularly on the ageing population, with potential psychological repercussions such as PTSD. Notably, there is a dearth of research exploring this association within the context of Chinese older adults, a group that may experience unique impacts due to cultural differences in the face of global crises.Methods: Data were collected from a representative sample of 1,211 participants aged 60 years and above in Shenzhen. Logistic and hierarchical linear regression methods were utilized to investigate the relationship between the challenges posed by COVID-19, public trust, and the manifestation of PTSD symptoms.Findings: Higher levels of challenges related to 'supplies, services access and safety', 'abuse and conflicts', and 'anger and fear' were associated with PTSD. Furthermore, a lower level of challenges related to 'disease management and information' was associated with PTSD. Trust in authority or medical professionals was the moderator between the challenges brought about by COVID-19 and PTSD, which helped to lower the impact of challenges. Despite the challenges brought by COVID-19 to people, nurturing a stronger sense of trust in authority and medical professionals would ease older adults' psychological stress and concerns.

The critical interplay of cultural diversity, digital access, lifelong learning, and personal capacity is a key focus, particularly for older adults in multicultural settings. These complex factors across diverse landscapes demand exploration to address challenges and enhance well-being. This symposium presents five studies examining personal capacity, social resilience, mental health, digital inclusion, and community empowerment among aging populations, spotlighting South Asian elders in Hong Kong, racialized immigrants in Canada, older adults in China, vulnerable seniors in Hong Kong’s digital context, and older Chinese immigrants in Canada. These studies underscore the need for culturally congruent, tech-savvy, and education-driven interventions. They highlight challenges in social connectivity, community engagement, mental health, digital literacy, and discrimination, alongside the power of intergenerational ties and learning. Critical elements like cross-cultural understanding, resilience depth, access to community, digital, and educational resources, family dynamics, and unmet care needs significantly shape older adults’ lives. The research strongly supports culturally attuned, digitally inclusive, and learning-focused policies and practices. It emphasizes empowerment, resilience-building, mental health support, digital capacity enhancement, and community advocacy tailored to diverse identities and needs. These findings are vital for crafting targeted interventions, policies, and frameworks to overcome unique barriers faced by ageing individuals in culturally diverse, digitally advancing, and socially evolving contexts worldwide. International Aging and Migration Interest Group Sponsored Symposium

Social capital structures play an important role in addressing social and health care needs of older adults. Knowing culture provides the context for values, beliefs and behaviors, it is imperative to use an ethnically-specific approach to understand the complexity of social capital structures in a multi-national population. Ethnic diversity is a prominent characteristic among the aging population in Hong Kong, with the South Asian aged 55 increased at almost three times the rate of the local aged cohort. This study aimed to examined how social capital structures determined their care needs among these diverse group. This study conducted telephone survey to 800 Hong Kong older adults via random digital dialing. Another purposive sample of 215 South Asians were interviewed face-to-face. Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed notable differences in social capital structures between the groups, with both models showing excellent reliability (South Asians: CFI=0.999, TLI=0.999, RMSEA=0.078; Hong Kong: CFI=0.991, TLI=0.987, RMSEA=0.077). South Asian older adults emphasized neighborhood cohesion, community interactions, and collective support, reflecting collectivist cultural values. Conversely, Hong Kong older adults focused on individual community participation, family-oriented support, and trust networks from family to neighbors, indicative of a more individualistic cultural orientation centered on personal achievements and family ties. These findings highlight the need for culturally responsive social policies. Programs for South Asian older adults should enhance neighborhood ties and collective support, while initiatives for Hong Kong older adults should strengthen familial networks and personalized social engagement. Future research should explore these distinctions to guide inclusive aging policies and community interventions.

