Migration, conceptions of social interaction, and active aging: cross-national perspectives of older Ghanaians living in the cities of Australia and Ghana

Migration is associated with reduced social interaction, increased isolation, and diminished social support among older migrants living in cities. While the global community is striving to enhance the quality of life of its older population, researchers have investigated how the World Health Organisation’s Active Aging Framework contributes to sustaining the quality of life in old age. However, there has been little understanding of older people’s frame of meaning of social interaction and its contribution to active aging. In this paper, we report on our exploration of the frame of meaning of social interaction and how it contributes to active aging. The study was designed as an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) involving in-depth interviews with 15 older Ghanaians living in cities in Ghana, and we compared this with 15 older Ghanaian migrants living in cities in Australia. The data was analysed through an NVivo-supported thematic analysis process. Findings reveal that social interaction is multidimensional across national contexts, defined by social capital and social activity, and is linked to income. Participants associated social interaction with active aging, life purpose, resilience, empowerment, motivation, and overall happiness and life satisfaction. Ghanaians in Ghana reported greater social capital, while those in Australia experienced more opportunities for social activity. Based on emerging findings, we conclude that both social capital and social activity are important for the active ageing of city-dwelling older people. To fulfil commitments to aging in place, policymakers and city planners should foster social capital and activity to enhance active aging, focusing on opportunities in cities for connection, recreation, transportation, and social programs for older people, particularly migrants.