Physical mobility and social integration: Their relationship to the well-being of older Canadians

This study examined the relationship between physical mobility, social inte gration and well-being in a subsample of 754 unmarried older community dwel lers selected from Statistics Canada's 1985 General Social Survey. Also exa mined was the relationship of mobility; social integration with children, s iblings, other relatives, and close friends; and social satisfaction with f riend and family relations in predicting well-being. A cross-sectional desi gn was used. Age, gender, marital status and Living arrangements were inclu ded in the multiple regression analysis. Although no significant interactio ns were found between mobility and social integration, the results lend sup port to the importance of mobility and the quality, as opposed to the quant ity, of social relationships to well-being. Mobility, satisfaction with fri endships, being older and satisfaction with family relations were identifie d as the variables most strongly related to well-being. Research and practi ce implications are discussed.