@article {13757, title = {Money may matter: Financial hardship and its association with satisfaction of care among people living with dementia.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, year = {Forthcoming}, abstract = {Financial hardship is a multidimensional construct that includes, but is not limited to, out-of-pocket costs. Financial hardship has mostly been studied in patients with cancer and is independently associated with decreased treatment adherence,1 worse quality of life,2 worse psychological and physical symptoms,2, 3 and mortality4 {\textemdash} outcomes of great importance to people living with dementia (PLWD) as well. However, there are limited data specifically examining the prevalence or the impact of financial hardship among PLWD. Our objectives are to estimate the prevalence of financial hardship among PLWD and describe measures of satisfaction with life and with health care among PLWD, compared to a cancer cohort.}, keywords = {Dementia, Finances, Life Satisfaction}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.18723}, author = {Miller, Katherine E M and White, Lindsay and Coe, Norma B and Khandelwal, Nita} } @article {ASSARI2024100091, title = {Diminished returns of educational attainment on life satisfaction among Black and Latino older adults transitioning into retirement}, journal = {Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health}, volume = {2}, year = {2024}, pages = {100091}, abstract = {Background This paper investigates the intricate relationship between race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Guided by the theory of Minorities{\textquoteright} Diminished Returns (MDRs), positing that returns on educational attainment are attenuated for minoritized populations, this study aims to explore racial/ethnic disparities in the impact of educational attainment on the life satisfaction of middle-aged and older adults. Methods This was a secondary analysis of existing data. Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we employed a longitudinal design with a nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in the United States. Key variables of interest included educational attainment, race/ethnicity, and average life satisfaction from wave 9{\textendash}15 (20{\textendash}30 years later). Statistical analysis included regression models to assess the associations between educational attainment and life satisfaction overall and by race and ethnicity. Results Overall, 5274 participants entered our analysis and were followed for up to 30 years. Our initial findings revealed a positive association between educational attainment and life satisfaction. Subsequently, we identified significant interactions between race/ethnicity and educational attainment, indicating notable racial and ethnic differences in the impact of educational attainment on life satisfaction. The effects of baseline on future educational attainment and life satisfaction were weaker for Black and Latino than non-Latino White counterparts. Conclusions In accordance with the Minorities{\textquoteright} Diminished Returns theory, Black and Latino middle-aged and older adults experience a less pronounced positive impact of educational attainment on life satisfaction compared to their Non-Latino and White counterparts. There are non-additive complex interplay between educational attainment and race and ethnicity on subjective well-being of middle-aged and older adults. The identified disparities in the returns of educational attainment underscore the critical need to recognize and address structural barriers that contribute to the diminished returns of educational attainment for Black and Latino populations.}, keywords = {Education, Elderly, Life Satisfaction, middle-aged, Retirement, Wellbeing}, issn = {2949-916X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100091}, author = {Shervin Assari} } @article {13756, title = {Financial hardship drives unhappiness in people living with dementia, study finds}, year = {2024}, publisher = {McKnights }, keywords = {Dementia, Finances, Healthcare, Life Satisfaction}, url = {https://www.mcknights.com/news/clinical-news/financial-hardship-drives-unhappiness-in-people-living-with-dementia-study-finds/}, author = {Fischer, Kristen} } @article {CHEN2024, title = {Inter-relationships of depression and insomnia symptoms with life satisfaction in stroke and stroke-free older adults: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study based on network analysis and propensity score matching}, journal = {Journal of Affective Disorders}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Background Depression and insomnia are common co-occurring psychiatric problems among older adults who have had strokes. Nevertheless, symptom-level relationships between these disorders remain unclear. Objectives In this study, we compared inter-relationships of depression and insomnia symptoms with life satisfaction among older stroke patients and stroke-free peers in the United States. Methods