How Does the Household Economic Status Affect the Quality of Life of Older People in the Different EU Countries?

Abstract

One of the main indicators for the well-being of older people is their quality of life. Measuring the quality of life and identifying the factors of quality of life is becoming important in order to develop adequate policies to ensure successful ageing. The aim of this research is to compare the Quality of life in the ageing people (65+) in the EU countries and to examine how the economic disparities affect the quality of life in different countries. The data used in the study are from the eighth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Several socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported household economic status, as well as the CASP-12 index (measure of Quality of Live) were explored. On a country level, there is a strong relationship between the household economic status and the CASP index, but the four domains of the CASP index are affected in different degrees. For selected countries the analysis is conducted on an individual level and the influence of the self-reported household economic status as a predictor of the CASP-12 is estimated, controlled for gender, years of education, health status, marital status and age.