This article assesses determinants of social support among the foreign-born elderly in Canada. We draw cross-sectional data from the second cycle of the National Population Health Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada in 1996-1997, and use ordinary least squares models for our empirical analysis. We focus on three measures of social support: perceived social support, social involvement, and social contact. Generally, we find that poor physical and/or mental health is negatively associated with our measures of support. Emotional problems, one of the most consistent predictors, erode social support. Also, social involvement declines with mobility problems but increases with self-reported health status, whereas social contact also increases with cognitive function. As with other studies, and consistent with relationships witnessed among the native-born population, our results indicate that the married/cohabiting are more likely than the separated/divorced or widowed to perceive social support. Further, we find that those with children experience greater perceived support.

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social behavior immigrant mental health human Aged social support human relation health model male Canada female cognition Review socioeconomics population research emotion elderly care health survey