The study included 1026 older adults with a history of stroke and 3074 matched controls. Data were derived from the US Health and Retirement Study. Depression, insomnia and life satisfaction were assessed. Propensity score matching was employed to identify demographically-similar groups of stroke patients and controls. Central and bridge symptoms were assessed using Expected influence (EI) and bridge EI, respectively. Results The prevalence of depression in the stroke group (25.0 \%) was higher than that of controls (14.3 \%, P < 0.001). In stroke group, {\textquotedblleft}Feeling depressed{\textquotedblright} (CESD1; EI: 5.80), {\textquotedblleft}Feeling sad{\textquotedblright} (CESD7; EI: 4.67) and {\textquotedblleft}Not enjoying life{\textquotedblright} (CESD6; EI: 4.51) were the most central symptoms, while {\textquotedblleft}Not feel rested in the morning{\textquotedblright} (JSS4; BEI: 1.60), {\textquotedblleft}Everything was an effort{\textquotedblright} (CESD2; BEI: 1.21) and {\textquotedblleft}Waking up during the night{\textquotedblright} (JSS2; BEI: 0.98) were key bridge symptoms. In controls, the most central symptoms were {\textquotedblleft}Lack of happiness{\textquotedblright} (CESD4; EI: 6.45), {\textquotedblleft}Feeling depressed{\textquotedblright} (CESD1; EI: 6.17), and {\textquotedblleft}Feeling sad{\textquotedblright} (CESD7; EI: 6.12). Furthermore, {\textquotedblleft}Feeling tired in the morning{\textquotedblright} (JSS4; BEI: 1.93), {\textquotedblleft}Everything was an effort{\textquotedblright} (CESD2; BEI: 1.30), and {\textquotedblleft}Waking up too early{\textquotedblright} (JSS3; BEI: 1.12) were key bridge symptoms. Life satisfaction had the most direct associations with {\textquotedblleft}Not enjoying life{\textquotedblright} (CESD6) and {\textquotedblleft}Feeling lonely{\textquotedblright} (CESD5) in the two groups, respectively. Conclusion Older adults with stroke exhibited more severe depression and insomnia symptoms. Interventions targeting central and bridge symptoms may help to mitigate the co-occurrence of these symptoms.}, keywords = {depression, insomnia, Life Satisfaction, Network analysis, Older Adults, Stroke}, issn = {0165-0327}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.036}, author = {Pan Chen and He-Li Sun and Ling Zhang and Yuan Feng and Sha Sha and Zhaohui Su and Teris Cheung and Katrine K. Wong and Gabor S. Ungvari and Todd Jackson and Qinge Zhang and Yu-Tao Xiang} } @article {geriatrics9020049, title = {Qualities of Older Adults{\textquoteright} Family and Friendship Relationships and Their Association with Life Satisfaction}, journal = {Geriatrics}, volume = {9}, year = {2024}, pages = {49}, abstract = {While family and friendship relationship qualities are associated with life satisfaction, evidence on how these types of relationships interact to contribute to older adults{\textquoteright} life satisfaction is sparse. This study examined how family and friendship relationship qualities may be supportive of (compensatory) or conflict with (competing) older adults{\textquoteright} life satisfaction. We adopted a cross-sectional design to analyze data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 1178, females = 54.8\%, mean age = 67.9 years, SD = 9.3 years) to examine compensatory (as in social support) and competing (as in social strain) qualities of family and friendship social relationships and their association with life satisfaction in older adults. For greater explanatory power, we also controlled for life satisfaction by sociodemographic variables of age, gender, education, self-reported general health, physical health and activity, depression, and personality traits. Our findings indicate that the spouse/partner support relationship contributes to older adults{\textquoteright} life satisfaction overall and is associated with greater social support and less social strain. Friendship support is associated with improved life satisfaction for older adults reporting spouse/partner strain. Relationship support for the life satisfaction of older adults should consider their need for social support from their social network while minimizing the risk of social strain from adversarial relationships in life situations.}, keywords = {family relationship quality, friendship quality, interaction, Life Satisfaction, Older Adults}, issn = {2308-3417}, doi = {10.3390/geriatrics9020049}, author = {Mpofu, Elias and Zhan, Rong-Fang and Yin, Cheng and Brock, Kaye} } @article {12959, title = {Rural-urban differences in personality traits and well-being in adulthood.}, journal = {Journal of Personality}, volume = {92}, year = {2024}, pages = {73-87}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: One large focus of personality psychology is to understand the biopsychosocial factors responsible for adult personality development and well-being change. However, little is known about how macro-level contextual factors, such as rurality-urbanicity, are related to personality development and well-being change.