Resident-to-staff aggression (RSA) is common in long-term care facilities. It is associated with adverse physical and psychological consequences for staff, deteriorates resident-staff relationships, and greater staff turnover intention. Drawing on a sample of 703 care workers from 70 long-term care facilities, this study sought to determine the prevalence and risk factors of RSA in Hong Kong. RSA is common in this sample: 97.6% reported verbal aggression, 10.7% physical assault, 8.5% sexual violence, 13.7% annoying behaviors. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors associated with physical assaults, sexual violence, and annoying behaviors, controlling for duration (minutes) and location (common area vs resident rooms) of RSA. Physical assaults was associated with perpetrator behavioral problems (OR = 1.08, p<.001), resident male gender (OR = 2.40, p<.05), dementia (OR = 21.87, p<.001), staff lack of experience in dementia care (OR = 17.59, p<.001), need to provide dementia care (OR = 15.89, p<.01), lack of training (OR = 10.06, p<.01, and perceived insufficient training (OR = 2.97, p<.01). Sexual violence was associated with perpetrator male gender (OR = 22.51, p<.001), staff younger age (OR=.93. p<.05) and female gender (OR=.14, p<.01). Annoying behaviors was associated with perpetrator behavioral problems (OR = 1.07, p<.001), younger age (OR=.94, p<.95), male gender (OR = 3.04, p<.01), dementia (OR = 2.31, p<.01), staff female gender (OR=.32, p<.01), lack of experience in dementia care (OR = 3.56, p<.05), needs to provide dementia care (OR = 12.31, p<.01), lack of training (OR = 11.52, p<.001), and perceived insufficient training (OR = 2.52, p<.01). Addressing resident behavioral problems and providing sufficient staff training may help prevent RSA

Extreme weather events pose significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as older adults, potentially exacerbating existing health inequalities. This longitudinal study examines the impacts of extreme weather events on the mental health of older persons in China, using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) matched with city-level extreme weather events from 2011 to 2020. Our analysis reveals that exposure to extreme heat events is significantly associated with decreased mental health scores among older adults. This negative impact is mediated through increased incidence of chronic diseases, reduced physical activity, and decreased contact with their children. Social, medical, and digital services positively moderate the negative impacts of extreme heat. Subgroup analyses identify women, individuals under 75 years, those with low education, and rural residents as more vulnerable to the mental health effects of extreme heat, highlighting disparities in climate resilience. Older adults living in cities lacking health-promoting, smart, or low-carbon features show greater sensitivity to hot weather, underscoring urban-rural and socioeconomic inequalities in adaptation capacity. These findings emphasize the urgent need to prioritize the well-being of older populations and address health inequalities, particularly in rapidly aging societies.

Elder abuse is a serious public health issue. Considerable efforts have been made to develop interventions to address this issue. This study compared the effectiveness of a 4-session motivational interviewing (MI) program and an 8-session case management (CM) program in reducing abuse severity, promoting physical and mental health, general self-efficacy, social support, and motivation to change. Baseline data was collected from 129 older adults screening positive for elder abuse in a community survey. Assessments were repeated at the end of the intervention for the 86 cases receiving MI intervention and 43 cases receiving case management, and at 3-month follow up for 20 cases in the MI group. No demographic difference was observed between cases assigned to MI and CM at baseline. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to examine intervention outcomes by different time points. At post-test, the MI group demonstrated significant improvement in abuse severity, psychological distress, general self-efficacy, social support and motivation to change (p<.001). The CM group also showed improvement in these areas with the exception of general self-efficacy (p<.01). Significant difference was observed between MI and CM group in their improvement in general self-efficacy. Abuse severity and psychological distress continued to drop at 3-month post-intervention (p<.05). Abuse severity and psychological distress continued to decrease between post-intervention and 3 month-follow-up (p<.05). Our findings suggest that MI is a cost-effective intervention for reducing abuse severity and risk.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges, particularly the psychological impact of prolonged preventive measures. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationships among adherence, anti-pandemic fatigue, and depression, focusing on how these dynamics evolved. Methods: A prospective longitudinal survey was conducted among 627 adults in Hong Kong during the pandemic across 3 waves. Repeated measures ANOVA, cross-lagged path modeling, and mediation model were employed to assess temporal relationships among adherence, anti-pandemic fatigue, and depression. Results: Adherence at T3 significantly predicted T4’s anti-pandemic fatigue ( B = 0.196, SE = 0.055) and depression ( B = 1.690, SE = 0.247), and anti-pandemic fatigue significantly predicted T4’s depression ( B = 0.684, SE = 0.260). These effects diminished at later waves, reflecting psychological relief as restrictions eased. Notably, adherence was found to increase anti-pandemic fatigue, which in turn exacerbated depressive symptoms. Conclusion: While relationships varied over the 3 time points, the longitudinal design has clarified the causal inference. The study highlights the mental toll of prolonged restrictions and emphasizes the importance of designing integrative strategies that support adherence while addressing fatigue and depression. These findings offer actionable insights for primary care and community health programs in managing future public health emergencies.

