What Are Czech Seniors Afraid of? Study on Feeling of Safety Among Seniors

Abstract

The aim of the study is to describe factors influencing the feeling of safety which significantly influences also the subjective well-being and life satisfaction among Czech seniors. The sample consisted of seniors in the age 55 and above, the total number of respondents was 3,071. In the beginning of presented study two crucial questions were asked. Do the Czech seniors feel safe? What are they mostly afraid of? The reported feeling of safety was higher in seniors who perceived their health as good or very good, almost 90% of these seniors reported they felt safe. The survey results showed that the seniors’ sense of safety was also influenced by the fact whether they lived with someone or alone where the living alone decreased the feeling of safety significantly. Hypothesis testing revealed that also gender affects the reasons why seniors do not feel safe, as well as household’s members and by the place of residence. The survey results have brought an intriguing finding that more than one fourth of Czech seniors reported that one of the reasons why they feel insecure is their fear of migrants. A detailed analysis of the primary data set is focused on factors determining Czech seniors’ feeling of safety and identification of possible specific features of the senior group with concerns about migrants.