Civic engagement of the oldest-old in Shanghai

Background. In China, and throughout the world, there is everincreasing interest in civic engagement and older adults. Civic engagement can be construed as an element of the broader theoretical framework of social capital. Social capital, which has been defined as “features of social organisations such as networks, norms, and trust, that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit” is also linked to health and well-being which is of great interest to ageing individuals and societies. Social capital is complex and can be understood in a broad societal context as well as in individual behaviours. This paper examines the relationship between contributory behaviours within a familiar circle and civic engagement in a group of the oldest-old Chinese in Shanghai. Methods. A total of 349 community-dwelling Chinese, aged 80 years or older, responded to questions on health, living arrangements, social integration, contributory behaviours, and civic engagement. Civic engagement consisted of volunteering or belonging to a group or organisation, organising events and participating in a senior centre. Participants were recruited from household registrations in Shanghai and the response rate was 99.7%. The data were submitted to hierarchical regression analyses using a two-step block entry, with civic engagement as the dependent variable. Step one entered socio-demographics, health status, and living arrangements. Step two entered social contact and contributory behaviours with family, friends, or neighbours. Results. Social contact and contributory behaviours with family, friends, or neighbours were found to be significant predictors of civic engagement. Conclusions. In this group of the oldest-old Chinese, civic engagement was not a replacement activity for social contact or contributions to family, friends, or neighbours.