The prediction of perceived well-being

Regression analysis of data from a sample of Northwestern Wisconsin residents shows that a limited number of domain satisfactions accounts for a significant proportion of the variance in life satisfaction. Most life satisfaction is derived from domains which are personal, broader in scope, and central to the individual, and which gain ascendency in the social and psychological life space of the individual as a result of differences in sex, age and income. Satisfaction with health, family and even community override work satisfaction as the main source of men's life satisfaction, while satisfaction with family life easily overwhelms other domain satisfactions as predictors of the life satisfaction of women. Also, the effect of family satisfaction is much stronger for women than men, and during the socially and biologically most productive years of life than in maturity. The contribution of satisfaction with sparetime activities, family, work, etc. to the life satisfaction of the elderly is consistent with a theory of re-engagement in fewer but more meaningful roles. Income differences do not sharply discriminate among the predictors, except at the extremes. Overall, the study demonstrates the efficacy of domain satisfaction measures as predictors of life satisfaction.     

Life satisfaction among the rural elderly: What do the numbers mean?

Studies of life satisfaction among the elderly are based almost entirely on quantitative data, yet we have little knowledge of whether such data are consistent and valid representations of satisfaction. The present paper addresses this issue through a comparison of quantitative and qualitative data on satisfaction with housing, family, spouse, self-esteem, health, friends and life as a whole. The data were obtained from 15 elderly men and women living in rural Ontario who had participated in both a survey study of life satisfaction and an intensive qualitative study of loneliness, social activities and social relationships. The values selected by participants from scales of satisfaction were found to be fairly similar overall to judgements made by the investigators on the basis of qualitative data from interviews and diaries. But there were also a number of discrepancies across both participants and domains, and these discrepancies were not systematic. The scale values appear to be at best a superficial representation of participants' satisfaction. It is concluded that quantitative approaches are of limited utility in studies of the quality of life, and that they are most appropriately viewed as supplementary to approaches employing qualitative data and analysis.     

Women of Vision: Unique Insights into Women of the 20th Century. edited by Eileen A. Gavinn,Gavin, Aphrodite Clamar,and Mary Anne Siderits

The purpose of this study was to explore comparatively personality variables, subjective well-being variables, and participation in daily life activities in 150 women aged 50 to 82 years with different employment status. Moreover, we also analyzed the extent to which personality and participation in daily life activities accounted for life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Results from analyses of variance showed that there were significant differences between women with different working status. Multiple regression analyses revealed that self-esteem, optimism, and social activities accounted for a significant amount of variance in predicting life satisfaction and positive affect.     

Active Participation and Well-Being Among the Elderly in Belgium and the USA: A Cross-National Time-Use Perspective

Active participation of the elderly is a recognized response to address the societal and individual challenges of rising life expectancy such as releasing the pressure of age-related public spending, reducing social isolation and improving well-being. How much time older people devote to active participation and whether their time allocation is associated with well-being remains under-investigated. Using time-use data from Belgium (n?=?1384) and the USA (n?=?2133), we investigate the time older people (65–80 years) spent on active participation and examine how this relates to their life satisfaction as an indicator of well-being. The countries vary in the amount of time spent on paid employment and volunteering, but not on informal help. Belgian older people spend much less time on paid employment than their American counterparts. This implies more are available to volunteer and provide informal help. Yet participation rates in these activities are higher in the USA. Multivariate analyses show that associations between active participation and life satisfaction vary between both countries and within both countries by gender and age. Overall, positive associations between paid work and volunteering and life satisfaction suggest that governments would do well to mobilize elderly into active participation, especially in Belgium. Negative associations between informal help and life satisfaction suggest governments should provide greater support for informal carers.

