Older People’s Life Satisfaction, Health and Intergenerational Relationships in Vietnam

Abstract

Health is considered one of the domains to assess people’s life satisfaction. However, other factors including social relationships are also as crucial as health in determining their life assessment, particularly among older adults in Asia. This paper used the data of Vietnam National Ageing Survey 2011 (VNAS 2011) to examine life satisfaction of Vietnamese older people’s (aged 60 and older) in rural and urban areas in relation to their health conditions and their social relationships, including with adult children. Logistic regression was employed and revealed that sufficient income had positive influence on older people’s satisfaction of life in both rural and urban areas (Rural OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.72–2.99; Urban OR 2.30; 95% CI 1.47–3.58). Difficulties with mobility and sleeping were negatively associated with older person’s life satisfaction, however, affectual solidarity was the most influential factor (Rural OR 5.88; 95% CI 4.40–7.83; Urban OR 5.92; 95% CI 3.52–9.93). Therefore, intergenerational relationships are vital to older people’s life satisfaction beyond health, income, household socioeconomic status, which varied between rural and urban areas. Living in multigenerational households, and children daily call positively shapes the assessment of life among older people who live in urban areas, while it is social and entertaining activities that significantly contribute to life satisfaction of older people in rural areas.