METHOD: The present study uses data from two large longitudinal studies of U.S. Americans (MIDUS, HRS) to examine whether there are rural-urban differences in levels and changes in the Big Five personality traits and well-being (i.e., psychological well-being, and life satisfaction) in adulthood.

RESULTS: Multilevel models showed that Americans who lived in more rural areas tended to have lower levels of openness, conscientiousness, and psychological well-being, and higher levels of neuroticism. With the exception of psychological well-being (which replicated across MIDUS and HRS), rural-urban differences in personality traits were only evident in the HRS sample. The effect of neuroticism was fully robust to the inclusion of socio-demographic and social network covariates, but other effects were partially robust (i.e., conscientiousness and openness) or were not robust at all (i.e., psychological well-being). In both samples, there were no rural-urban differences in Big Five or well-being change.

CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the implications of these findings for personality and rural health research.

}, keywords = {Big Five, Life Satisfaction, MIDUS, psychological well-being, rurality}, issn = {1467-6494}, doi = {10.1111/jopy.12818}, author = {Atherton, Olivia E and Willroth, Emily C and Graham, Eileen K and Luo, Jing and Mroczek, Daniel K and Lewis-Thames, Marquita W} } @article {Komura2023, title = {Estimating the heterogeneous effect of life satisfaction on cognitive functioning among older adults: Evidence of US and UK national surveys}, journal = {SSM - Mental Health}, volume = {4}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Backgrounds: The emerging field of positive psychology suggests higher life satisfaction, a form of psychological well-being, may improve cognitive functioning. Although evidence exists for population-average associations between psychological well-being and better cognitive function, little is known about how the relationship varies across individuals. Methods: We analyzed a national sample of US and UK adults aged >=50 from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (n = 10,650) and the English Longitudinal Survey of Aging (ELSA) (n = 5514). We assessed life satisfaction at baseline using the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Cognitive functioning was assessed using a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status score after 4-year follow-up. We estimated the population-average association between life satisfaction and cognitive functioning in each sample via doubly-robust targeted maximum likelihood estimation with SuperLearning. To assess effect heterogeneity, we estimated conditional average effects via a causal forest algorithm. Results: We did not find reliable evidence of a population-average association between life satisfaction and higher cognitive functioning in HRS (HRS: β = -0.12; 95\%CI: -0.30, 0.06) and ELSA (ELSA: β = 0.39; 95\%CI: -0.00, 0.79). Our machine-learning-based approach for estimating effect heterogeneity discovered the effect of life satisfaction on cognitive function can substantially vary across individuals. Life satisfaction appeared less beneficial, or even detrimental, among individuals with lower socioeconomic status, poor health status, and more negative psychological conditions, both in the US and UK samples. Conclusions: Further research is needed to uncover mechanisms underlying the heterogeneous effects of life satisfaction on cognitive function, as it may have unintended adverse consequences among some subgroups.}, keywords = {Cognition, Heterogeneity, Life Satisfaction, Psychological well being, Social psychology of aging}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100260}, author = {Komura, Toshiaki and Cowden, Richard G. and Chen, Ruijia and Andrews, Ryan M. and Shiba, Koichiro} } @article {12383, title = {Gender and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Widows and Widowers.}, journal = {The International Journal of Aging and Human Development}, year = {2023}, abstract = {

Previous research on older adults who are widowed often focuses on the immediate subjective impacts of spousal loss, and how gender might influence this. Our interest here is on the factors that influence subjective well-being after a period of at least two years{\textquoteright} post-bereavement, and how this might differ for men and women. We draw on theoretical considerations from previous research on gender and on widowhood and use two different measures-life satisfaction and happiness-to assess possible differences in this subjective outcome. We used data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study on 692 widowed adults aged 65 and over (578 females and 114 males) and employed regression and postestimation analyses to examine whether and how gender influences their subjective well-being. Our findings show that gender did not affect overall levels of subjective well-being, regardless of measure. However, gender did influence the predictors, such as total household income, total wealth, and social support from children and friends, for life satisfaction and happiness somewhat differently. Our study highlights the importance of examining gender differences among older widows and widowers and also underlines the importance of introducing different measures of subjective well-being that might yield different yet valuable findings.

}, keywords = {gender repertoires, Happiness, inequalities, Life Satisfaction}, issn = {1541-3535}, doi = {10.1177/00914150221092990}, author = {Geng, Jing and Calasanti, Toni M} } @article {12963, title = {Life satisfaction among persons living with dementia and those without dementia.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, volume = {71}, year = {2023}, pages = {1105-1116}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Despite possible major adverse cognitive, physical, social, and behavioral consequences, little is known about how persons living with dementia perceive satisfaction with life, a key component of well-being. We sought to examine (i) whether persons living with dementia perceive a lower level of satisfaction compared to their peers without dementia and (ii) whether the associations between individual characteristics and life satisfaction are different between persons living with and without dementia.

