Life satisfaction among older people in Italy in a gender approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1481-1504 ◽  
Author(s):  
SILVIA MEGGIOLARO ◽  
FAUSTA ONGARO
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Older People ◽  
Living Arrangements ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Older Men And Women

ABSTRACTOver the last few decades, increasing attention has been paid to the issue of wellbeing among older people, and life satisfaction has been used as an indicator to evaluate older people's life conditions. This paper sheds some light on this topic with reference to Italy, a country characterised by an increasing ageing population. The aim is to examine life satisfaction among people aged 65 and older and its predictors. We adopt a gender approach to examine whether – as suggested by the literature – older men and women have different sources of satisfaction. We test this hypothesis in Italy, a country still characterised by an unbalanced public and private gender system. In doing this, we also control whether living arrangements – specifically living alone – influence the determinants of life satisfaction of older men and women. The data used are from the cross-sectional surveys ‘Aspects of Daily Life’, undertaken in Italy by the National Statistical Institute. The results do not show clear gender differences in the determinants of life satisfaction, with only some slight gender differences among those living alone. This suggests that the social and cultural environment may play a relevant role for older people's life satisfaction.

scholarly journals Living alone and mortality among older people in Västerbotten County in Sweden: a survey and register-based longitudinal study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nawi Ng ◽  
Ailiana Santosa ◽  
Lars Weinehall ◽  
Gunnar Malmberg
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Older People ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Chronic Disease Risk ◽  
Older Men And Women

Abstract Background Living alone is increasingly common and has been depicted as an important cause of mortality. We examined the association between living alone and mortality risks among older men and women in northern Sweden, by linking two unique longitudinal datasets. Methods We used the Linnaeus database, which links several population registers on socioeconomic and health. This register-based study included 22,226 men and 23,390 women aged 50 and 60 years in Västerbotten County who had participated in the Västerbotten Intervention Program (VIP) during 1990–2006, with a total of 445,823 person-years of observation. We conducted Cox-proportional hazard regression to assess the risk of living alone on the mortality that was observed between 1990 and 2015, controlling for socio-demographic factors, chronic disease risk factors and access to social capital. Results Older men and women who lived alone with no children at home were at a significantly higher risk of death compared to married/cohabiting couples with children at home (with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.38, 95% CI of 1.26–1.50 in men and 1.27, 95% CI of 1.13–1.42 in women). Living alone was an even stronger factor than the well-established chronic disease risk factors and a lack of access to social capital. Conclusions A significant association between living alone and mortality among the older adult population in Sweden was observed. Providing good social support for older people is important in preventing the negative health impact of living alone.

Self-image and intergenerational relationships as correlates of life satisfaction in Chinese older adults: will gender make a difference?

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1502-1519 ◽  
Author(s):  
XUE BAI ◽  
YU GUO ◽  
YUAN YUAN FU
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Intergenerational Relationships ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Self Image ◽  
Older Men And Women

ABSTRACTPromoting life satisfaction in later life has long been both a policy and practice challenge. This study examined the association between older adults' self-image and life satisfaction, and that between their intergenerational relationships and life satisfaction. Given that sources of wellbeing for older men and women may vary due to socially constructed realities in early life, gender differences were also investigated in the correlates of life satisfaction. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted in 2014 with a sample of 1,099 older adults aged 60 years and over from four cities in China. Findings of this study showed that older adults’ self-image and intergenerational relationships were significantly associated with their life satisfaction after controlling for certain socio-demographic characteristics, and health and self-care ability. The correlates of life satisfaction were shown to differ between older men and women. Programmes and Services should be developed for older adults to explore and identify positive aspects of themselves, to improve their relationships with their adult children, and to foster a more positive image of ageing in wider society. In addition, service providers should take gender differences in correlates of life satisfaction into account in service and intervention programme development.

scholarly journals Globalisation and older people: effects of markets and migration

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
GAIL WILSON
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Older People ◽  
Economic Restructuring ◽  
Older Men ◽  
World Trade Organisation ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The World ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Older Men And Women

This paper discusses the material aspects of globalisation and the effects of the movements of trade, capital and people around the world on older men and women. While some older people have benefited, most notably where pensions and health care are well developed, the majority of older men and women are among the poor who have not. Free trade, economic restructuring, the globalisation of finance, and the surge in migration, have in most parts of the world tended to produce harmful consequences for older people. These developments have been overseen, and sometimes dictated, by inter-governmental organisations (IGOs) such as the International Monetary Foundation (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), while other IGOs with less power have been limited to anti-ageist exhortation. Globalisation transfers resources from the poor to the rich within and between countries. It therefore increases social problems while simultaneously diminishing the freedom and capacity of countries to make social policy. Nonetheless, the effects of globalisation, and particularly its financial dimensions, on a nation's capacity for making social policy can be exaggerated. Political will can combat international economic orthodoxy, but the evident cases are the exception rather than the rule.

scholarly journals Domestic Homicide of Older People (2010–15): A Comparative Analysis of Intimate-Partner Homicide and Parricide Cases in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1234-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Bows
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Intimate Partner Homicide ◽  
Domestic Homicide ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Older Men And Women

AbstractDespite half a century of research on both domestic violence and elder abuse, homicide of older people by a partner or family member (domestic homicide (DH)) remains largely unexplored. This article presents data drawn from a larger parent study examining homicide of older people (aged sixty and over) in the UK. This analysis is based on a subset of cases that would fall within current definitions of DH (n = 221). Analysis reveals differences in DH of older men and women in relation to the perpetrator gender and relationship and differences between intimate-partner homicides and those perpetrated by other family members. Implications for research, theory and practice are discussed.

Contextual Effects on Life Satisfaction of Older Men and Women

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bourque ◽  
Dolores Pushkar ◽  
Lucie Bonneville ◽  
François Béland
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Contextual Effects ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Soutien Social ◽  
Mode De Vie ◽  
Réseaux Sociaux ◽  
Reseaux Sociaux ◽  
Older Men And Women

RÉSUMÉDes différences existent entre les sexes dans les variables liées à la démographie, à la santé et aux réseaux sociaux, variables qui sont associés à un vieillissement réussi, mais on n'en trouve généralement pas en ce qui concerne la satisfaction face à la vie. La présente étude avait pour but premier de déterminer s'il y a des différences entre les hommes et les femmes par rapport à leur satisfaction dans des domaines particuliers et en général à l'égard de la vie. Ont également été examinées les différences dans la satisfaction face au parcours de la vie entre les hommes et les femmes. Dans un deuxième temps, nous avons procédé à une analyse de l'ensemble de données recueillies dans l'étudeVieillir dans la communauté(Béland et al., 1989) afin d'évaluer le bien-être des adultes francophones plus âgés (N=958). Des analyses acheminatoires ont révélé une bonne concordance des modèles utilisés pour les échantillons masculins et féminins. Chez les hommes, la satisfaction face à la vie s'explique positivement selon l'âge, le revenu et le contrôle et négativement selon les erreurs de mémoire, la maladie et les limitations fonctionnelles. Chez les femmes, la satisfaction face à la vie s'explique selon l'âge, la scolarité, le revenu, la maladie, les limitations fonctionnelles, le soutien social, le contrô le et le mode de vie. Les résultats ont fait ressortir les aspects positifs et négatifs du soutien social pour les femmes. Tel que nous nous y attendions, les modèles de parcours ont indiqué que, même s'il existe des similitudes dans la satisfaction face au parcours de la vie chez les hommes et chez les femmes plus âgés, on retrouve également des différences importantes.

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