臺北市高齡學習者健康促進、人際互動及生活滿意之研究

Health Improvement, Interpersonal Relationships, and Life Satisfaction Among Elderly Learners in Taipei

臺灣自1993 年起已成為人口老化國家，協助高齡者體認健康之重要性及從事學習活動與社會活動，是積極面對人口老化的重要方針。鑑此，本研究以調查法探究臺北市高齡學習者偏好之學習類別與學習型態，並據此將高齡學習者分為「積極」、「保守」、「知性取向」及「人際取向」四類，其中以人際取向學習者居多、保守學習者最少。分析結果顯示，年齡、教育程度、居住地區及婚姻狀況與學習者類型呈顯著關聯性，其中，未滿60歲、國中以下教育程度之分組積極學習者的比例較少；70～74歲、研究所以上學歷積極學習者比例較高。信義區積極學習者比例較高、松山區則以保守學習者較多。喪偶者呈現較傾向於積極學習者與人際取向學習者。整體而言，積極學習者不論在健康促進行為、人際互動趨向及生活滿意度，皆優於保守與人際取向學習者。基於本研究之發現，建議高齡學習相關資源、方案、規劃、活動和課程，應多方考量學習者的個別特性及地區差異，以增強保守學習者持續參與學習的動機和提升低社經地區民眾的整體參與為積極面對高齡社會之策略。

Taiwan has been an aging society since 1993. Elderly people should be encouraged to recognize the importance of their health, plan their finances early, and participate in learning and social activities, because these are important strategies for actively facing the aging process. This study explored the preferred categories and styles of learning among elderly people in Taipei. The results showed that elderly people could be divided into four types according to their learning interests: active, conservative, intellectually oriented, and interpersonally oriented. Most elderly learners were interpersonally oriented, and fewest of them were conservative learners. The findings indicated that learners’ age, educational level, residential area, and marital status were significantly related to their learning type. Fewer active learners were found among those who were less than 60 years old or who had not completed senior high school. Those who were 70 to 74 years old or who had master’s degrees were more active learners. Active learners were more frequently found among elderly people living in Xinyi District, whereas in Songshan District there were more conservative learners. Widowers were more likely to be active and interpersonally oriented learners. Moreover, active learners showed a higher degree of health improvement behavior, interpersonal interaction, and life satisfaction than conservative and interpersonally oriented learners. The authors suggest that differences in learners’ characteristics and location should be kept in mind when planning resources, programs, and activities for elderly people. Moreover, as goals for an aging society, it is necessary to increase the motivation of the category of the conservative groups to engage in learning activities and to promote learning participations for those elder learners with lower social and economic status.