     

Productive Activities And Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults: The Influence Of Number Of Activities And Time Commitment

This study examines relationships among three measures of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, happiness and depressive symptoms), and two global measures of productive activity (number of activities and time commitment). We argue that participation in multiple productive activities should increase subjective well-being because these behaviors increase social integration and provide meaningful social roles. Using the first two waves of the Americans’ Changing Lives survey, we estimate a series of OLS and ordered logistic regression models to examine this issue among a sample of respondents 60 years old and older. Our multivariate regression results show that as time committed to productive activities increases, life satisfaction increases. Both increasing numbers of productive activities and increasing time commitment predict higher levels of happiness. Also, we find only modest support for a relationship between productive activities and the number of and changes in depressive symptoms. Our results provide support for the idea that engaging in productive activities is beneficial to older persons’ well-being, implying confirmation of the role enhancement hypothesis and demonstrating the importance of social integration.This research was partially supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (R03 AG018910). We thank Jan Mutchler for helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper.     

Revisiting the Disengagement Theory with Differentials in the Determinants of Life Satisfaction

This study proposes that differentials in the determinants of life satisfaction can be used to test if the elderly have a new equilibrium. One's global life satisfaction is taken as an indicator for one's inner world and for the elderly, global life satisfaction is assumed to be not influenced by life domains which indicate drastic social changes, because they are supposed to be disengaged from social activities. On the other hand, global life satisfaction for other adults is affected by life domains indicating social changes, because they are still tightly involved with social activities. The differentials in the determinants of global life satisfaction thus indicate that the elderly have a new equilibrium.A national survey on Taiwanese living conditions conducted by the Ministry of Interior, the Republic of China, in 1998 is used to test the above hypotheses. The analytical results show that the elderly have perceived drastic social changes. Moreover, they do have an equilibrium that is different from the other two age groups.     

Everyday Life in the Suburbs of Berlin: Consequences for the Social Participation of Aged Men and Women

Against the background of demographic change, mobility issues are becoming crucial. Especially for the elderly, daily outdoor activities are essential for participation in social life. This article addresses the question of what extent older people, especially women, are threatened by limited social participation in Berlin’s suburbia. The mobility of older women (70+) is characterized by the least number of trips, the shortest distances, and more than 50% walking trips. Besides, many older women are dissatisfied with their residential area. Given the lack of essential facilities, older women have to be considered as disadvantaged in terms of limited social participation.     

社交活动如何影响农村老年人生活满意度？

基于中国健康与养老追踪调查2011年数据,采用工具变量法分析了社交活动对老年人生活满意度的因果影响及影响渠道。研究结果表明,参与社交活动能够有效提升老年人的生活满意度。从影响渠道看,社交活动能够降低老年人的抑郁症倾向,能够提高老年人看病的及时性,从而有效提升老年人的生活满意度。本文的研究发现了“广场舞”等文化活动生命力旺盛的实践依据。据此,政府应当大力开展社区文化建设,科学规划社区活动场所,为老年人积极参与社交活动创造基础条件。     

城市老人从事志愿者活动对自身主观幸福感的影响——基于北京市朝阳区的调查

老年人是改善自身生活质量的主体力量。已有的研究多从老年人被照顾角度着手,鲜有对老年人自身从事公益活动对自身主观幸福感的研究。本文利用2010年开展的“北京市朝阳区城乡老年人口状况追踪调查”所获得的数据和二元logistic回归模型来研究老年人以参与志愿者活动的形式为他人提供支持与其自身主观幸福感的关系。结果证明。参与志愿者活动的城市老年人与不参与志愿者活动的城市老年人相比,前者的主观幸福感水平比后者高。因此,本研究认为应该重视老年人在提高自身生活质量方面的能动性,为老人创造更多发挥潜能的机会。     

Living Arrangement and Life Satisfaction of the Elderly in South Korea

With a rapid aging population in South Korea, the elderly living alone has received particular attention from researchers and stakeholders. Although previous research has found that living alone negatively affects life satisfaction of the elderly, much remains unclear about how life satisfaction of the elderly changes over time as their living arrangement change. To advance knowledge on life satisfaction of the elderly, using the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging we tested the association between life satisfaction (overall life, health, and financial) of the elderly and their living arrangement. Our longitudinal research found that the elderly living with family had significantly higher life satisfaction compared to those living alone between 2006 and 2016. In addition, individuals who had a superior economic profile and maintained physical activity and social relations showed higher life satisfaction than their counterparts. Our findings suggest that to improve the life satisfaction of the elderly living alone, both material and psychological support programs are needed. Future research is needed to account for the multi-faceted nature of life satisfaction.

