Abstract:
The study revealed that gender and marital status of patients do not impact social support expectations, while age significantly impacts the social support expectations from health care systems. Age does not moderate the relationship between gender and social support expectations; age also does not moderate the relationship between marital status and social support expectations from heaith care systems. The study findings point to the fact that age as a demographic variable is significant to the understanding of social support expectations of consumers. This finding could contribute to further understanding of the concept of social support as a form of coping during stress, particularly in the health care service sector.
