Subjective Well-being Of Older Adults Research Articles

高齢期の家事行動と夫婦関係が主観的 well-being に与える影響 ─配偶者役割の意味づけを媒介として─

高齢期の家事行動と夫婦関係が主観的 well-being に与える影響 ─配偶者役割の意味づけを媒介として─

Associations Between Physical Function and Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults From Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Results From the Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health (SAGE).

Physical function is positively associated with subjective well-being in older adults from high-income nations. This study tests whether this association is evident in low- and middle-income countries. Data were drawn from the study on global AGEing and adult health, using nationally representative samples of individuals over 50 years old from China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. Participant interviews measured well-being (quality of life, mood, and happiness) and physical function (grip strength, usual and rapid gait speed). Logistic regressions tested relations between physical function and well-being variables within each country. Higher physical function measures exhibited moderate, yet significant, associations with increased odds of highly rated well-being (p < .05). However, higher gait speeds were unexpectedly associated with decreased odds of highly rated well-being (p < .05) in South Africa and Russia. These results suggest that physical function is generally positively associated with perceived well-being in older individuals from lower income nations.

사회적 자본이 노년층의 주관적 안녕감에 영향을 미치는 연구 - 재정 만족도의 매개효과

사회적 자본이 노년층의 주관적 안녕감에 영향을 미치는 연구 - 재정 만족도의 매개효과

Interaction of Physical Activity and Personality in the Subjective Wellbeing of Older Adults in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

Subjective wellbeing (SWB) has been widely accepted as one of the most important elements of successful ageing. The present study explores the impact of two well-established correlates of SWB: physical activity and personality. Physical activity and each of the Big Five personality traits are consistent predictors of SWB, but there has been little research on whether certain personality traits enhance or hinder the psychological benefits of physical activity in older adults. This study examines the interactions of leisure-time physical activity and personality traits on SWB, and whether such interactions vary between older adults in Hong Kong (HK) and older adults in the United Kingdom (UK). Altogether, 349 participants (178 HK, 171 UK; 157 males, 192 female) aged 50 years or above (mean age = 61.84 ± 8.46 years old) completed an online assessment of: (1) leisure-time physical activity (Godin–Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire); (2) personality traits (Big Five Inventory); and (3) SWB (Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule). Results showed that agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience, and physical activity were all significantly related to SWB in the expected direction. The relationship between physical activity and SWB was moderated by extraversion and by openness to experience: higher levels of these two traits significantly enhanced the relationship. None of the interactions varied between the HK and UK samples. The expected negative relationship between neuroticism and SWB, however, was significantly stronger in the UK sample than in the HK sample. The findings of the present study indicate that personality needs to be considered when promoting and providing physical activity for older adults, although more research is needed to further explore how this can work effectively.

GAMBARAN KESEJAHTERAAN SUBJEKTIF LANSIA YANG AKTIF DALAM KEGIATAN RELIGIUS

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;There were images that older adults are predominantly senile, unproductive, poor in health, and useless. In fact, there are many older adults who still optimally function, such as on religious activities. Religious activities give positive impact for these older adults life. Having social support from religious community and give sense of meaning and purpose. Older adults can have subjective wellbeing, which can decrease depression risk and health problems. Subjective wellbeing is evaluation about one’s happiness, on emotional, psychological, and social aspect. This research was conducted as an effort to understanding in much deeper and more comprehensive way about subjective wellbeing in older adults who is active in religious activities. There are four subjects that involved in this research. They were 67-77 years old, widowed, and active in religious activities. This research is using interview method, conducted in about one month. Results indicate that all subjects have subjective wellbeing.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Keyword:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; Older Adults, Subjective Well-Being, Religious Activities&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Leisure Activities and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults in Croatia

Abstract. Research shows that engagement in leisure activities promotes well-being among older adults. The objective of the current study was to examine the relationship between subjective well-being (flourishing) and leisure activities (total number of different activities in the previous year) in a sample of older adults in Croatia, thereby considering the variables of sex, marital status, financial status, and self-perceived health. The differences in the examined variables between the groups of older adults who reported to be engaged in new activities with those who did not were also examined. The sample of N = 169 older adults aged 60 years and above was drawn from a convenience sample of adult internet users in Croatia. Participants reported their self-perceived health and the number of leisure activities they engaged in over the previous year as well as completing the Flourishing Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that older adults who were engaged in more various leisure activities, who perceived better financial status, and who were married reported higher levels of flourishing. A comparison of the two groups of older adults with and without engagement in leisure activities showed that those engaged in at least one leisure activity were more likely to be women, reported higher levels of flourishing, and perceived their own financial status as better. This study indicated that engaging in leisure activities in later life might provide beneficial effects for the well-being of older adults.