     

The Effect of Depressive Symptoms on the Association between Functional Status and Social Participation

The aim of the current study was to examine the interactive effects of depressive symptoms and lower extremity functioning on social participation for a group of moderately to severely disabled older women. The study used a cross-sectional community based sample, enrolled in the Women’s Health and Aging Study I, randomly selected from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services enrollment files for women living in the Baltimore, Maryland area. The participants were women aged 65 or older who completed the in-person interview (n = 999). After adjusting for demographics and risk factors, each unit increase in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score was associated with a 0.31 point increase in satisfaction with social participation for the non-depressed group, and 2.04 points for the depressed group. Depressive symptoms and lower extremity functioning interact to affect satisfaction with social participation. Among women with high depressive symptoms the gradient of association with social participation increased sharply with better lower extremity function compared with non-depressed women, where the gradient of association was moderate. The findings suggest the potential value of programs that focus on improving lower extremity function among older high risk groups.     

Living Arrangements and Quality of Life Among Chinese Canadian Elders

This paper examines the role of living arrangements in thequality of life of community-dwelling Chinese elders (aged 65 andover) currently residing in Vancouver and Victoria, BritishColumbia. Data are based on a random sample of 830 persons[response rate = 71.5%], who were interviewed in their homes inthe language of their choice in 1995–96. Three dimensions ofquality of life – satisfaction, well-being and social support –are examined for married men and women [living with spouse alonevs. living intergenerationally] and widowed women [living alonevs. living intergenerationally]. Few differences are found formarried persons, especially women; for widows, living alonesignificantly reduces quality of life in a number of areas.Regression analyses indicate that living arrangements are not asignificant predictor of life satisfaction or well-being formarried men and women. For widows, living arrangements determinewell-being but not life satisfaction.Overall, age, health status, and social support (havingfriends/confidante) are better predictors of quality of life forelderly Chinese Canadians than are living arrangements. Findingshighlight the importance of: empirically distinguishing maritalstatus and living arrangements in studying the quality of life ofelders; not homogenizing Chinese Canadian seniors with regard toliving arrangements; and focussing on Chinese elderly widows wholive alone as a group at risk of low well-being.     

The Relationships between Activity and Quality of Life for Older Men and Women at Different Ages in Taiwan

This study investigated the relationships between types of activity and quality of life (QOL) for older men and women at different ages. Based on cross-sectional data that included 220 community-dwelling elderly persons aged 65 and older in southern Taiwan, the results showed that the participation rates in many activities declined with age for both genders. Social activity and solitary leisure activity were significantly associated with QOL for old-old men, but not for young-old men. Only social activity was significantly associated with QOL for young-old women, but there was no significant association between any activity and QOL for old-old women.     

Quality of Life and Leisure Activities: How do Leisure Activities Contribute to Subjective Well-Being?

The quality of life is determined with objective factors and also with subjective perception of factors which influence human life. Leisure activities play a very important role in subjective well-being because they provide opportunities to meet life values and needs. Through participation in leisure activities people build social relationships, feel positive emotions, acquire additional skills and knowledge, and therefore improve their quality of life. In this report we will explore how leisure activities improve subjective well-being. We will try to distinguish among different types of leisure activities and find those which contribute more to the subjective well-being. Particularly, we will explore which leisure activities contribute to the subjective well-being of women and men of different age. Our study is based on data from a representative sample of Croatian citizens (N = 4,000), who estimated their subjective well-being and participation in various leisure activities. First, we will describe the subjective well-being of various groups of people who differ by gender and age. Afterward, we will identify important leisure activities which determine subjective well-being across age and gender groups. Overall, our results show that engagement in leisure activities contributes to subjective well being, while the pattern of important leisure activities somewhat varies across different age and gender groups.     

