scholarly journals COHORT DIFFERENCES IN CHANGES IN LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG OLDER JAPANESE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S697-S697
Author(s):  
Takeshi Nakagawa ◽  
Erika Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Young Old

Abstract Life span research has been interested in how sociocultural contexts shape individual development and aging processes. Empirical studies have reported that later cohorts show higher levels of well-being. However, more recent studies indicate that cohort differences are not sustained in very late life. The present study examined whether cohort differences in well-being, as measured by life satisfaction, are observed in the young-old and old-old, and further explored potential determinants of cohort differences. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative study of older Japanese, conducted from 1987—2002, we compared earlier- and later-born cohorts in the young-old (N = 874; age 60—65; year of birth: 1922—1927 and 1931—1936) and old-old (N = 1,022; age 70—80; year of birth: 1907—1917 and 1919—1929), respectively. To control for covariates, we used case-matched groups based on age and gender. Results revealed that later cohorts exhibited higher levels of life satisfaction in both age groups. In the young-old, life satisfaction declined across cohorts. In the old-old, life satisfaction remained stable among earlier cohorts but declined among later cohorts. Socioeconomic, social, and health factors at the individual level and methodological factors (i.e., number of observations) did not fully explain the cohort differences in both age groups. Our results suggest that historical increases in levels of well-being are observed in late life, but that these improvements do not hold in very late life. Future studies should consider potential societal factors behind observed cohort differences in well-being.

scholarly journals Cohort Differences in Well-Being Among Midlife and Older Women: Role of Self-Perceptions of Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 56-56
Author(s):  
Lindsay Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Midlife Women ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract The current study examines how cohort differences across two age-matched groups of midlife and older women from the Health and Retirement Study are associated with well-being and self-perceptions of aging (SPA). Women aged 51–60 (n=2318) and 61–70 (n=1650) were selected from the 2008 and 2018 waves. No significant cohort differences were identified for life satisfaction (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) or positive SPA (Lawton, 1975; Liang & Bollen, 1983). The 2008 cohort of midlife women reported significantly higher negative SPA compared to 2018 (p<.05). Linear regression analyses find that cohort and SPA are significantly associated with life satisfaction in both age groups, and that the association of negative SPA differs by cohort for the midlife women (p<.01). Implications are discussed within the life course developmental framework.

Terminal decline in well-being differs between residents in East Germany and West Germany

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Vogel ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Nilam Ram ◽  
Jan Goebel ◽  
Gert G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
East Germany ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Age At Death ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
East And West

Lifespan research has long been interested in how contexts shape individual development. Using the separation and later reunification of Germany as a kind of natural experiment we examine whether and how living and dying in the former East or West German context has differentially shaped late-life development of well-being. We apply multi-level growth models to annual reports of life satisfaction collected over 20+ years since German reunification from 4,159 deceased participants in the Socio-Economic Panel ( NWest= 3,079, Mage at death = 73.90, 47% women; NEast= 1,080, Mage at death = 72.23, 48% women). We examine differences between East and West Germany in levels, rates of change, and onset of terminal decline in well-being and the role of age at death, gender, education, disability and time spent in reunification. Analyses revealed that West Germans reported higher life satisfaction than East Germans, and that these differences get smaller both with passing time since reunification and in late life. The gap between East and West Germany diminishes over the last 10 years of life by more than 25%. Taking into account key individual characteristics only slightly attenuated this pattern, with education and age at death moderating late-life well-being level and decline in East Germany. Our results are consistent with long-standing notions that contextual factors shape individual development and illustrate the plasticity of human development. After having experienced disadvantages in life circumstances for up to 40 years through living in East Germany, effects of this natural experiment diminish considerably with passing time since reunification.

Relationship Between Ties With Adult Children and Life Satisfaction Among the Middle-Aged, the Young-Old, and the Oldest-Old Korean Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye Won Chai ◽  
Hey Jung Jun
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Aging Parents ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Young Old

One of the important determinants of well-being among aging parents is their relationship with adult children. Using the two waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing, this study examined how different types of ties with adult children affect the life satisfaction of the Korean middle-aged, the young-old, and the oldest-old adults. Multigroup analysis was used to see if the effects of ties with adult children differ by the three age-groups. The results showed that frequency of contact had positive effect on life satisfaction for all of the age-groups. However, coresidence with children had a negative effect for the middle-aged, but a positive effect for the oldest-old. Finally, exchanges of support with adult children had significant effects only for the young-old. These results show that the importance of different types of ties with children change according to aging parents’ life stages.

scholarly journals How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Oshio ◽  
Hiromi Kimura ◽  
Toshimi Nishizaki ◽  
Takashi Omori
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019 and 2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N = 12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p < 0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications. Conclusion Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

scholarly journals Age-Friendliness and Life Satisfaction of Young-Old and Old-Old in Hong Kong

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma M. L. Au ◽  
Stephen C. Y. Chan ◽  
H. M. Yip ◽  
Jackie Y. C. Kwok ◽  
K. Y. Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Specific Aspect ◽  
World Health ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Young Old