Exploring predictors of life satisfaction and happiness among Siberian older adults living in Tomsk Region.

Despite the growing interest in studying factors affecting subjective well-being of older adults, little research has been conducted on vast territory of Siberia (Russia) with large population. To address this lack of evidence, we explored the relationship between subjective well-being and social aspects (social and emotional support, social network, and social activities), living conditions (standards of living and residence area), self-reported health, and demographic characteristics in older adults living in Tomsk Region, Siberia. Subjective well-being was measured by life satisfaction and happiness (each measured with one 11-point question). Sample included 489 community-dwelling respondents, aged 65 or older. We found that mean life satisfaction and happiness reported by our respondents were lower than those of European countries. Higher quality of social interaction, better standards of living, and being satisfied with own health were associated with higher life satisfaction and happiness. This study provides original data on a region barely investigated and suggests that Siberian older adults receive strong benefits from social support and from social network and that similar factors are related to subjective well-being both in Siberian and Eastern European older adults. Future studies should further explore the relationship between different kinds of social support (e.g., psychological vs. material support) and subjective well-being in different Siberian ethnic groups or regions.

FACTORS ASSOCIATED TO SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING IN OLDER ADULTS

ABSTRACT Objective: identify the factors associated with subjective wellbeing in older adults. Method: analytical, cross-sectional study developed in Chile. The sample consisted of 20,351 seniors, who answered a question on overall life satisfaction in the National Socio-Economic Survey, 2011. Subjective wellbeing was correlated with health, demographic and social indicators. Comparisons of averages, correlations and regressions were applied using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20. Results: life satisfaction was associated with increased age; being male; participation in social organizations; being married or living as a couple; having higher education level; higher income; good perceived health status and better health care. Conclusion: according to the age and income predictors, it can be concluded that, over the years, life satisfaction is reinforced, but in combination with adequate perceived health and income, which permit an excellent quality of life.

Housing and subjective well-being of older adults in Europe

Housing quality is known to be related to subjective well-being (SWB), but much less is known how this relationship varies with national contexts. This study addresses the association between housing tenure and housing quality on the one hand and the SWB of older Europeans on the other, given the differences in housing markets across Europe. Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe were used, and linear regression models of SWB were estimated for 16 European countries. The findings indicate that being a renter is negatively related to SWB, while having a large house is positively associated with it. The negative effect of being a renter on SWB is small in several countries with accessible and well-regulated rental markets. Moreover, the difference in SWB between older people with a small and a large dwelling is somewhat smaller in countries with a high level of housing quality than in countries with lower housing quality. For each of our housing indicators, however, we also found countries for which the findings deviated from the general pattern. The findings imply that housing-market characteristics matter to how housing relates to SWB and, therefore, that housing-market interventions might affect this relationship.

Emotional Intelligence Mediates the Relationship between Age and Subjective Well-Being.

Individuals' Subjective Well-being (SWB) increases as they grow older. Past literature suggests that emotional intelligence may increase with age and lead to higher levels of SWB in older adults. The primary purpose of the present study was to test whether emotional intelligence would mediate the relationship between age and SWB. A total of 360 Chinese adults (age range: 20 to 79 years old) participated in this study. They filled out questionnaires that assessed their age, life satisfaction (The Satisfaction with Life Scale), affective well-being (The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and emotional intelligence (The Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale). Using Structural Equation Modeling, the mediation model was supported, χ(2) (75) = 194.21, p < .01; RMSEA = .07; CFI = .91. Emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between age and life satisfaction, and fully mediated the relationship between age and affective well-being. The findings suggest that older adults may use their increased emotional intelligence to enhance their SWB.

The economic recession and subjective well-being in older adults in the Republic of Ireland.

Subjective well-being in older people is strongly associated with emotional, physical and mental health. This study investigates subjective well-being in older adults in Ireland before and after the economic recession that commenced in 2008. Cross-sectional data from the biennial European Social Survey (2002-2012) were analysed for two separate groups of older adults: one sampled before the recession and one after. Stratification and linear regression modelling were used to analyse the association between subjective well-being, the recession and multiple potential confounders and effect modifiers. Data were analysed on 2013 individuals. Overall, subjective well-being among older adults was 1.30 points lower after the recession compared with before the recession (s.e. 0.16; 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.61; p&lt;0.001) [pre-recession: 16.1, out of a possible 20 (s.d. 3.24); post-recession:14.8 (s.d. 3.72)]. Among these older adults, the pre- and post-recession difference was especially marked in women, those with poor health and those living in urban areas. Subjective well-being was significantly lower in older adults after the recession compared with before the recession, especially in women with poor health in urban areas. Policy-makers need proactively to protect these vulnerable cohorts in future health and social policy. Future research could usefully focus on older people on fixed incomes whose diminished ability to alter their economic situation might make them more vulnerable to reduced subjective well-being during a recession.

