Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Social Work

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

This study examined the association between social capital and self-efficacy among Medicare beneficiaries with and without visual impairment (VI); particular attention was given to the moderating roles of online social engagement (OSE), as well as sociodemographic and health factors. The study used a cross-sectional research design and conducted a secondary data analysis of deidentified data available to the public from Round 11 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS). Seven research questions explored whether the association between social capital and self-efficacy differed by VI status; whether the association persisted after adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors; and whether OSE (binary or composite index), specific forms of OSE (email/texting, social networking site use, and video calls), and sociodemographic and health factors moderated these relationships. Logistic regression models with interaction terms were estimated while controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital/partner status, living alone, metropolitan status, Census region, income, self-rated health, and severity of depressive or anxious symptoms. The findings indicated that higher levels of social capital were associated with greater odds of high self-efficacy among Medicare beneficiaries overall, although the patterns differed by VI in several models. OSE had complex moderating relationships with the social capital–self-efficacy association, with variation observed across different forms of OSE and VI status. Several sociodemographic and health factors also influenced these relationships, which suggests that self-efficacy among older people is shaped by broader social, digital, and health contexts. Although some interaction effects were modest or inconsistently statistically significant, the findings suggested the existence of meaningful psychosocial relationships relevant to older people with VI. The results also highlight the importance of social and digital resources in later life and support the promotion of accessibility, digital inclusivity, and social connectedness among older people, especially the ones with disabilities.

Date

5-20-2026

Committee Chair

Wilks, Scott E.

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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Available for download on Thursday, May 20, 2027

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