Living environmental conditions can pose great impacts on the health and well-being of older adults receiving care from residential care facilities (RCFs). Despite the growing concern on resident-to-resident aggression (RRA) worldwide, little is known about what environmental factors, and how these factors affect RRA among RCF residents. This study examined the correlates of RRA, with a special emphasis on the environmental and structural features of the RCFs. Cross-sectional data collected from a quota sample of 412 personal care workers (PCWs) working at 29 RCFs in Hong Kong were analysed using linear mixed-effects modelling. Guided by a survey, PCWs reported the most recent RRA incident they witnessed, and provided details about the perpetrator, victim, and the RCF involved. Effects of different individual characteristics of PCWs and residents, as well as environmental and structural factors of RCFs were included to predict RRA witnessed by PCWs. Results show that RRA is associated most strongly with residents' behavioural disturbances (perpetrator: B = 0.19, SE = 0.04, p < .001; victims: B = 0.16, SE = 0.03, p < .001). Among all environmental factors, cleanliness of the indoor areas of RCFs is the only significant predictor of RRA (B = -0.06, SE = 0.03, p < .05). Overall, findings did not support the impacts of most environmental features on RRA in the current settings. Yet, the significant effects of residents' behavioural disturbances and cleanliness of RCFs on RRA advocate for integrated prevention and intervention strategies that address both individual health needs and organisational management.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted lives worldwide, yet the experiences of marginalized groups, particularly older individuals in racialized minority communities, have received limited attention. This study aims to explore the social contexts of older South Asians in Hong Kong during the pandemic. Through in-depth narrative interviews with 20 South Asians aged 65 and over, thematic analysis revealed the critical roles of social capital in bonding, bridging, and linking. Participants highlighted the importance of family and close friends in bonding social capital, providing emotional, informational, and social support. Bridging social capital was evident in interactions with neighbours and the local Chinese community, who offered support but could also be sources of discrimination. Linking social capital was demonstrated through the provision of essential resources and services by local, voluntary, and religious organizations. These findings underscore the multifaceted functions of social capital in promoting social inclusion and support for aging racialized minorities, especially during health crises. The study highlights the urgent need for targeted policies and interventions to address the unique challenges faced by older South Asians in Hong Kong. By understanding the intricate dynamics of social capital within these communities, policymakers can more effectively tailor efforts to build robust and inclusive support systems, fostering a more resilient and equitable society in the face of future pandemics or similar crises.

This study investigates the processes and experiences of intergenerationally tied relocation in which older parents from mainland China join their already migrated children in Hong Kong to provide domestic and childcare support. Studies on tied migration have mainly focused on couple-based moves within a human capital framework. With the increasing trend of grandparenting migrants, studies have expanded to address intergenerationally tied relocation. We conducted thematic analysis of in-depth interview data of 34 mainland Chinese respondents, including 15 parent–child pairs and four adult children. The decision to relocate is influenced by the established history of intergenerational supportive exchange relationships. The initial motivation for tied relocation is to benefit the adult children. Older parents' postrelocation experiences can affect their later decision to leave or remain, with key factors including financial dependence, emotional stress, and difficulty in balancing the duty of care between migrant children and distant family members. In planning for future eldercare, the goal is to meet the needs of both generations. Options include non-coresidential care, reliance on the parents' hometown sibling network, or living in nearby mainland cities closer to Hong Kong. The study highlights the complex interplay of family relationships and responsibilities in the phenomenon of intergenerationally tied relocation. The findings unveil the dynamic roles and adaptive strategies families utilize to facilitate the transfer of care and support across generations and geographies. Policy and services should be developed to assist aging immigrant families in their adaptation and integration, and formulate strategies for meeting future care needs.