Prospective associations of objectively assessed physical activity at different intensities with subjective well-being in older adults.

This study aimed to examine the longitudinal independent associations of objectively assessed physical activity at different intensities, including moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, and sedentary behaviors, with dimensions of subjective well-being in older adults. A total of 307 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 or older in Taiwan were interviewed in 2012. Physical activity was assessed using triaxial accelerometry. Subjective well-being was measured using the Chinese Aging Well Profile. Among them, 295 attended an 18-month follow-up study in 2013. Hierarchical linear regression models with adjustment for socio-demographic variables, lifestyle behaviors, health status, accelerometer wear time, and state of well-being at baseline were performed. The hierarchical regression models (step one) demonstrated that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with higher levels of follow-up general and specific dimensions of well-being (β=0.19-0.24) with the exception of material and environmental well-being. After light physical activity was further included in the models (step two), the associations of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with general, physical, and independence well-being remained, while the contribution of light physical activity was not significant. In contrast, light physical activity was a significant predictor of psychological, learning and growth, and social well-being in these models (β=0.20-0.24), while these associations with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were attenuated or not significant. Sedentary time was not related to any dimension of well-being. The findings indicate that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and light physical activity are associated with different dimensions of well-being, suggesting that different intensities of late-life physical activity make distinct contributions to well-being.

Does disorder get “into the head” and “under the skin”? Layered contexts and bi-directional associations

This paper utilizes a layered context approach to examine how neighborhood and household conditions are associated with the objective and subjective well-being of older adults. Using two waves of data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (n=2261), we assess subjective mental health through self-reported measures of perceived stress and distress and objective physical health through C-reactive protein (CRP). Environmental disorder was measured by independent, trained interviewers. Cross-sectional results indicate that household disorder is positively associated with perceived stress and distress, overwhelming the association between neighborhood disorder and mental health outcomes. Yet longitudinal findings point to a reverse process, whereby highly stressed women experience deterioration in their home environment across the two waves. Few significant findings surfaced for CRP. Taken together, our findings illustrate the complex interplay between health and proximal environments and underscore how feedback cycles operate between “health” and “place” across multiple outcomes.

Adult children's support and self-esteem as mediators in the relationship between attachment and subjective well-being in older adults

The present study aimed at exploring the roles of adult children's support and self-esteem in the relationship between attachment and subjective well-being in older adults. The Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR), Parents-Adult Children Social Support Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE) and Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (MUNSH) were administered to 319 older adults from different communities. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that adult children's support partially mediated the association between attachment anxiety and subjective well-being, while the association between attachment avoidance and subjective well-being was fully mediated by adult children's support and self-esteem. These findings provide insights into the effect of attachment on the subjective well-being of the elderly.

The subjective well-being of older adults in Shanghai: The role of residential environment and individual resources

As a rapidly ageing population becomes an increasingly serious social challenge for Chinese megacities, issues affecting older adults’ subjective well-being (SWB) attract greater concern. However, it is difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of older adults’ SWB, since most SWB theories focus only on specific factors. Moreover, residential environmental factors are hardly considered in studies of older adults’ SWB. In this paper we therefore investigate the effects of residential environment and individual resources on the SWB of older adults in Shanghai, using the integrative theoretical framework proposed by Lindenberg. We investigate the relationships between resources (residential environment and individual resources), needs satisfaction and SWB using multiple regression analysis. Our results show that the residential environment exerts a stronger impact on SWB than individual resources. Good quality residential building, good accessibility to medical and financial facilities, higher economic status of a neighbourhood, and a lower proportion of older adults in a neighbourhood are important environmental correlates of SWB. Health appears to be the most significant individual resource; other important individual resources include household income, a high-skilled occupation, a job in the public sector and living with grandchildren. Comfort is the most important basic need for older adults.

Population aging in local areas and subjective well-being of older adults: Findings from two studies in Japan.