Vital Satisfaction as a Health Indicator in Elderly Women

The long life expentancy of the elderly motivates interest in their quality of life. Our study analyzes vital satisfaction as a global indicator of the three dimensions (physical, mental, and social) of the quality of life in relation to health. The subjects were 310 women, with an average age of 71.22 years old (SD 6.72), with minimum education, and active aging. The reliability was examined with the COOP-WONCA Charts and the Nottingham Health Profile. The results show that vital satisfaction significantly correlates with the three dimensions of health, in particular with the mental domain.     

Factors that Influence the Life Satisfaction of Women Living in the Northern Cyprus

The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the life satisfaction among women living in the Northern Cyprus by focusing on socio-economic and gender related factors. Within this context, we aim to analyze the influence of socio-personal characteristics of Northern Cypriot women in regard to life satisfaction. To fulfill these objectives, a questionnaire survey has been applied to 510 women living in the major cities of Northern Cyprus. Applying an ordered logit model, this paper examines the role of several factors such as normal and social reference income, employment, and savings, health, and education, participation in the household expenditures, being a full-time housewife, domestic violence, political preferences, and perception of government performance on life satisfaction. The results demonstrate that good health, high education, high income, saving, high household income has positive effects on life satisfaction whereas domestic violence, being a full-time housewife, unemployment and social reference income has negative effects on life satisfaction.     

Indian elderly women’s experiences of food procurement and preparation

The present study explored the experiences of Indian elderly women in meal preparation and food procurement. Ten elderly women aged 60–72 years residing in a metropolis were interviewed. Thematic analysis identified two overarching themes: “Meal preparation and food procurement are meaningful occupations” and “Meal preparation and food procurement change with age.” The findings suggests that Indian elderly women valued their participation in these activities. They actively adopted alternative strategies and technologies to overcome the challenges experienced while performing these activities. The findings highlight the strong influence of family and financial aspects on the decisions of elderly women with regard to meal preparation and food procurement. The study findings provide salient information on personal and environmental factors that could guide interventions to promote and maintain Indian elderly women’s participation in these meaningful occupations.     

Macht Kultur glücklich? Überlegungen und Befunde zum Verhältnis von kultureller Partizipation und Lebenszufriedenheit

The article focuses on the relationship between life satisfaction and participation in “high culture” activities (attendance of opera, theater, classical concerts, and museums). The empirical basis is made up by four mail surveys of the adult population in three German cities. It is shown that life satisfaction is correlated with cultural participation and this also holds when the social background of the respondent—sex, age and education—is taken into consideration. However, when anomie and social contacts are brought into the analysis, the relationship diminishes. Life satisfaction is not result of the aesthetic experience that is tied up with cultural participation, but at best a result of the social involvement linked to the respective life style.     

Ageing, Leisure, and Social Connectedness: How could Leisure Help Reduce Social Isolation of Older People?

This study investigates the relation between leisure activities and the social status of the elderly based on a heterogeneous sample of the Dutch population. Close relationships are also analyzed to identify which people could serve as successful stimulators of leisure participation. The social profile confirms that older people have fewer social contacts and often feel lonely. This study shows that leisure activities explain a significant part of older people’s social connectedness. Voluntary work, cultural activities, holiday, sports, reading books, hobbies and shopping are found to be successful predictors for social connectedness of older people. Watching TV, listening to the radio, and spending time behind the computer (passive activities) were not associated with social connectedness. Friends correlate positively to participation in leisure activities. Partners play a role in participation in cultural activities and sports; parents play a role in participation in voluntary work and holidays; siblings play a role in voluntary work and sports; and children play a role in cultural activities, reading books, and shopping. Local communities can use these close relationships and develop special programs to increase social connectedness and hence improve quality of life for older adults.