IntroductionRecent immigrants from racialized minority backgrounds and those who are notproficient in the local language are some of the most vulnerable members of society. Despitehaving postsecondary educational qualifications and permanent residency status, many areengaged in precarious employment. There is a scarcity of research that has explicitly focused onthe work experiences and mental health challenges faced by these immigrants.MethodsUsing agrounded theory approach and semi-structured face-to-face interviews, this study examined thework experiences and mental health challenges of 42 recent immigrant employees from twocities in Canada who were working in various industries and engaged in precarious employment.FindingsEighty-one percent of the employee participants were overqualified for their jobs.Findings highlighted several ongoing mental problems that participants experienced, stemmingfrom challenging physical and psychological workplace conditions, negative mindsets associatedwith their recent immigrant status, and other contextual factors and barriers. However, variouscoping strategies, both constructive and unconstructive, were used to address this mental distress.DiscussionThe study proposes a multidimensional approach to address workplace conditions topromote good mental health for these employees. This includes preventative programs for raisingawareness among employers about the importance of recent immigrant employees’ mental healthand well-being and policy and legislation changes to ensure the employer’s commitment tocreating a safe and culturally friendly workplace. The approach also recommends that recentimmigrant employees receive occupational health and safety training, learn about Canadianworkplace norms and culture, and have access to professional healthcare services.

This study examined the effects of exposure to resident aggression, self-efficacy, neuroticism, and attitudes toward dementia on burnout among direct care workers (DCWs) in nursing homes. A convenience sample of 800 DCWs from 70 randomly selected nursing homes in Hong Kong were recruited and individually interviewed. DCWs reported past-month experiences of resident aggression, levels of burnout, self-efficacy, neuroticism, attitudes toward dementia, and other personal and facility characteristics. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that, while physical environment of the facilities, and demographic background and self-efficacy of DCWs were not significant contributing factors, DCWs’ exposure to resident aggression, insufficient experience and training in dementia care, negative attitudes toward dementia, and neurotic personality were associated with higher levels of staff burnout. Findings point to the importance of mitigating resident aggression and adequately screen and train staff to optimize their empathy and competence in minimizing the risk of burnout.

Abstract Intergenerational interaction is crucial for promoting social cohesion and mutual understanding. The Inter-Generational Engagement in Secondary Schools (i-GESS) program was created to engage older adults and university students in co-creating learning activities for students in secondary schools to enhance positive intergenerational interactions, attitude, knowledge, and skills. This study examined the changes using a quasi-experimental pre-post survey design in 129 older adults (age 60+), 110 university students (age 18 to 22), and 470 secondary school students (age 13 - 16). The results demonstrated substantial improvements in attitudes towards different age groups, as measured by the 34-item Kogan’s scale. Secondary school students showed a significant 13.7% improvement in attitudes towards older adults, while university students and older adults noted increases of 4.2% and 5%, respectively, in their views towards youth. Additionally, self-rated communication skills saw notable gains, with secondary school students and university students recording increases of 7.9% and 9.5%, respectively. Trust in communication also increased substantially, evidenced by a 12.1% rise among secondary school students and a 5% improvement among older adults. The most pronounced enhancements were in the attitudes of secondary school students towards older adults and the communication skills of university students, indicating major impacts in these areas. The i-GESS initiative successfully bridged generational divides, fostering meaningful relationships across age groups via the application of the co-creation strategy. The positive outcomes further reinforce the benefits of this intergenerational approach for enhancing mutual cooperation and respect.

