Ageing Happily in Ghana: How Does Social Inclusion Contribute?

BACKGROUND: Promoting happiness has become increasingly important in old age for a wide range of reasons. In this study, we aim to examine the association between social inclusion (SI) and happiness among older adults in Ghana and identify the mediating factors. METHODS: The study included 1201 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 (mean age = 66.4 ± SD 11.9 years; 63.3% female) from the 2016-2018 Ageing, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behaviour Study. We assessed happiness with a self-rated and cross-culturally validated item on a five-point scale. SI was operationalised using the modified Berkman-Syme Social Network Index. The hypothesised associations were evaluated by hierarchical regressions and bootstrapping techniques from Hayes' PROCESS macro programme. RESULTS: The prevalence of happiness was 24.3% (all of the time), 43.6% (most of the time), 28.3% (little of the time), and 3.7% (none of the time). After controlling for potential confounders, higher SI was associated with increased levels of happiness (odds ratio (OR) = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-2.51). Aside from family/friends contacts, all other SI domains positively influenced happiness (OR = 1.45-1.81). The link between SI and happiness was mediated by depressive symptoms (65.2%), generalised anxiety (30.1%), and sleep problems (9.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that psychological factors may largely explain the positive SI-happiness link. Efforts should target these factors to promote happiness in old age. Longitudinal analysis may confirm our findings.