Subjective well-being (SWB) of older adults could be affected by both individual and community characteristics. However, the effect of community characteristics, such as population aging in local areas, remains unclear. This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the area-level population aging and SWB of older individuals from two distinct surveys. Those analyzed were 572 respondents aged 75 years and older for a cross-sectional survey in a metropolitan area in Tokyo, Japan (Study 1) and 1,257 and 859 respondents for a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis, respectively, for a 2-year longitudinal survey project in urban and rural areas of Fukui Prefecture (Study 2). Area-level population aging was assessed by the number of people aged 65 years or older per 100 residents. SWB was assessed with the Life Satisfaction Index-A (LSIA). Multilevel analysis was performed to examine unconditional and conditional associations between the area-level number of older adults per 100 residents and the individual-level LSIA scores. The area-level number of older adults per 100 residents was significantly and positively associated with the LSIA scores in Study 1 (p = 0.042), even after controlling for the area- and individual-level covariates. In Study 2, we also found a significant effect of the area-level number of older adults per 100 residents on LSIA scores in the longitudinal multivariate analysis (p = 0.049). Findings from two survey projects suggested cross-validity in the positive effect of area-level population aging on older adults' SWB. Policymakers should consider older citizens' SWB in the recent urban-to-rural migration governmental policy as well as in urban renovation planning.

East or West, Home is the Best: Effect of Intergenerational and Social Support on the Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults: A Comparison Between Migrants and Local Residents in Shenzhen, China

The roles of intergenerational and social support in the subjective well-being of aged migrants and local residents in Shenzhen, China, were investigated. One hundred and thirty-three adults ranging in age from 60 to 83 years old were recruited. Sixty-five of them were migrants, and 68 were local residents. The results demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the subjective well-being of aged migrants and locals regarding social support from outside the family. After controlling for age, income and self-reported health status, regression analysis demonstrated that emotional support that aged migrants received from their children could positively predict their subjective well-being (β = 0.370, ΔR2 = 12.3 %). In contrast, only emotional support that aged locals provided to their children could positively predict their subjective well-being (β = 0.260, ΔR2 = 6.6%). No correlation between social support from outside the family and the subjective well-being of aged subjects was found in either migrant or local groups. Intergenerational support, especially emotional support, was more important for aged adults’ subjective well-being than social support from outside the family in China.

Exploring Life Satisfaction Among Older Adults in Dakar.

Studies on correlates of subjective well-being of older adults are virtually non-existent in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, understanding and improving the well-being of older adults should be a focal point of research and policy directed at this fast growing population. The aim of this study was to assess the links between socio-demographic factors, economic conditions, health, social relations, and the life satisfaction of older adults in Dakar. To this end, a survey was conducted on a sample of 500 dwellers of the Senegalese capital, aged 50 to 100, using the quota method for greater representativeness. Results revealed that with advancing age older adults expressed greater life satisfaction, and that older women were more satisfied than older men. As well, economic conditions were a main predictor of life satisfaction, along with good social relations. In contrast to findings with Western populations, neither self-rated health nor physical disabilities were associated with aging adults' life satisfaction. Findings suggest a number of avenues for future research.

Subjective well-being in older adults: folate and vitamin B12 independently predict positive affect.

Vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine have long been implicated in mental illness, and growing evidence suggests that they may play a role in positive mental health. Elucidation of these relationships is confounded due to the dependence of homocysteine on available levels of vitamin B12 and folate. Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between vitamin B12, folate, homocysteine and subjective well-being were assessed in a sample of 391 older, community-living adults without clinically diagnosed depression. Levels of vitamin B12, but not folate, influenced homocysteine levels 18 months later. Vitamin B12, folate and their interaction significantly predicted levels of positive affect (PA) 18 months later, but had no impact on the levels of negative affect or life satisfaction. Cross-sectional relationships between homocysteine and PA were completely attenuated in the longitudinal analyses, suggesting that the cross-sectional relationship is driven by the dependence of homocysteine on vitamin B12 and folate. This is the first study to offer some evidence of a causal link between levels of folate and vitamin B12 on PA in a large, non-clinical population.

Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors and Subjective Well-Being in Older Adults: An Eight-Year Longitudinal Research

This study aimed to assess the independent and prospective associations of aspects of self-reported leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and leisure-time sedentary behaviors (LTSB) with subjective well-being (SWB). Data from the 1999, 2003, and 2007 phases of the Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly conducted by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare on a nationally representative sample of older Taiwanese were used. A fixed cohort of 1268 participants aged 70 years or older in 1999 with 8 years of follow-up was analyzed. Subjective well-being was assessed using the Life Satisfaction Index A. Frequencies per week of different types of LTSB and LTPA were self-reported. Generalized estimating equation models with multivariate adjustment for socio-demographic variables, lifestyle behaviors, and health status were developed. Participants who had higher frequencies of LTPA and LTSB, especially engaging in walking, yard/gardening, group exercise, TV watching, social chatting and reading, recorded higher levels of well-being. This was supported by a sensitivity analysis after excluding participants with potential cognitive decline. This study indicated that both LTPA and aspects of LTSB in later life may provide beneficial effects for subsequent SWB.