Abstract Elder abuse causes serious harm to individuals, families, and society. There is an urgent need to develop and test appropriate interventions to tackle it. This study tested the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing (MI)-based intervention in reducing elder abuse severity and promoting positive changes among community dwelling older Chinese in Hong Kong. The intervention involved a 90-minute individual engagement session and three 30-minute booster sessions delivered by trained MI facilitators. Personal goals for improvement of known risk factors such as poor physical and psychological health, lack of social support were set out followed by the application of MI processes. Pre- and post-test comparison of 33 intervention cases and 28 control cases are presented here. Analysis of pre-treatment differences found significant difference between the two groups in their monthly income, number of offspring and co-residing persons, physical frailty, general self-efficacy and abuse severity. Difference in differences technique was applied to mitigate the effects of extraneous factors and selection bias. Results show that intervention group performed significantly better than the control group upon completing the intervention program. Significant between group differences were found in terms of changes in psychological distress (GHQ, z=-3.043, p< 0.05), general self-efficacy (GSES, z=-4.988, p< 0.05), social support (MSPSS, z=-3.080, p< 0.05), abuse severity (CTS2, z=-2.593, p< 0.05), and perceived ability to change (z=-3.749, p< 0.05). MI has demonstrated good potential for elder abuse intervention. Further study should be conducted to identify key elements in MI leading to positive changes and refine the model for elder abuse prevention and intervention.

This qualitative study aims to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected South Asians in Hong Kong. A total of 34 South Asian adults completed the interview. Data were analysed thematically and three broad themes emerged: the impact of the pandemic on daily life, discrimination experienced, coping with challenges. The impacts of COVID-19 have spanned across from individual, family, community, to societal domains. Future research using a longitudinal approach and the inclusion of those with quarantine or infection experiences would yield a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences of South Asian communities in Hong Kong.

Abstract The critical interaction between culture, ethnicity, and social determinants of health is a vital area of study, particularly regarding the unique experiences of ethnocultural minority older adults. The complex intersections of these factors across diverse social landscapes are ripe for investigation to uncover inequalities and inform targeted strategies to reduce the inequalities encountered by these groups. This symposium presents four key studies that examine the well-being, healthcare access, and civic participation of aging Asian immigrants, with a focus on South Asian populations in Hong Kong and Canada, as well as Chinese communities in Canada and the United States. These studies highlight the need for culturally congruent interventions. They emphasise the challenges faced in health and mental health service accessibility and the rich tapestry of cultural diversity within civic involvement. Critical factors such as the quality of intergenerational relationships, the breadth and depth of social capital, language skills, transportation availability, financial dependencies, and the impact of pre-migration histories are shown to significantly affect the lives and civic engagement of aging Asian immigrants. The research presented here strongly advocates for culturally attuned policies and practices. It underscores an imperative for health promotion, healthcare accessibility, and civic inclusion that are responsive to the cultural identities and preferences of diverse older populations. The findings of these studies are critical to the development of targeted interventions, public policies and supportive frameworks that address the unique needs and overcome the barriers faced by ageing migrants around the world.

Drawing upon person-environment fit perspective, this study examines the joint and interactive influences of personal competence and environmental characteristics on the happiness of ageing adults around the period of COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected in two rounds, before and during the pandemic, with 2,028 participants aged 55 years and older in Hong Kong. Personal competence encompassed financial status, physical health, and mental capital, while environmental characteristics included experiences of ageism, perceived social conditions, and age-friendly policies. Ordinary least squares regression was used to examine personal and environmental influences on happiness. Results indicated a significant decline in happiness following the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Mental capital was found to have the strongest positive influence on happiness, followed by physical health, financial status, and social conditions. Mental capital mitigated the negative relationship between experiences of ageism and happiness. Practical interventions are informed to improve the well-being of ageing adults during pandemic.