Age-friendliness, promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to enable and support individuals in different aspects of life for fostering life satisfaction and personal well-being as they age. We identified specific aspect(s) of age-friendliness associated with life satisfaction and examined similarities and differences in age-friendliness and life satisfaction in young-old and old-old adults. Six hundred and eighty-two ageing adults were asked to complete a survey questionnaire consisting of the Age-friendly City Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and sociodemographic variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the effects of various domains of age-friendliness on life satisfaction among the young-old adults (aged 65 to 74, n=351) and the old-old adults (aged 75 to 97, n=331). Common domains associated with life satisfaction in both young-old and old-old groups were transportation and social participation. Community and health services were associated with life satisfaction for the young-old group only. On the other hand, civic participation and employment was significantly associated with the old-old group only. Social participation is important for the young-old and the old-old. Ageing older adults can be a resource to the society. Implications for promoting and implementing age-friendliness were discussed in the context of successful and productive ageing and the need for a more refined taxonomy of social activities.

scholarly journals Exploring the role of family ties on life satisfaction in later life in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2-2019) ◽  
pp. 180-198
Author(s):  
Aïda Solé-Auró ◽  
Clara Cortina
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Protection Factor ◽  
Family Ties ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Level Data

We analyzed the relationship between family ties and the life satisfaction of people between the ages of 50 and 85 years in 13 European countries. We aim at determining the effects of partnership (being currently in a partnership) and parenthood (having remained childless). We use individual-level data from the sixth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). The analyses are restricted to respondents who are partnered or who have ever been married. We apply a multivariate analysis to examine the association of life satisfaction with family ties for men and for women. We add controls for age groups and education level, and we pay special attention to the role of individuals’ network size. Our findings indicate that in all countries, having no partner has the strongest and most negative association with life satisfaction. However, there was no clear association between not having children and life satisfaction across countries. We also find an important role of some protector variables, such as having a strong network which, in most countries, significantly increase one’s life satisfaction. We find that there is a relationship between individuals’ family situation and life satisfaction, but it is restricted to being in a partnership. The protection factor of having a partner improves one’s life satisfaction at older ages much more than protection by having children. This finding can reduce the concern about the long run implications of increasing childlessness among younger cohorts as it is not necessarily associated to a higher risk of low life satisfaction.

Population- and Individual-Level Changes in Life Satisfaction Surrounding Major Life Stressors

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 875-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Doré ◽  
Niall Bolger
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Multilevel Model ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Average Response ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Spousal Loss ◽  
Population Average ◽  
Yearly Data

How do stressful life events impact well-being, and how does their impact differ from person to person? In contrast to work focusing on discrete classes of responding, the current study examines the adequacy of a model where responses to stressors are characterized by a population average and continuous variability around that average. Using decades of yearly data from a large German longitudinal study examining effects of divorce, spousal loss, and unemployment, we found that (1) in the overall population, life satisfaction was diminished for years preceding stressors and only incompletely recovered with the passage of time, and (2) there were large between-person differences around the average response, following normal and heavier-tailed continuous distributions rather than discrete classes. These findings provide a multilevel model of responses to stressors and suggest that individual differences can be understood in terms of continuous variation around what is typical for a given event and population.

scholarly journals Subjective well-being across the retirement transition – historical differences and the role of perceived control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Henning ◽  
Dikla Segel-Karaps ◽  
Andreas Stenling ◽  
Oliver Huxhold
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Psychosocial Functioning ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
Retirement Transition

Given substantial cohort differences in psychosocial functioning, for example perceived control, and ongoing pension reforms, the context of retirement has changed over the last decades. However, there is limited research on the consequences of such developments on historical differences in subjective well-being in the retirement transition. In the present study, we investigated historical differences in change in life satisfaction and positive affect across the retirement transition. We included perceived control as a potential mechanism behind these differences. Analyses were based on sub-samples of retirees among three nationally-representative samples of the German Ageing Survey (1996; 2002; 2008) and their respective follow-ups 6 years later. Results showed historical improvements in pre-retirement positive affect (i.e., later samples had higher pre-retirement levels), however, earlier samples showed a larger increase in positive affect across the retirement transition compared to later samples. No historical differences were found in life satisfaction. Perceived control showed no historical improvement and did not seem to contribute to historical differences in subjective well-being. Nevertheless, we found that the role of perceived control for positive affect seemingly increased over historical time. The results showed that the historical context seems to play a role in the experience of retirement, and that it is helpful to distinguish between cognitive-evaluative (e.g., life satisfaction) and affective components (e.g., positive affect) of well-being.

scholarly journals The Co-Development of Generativity and Well-Being into Early Late Life

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Baranski ◽  
Jennifer Lodi-Smith ◽  
Elyse Ponterio ◽  
Nicky Newton ◽  
Michael Poulin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rank Order ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Change Models ◽  
Demographic Covariates ◽  
Early Late

The current manuscript replicates and extends the few existing studies of generativity in later adulthood with regard to two aims: (1) to model individual differences in the development of generativity into early late life and (2) to quantify the relationship between development in generativity and development in well-being into late midlife and early older adulthood. Data from the Rochester Adult Longitudinal Study (RALS) are used to address these aims in a preregistered secondary analysis of existing RALS data (see https://osf.io/syp2u). Analyses quantify individual development of generativity in a sample of 284 RALS participants who completed the Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS; McAdams &amp; de St. Aubin, 1992) and the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB; Ryff, 1989a) during the most recent two waves of the RALS (2000 – 2012). Both generativity and well-being demonstrated substantial rank-order stability and mean-level change as well as individual variability on both. Dual score change models showed a robust concurrent relationship between both constructs at the first assessment and meaningful correlated change between generativity and well-being over time. While demographic covariates were not associated with study findings, one of the most important limitations of the RALS is the racial and ethnic homogeneity of the sample that constrains generalizability to other racial and ethnic groups. Results are discussed in the context of our current understanding of the development and impact of generativity in later adulthood anddirections for future research in this area are identified.

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