METHODS: Using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults aged >=70 years in the U.S. from the Health and Retirement Study, we compared scores on the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), a self-reported 5-item scale ranging from 1 to 7 (more satisfaction), between persons with probable dementia (n~= 341) and those without (n~= 5530), adjusting for individual characteristics. We also tested whether the associations between the individual characteristics and SWLS differ by dementia status.

RESULTS: Scores on SWLS did not differ between persons with probable dementia and those without when adjusting for individual characteristics including limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) (adjusted difference, -0.09; 95\% CI, -0.33 to +0.15; p-value, 0.45). However, dementia status was associated with lower life satisfaction through the mediation of limitations in ADL (total effect, -0.29; bootstrapped 95\% CI, -0.47 to -0.12). Most individual characteristics associated with lower life satisfaction were similar in the two groups, including younger age, more limitations in ADL, and depression. Less wealth was associated with lower satisfaction among persons without dementia but not among those with probable dementia.

CONCLUSIONS: Dementia status was only modestly associated with lower life satisfaction through the mediation of limitations in ADL among participants who were able to provide response. Future research is warranted to determine whether life satisfaction can be used as a meaningful outcome when evaluating well-being among persons living with dementia.

}, keywords = {Dementia, Life Satisfaction, Well-being}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.18174}, author = {Gotanda, Hiroshi and Tsugawa, Yusuke and Xu, Haiyong and Reuben, David B} } @article {12422, title = {Life Satisfaction and Intergenerational Mobility Among Older Hispanics in the United States.}, journal = {Journal of Aging and Health}, volume = {35}, year = {2023}, pages = {50-61}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of intergenerational mobility-measured as the difference between one{\textquoteright}s own and one{\textquoteright}s father{\textquoteright}s education level-on overall life-satisfaction among Hispanic, White, and Black older Americans.

METHODS: Data from the Health and Retirement Study were used to estimate life satisfaction by race/ethnicity using ordinary least squares regression (N = 5,057).

RESULTS: Hispanic and Black older Americans report greater educational gains relative to their fathers compared to Whites. Despite having the lowest reported education levels, Hispanics report the highest life satisfaction across race/ethnic groups. However, net of education level and other factors, intergenerational mobility decreased rather than increased life satisfaction for Hispanic older Americans.

DISCUSSION: These results indicate that intergenerational mobility may not confer equal benefits for overall life satisfaction across racial/ethnic groups. As Hispanic individuals continue to achieve higher education levels, it is unclear whether upward mobility will translate to positive or negative assimilation consequences.

}, keywords = {Hispanics, intergenerational mobility, Life Satisfaction}, issn = {1552-6887}, doi = {10.1177/08982643221100788}, author = {Ramirez Surmeier, Ladanya and Taylor, Miles G and Carr, Dawn C} } @article {10.5014/ajot.2022.76S1-PO170, title = {Activity Participation and Life Satisfaction of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic}, journal = {The American Journal of Occupational Therapy}, volume = {76}, year = {2022}, pages = {7610510170p1-7610510170p1}, abstract = {The study aims to expand support in the literature for the connection between activity participation and life satisfaction by exploring older adults{\textquoteright} experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 Project were analyzed using a cross-sectional descriptive design. Results suggest that individuals with a higher frequency of activity participation reported higher life satisfaction.}, keywords = {activity participation, COVID-19, Life Satisfaction}, issn = {0272-9490}, doi = {10.5014/ajot.2022.76S1-PO170}, author = {Sherman, David S. and Lindstrom, Debra} } @article {10.1093/geroni/igac059.3134, title = {COPING AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF OLDER PEOPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC}, journal = {Innovation in Aging}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {12}, pages = {878-878}, abstract = {Covid-19 put older individuals at high risk for increased morbidity and mortality, isolation, reduced coping and life satisfaction. Optimism, sense of mastery and closeness with family and friends can enhance coping and life satisfaction among older adults. No such studies were found during the pandemic. Our study examined the associations between optimism, sense of mastery, closeness with spouse, family, and friends, physical and psychological functioning and its effects on coping and life satisfaction. A national representative sample of 1,890 community dwelling older adults was obtained from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study COVID-19 data during March 2020-June 2021. A structural equation modeling approach used to test the associations and their direct and indirect effects on life satisfaction. Coping was seen as a mediator affecting these relationships and their effects on life satisfaction. Optimism (β = .318, p \< .001), mastery (β = .195, p \< .001) closeness with spouse/partner (β = .199, p \< .001), closeness with children ((β = .075, p \< .010), friends (β = .086, p \< .001), had significant positive direct and indirect effects on life satisfaction. Frailty (β = -.137, p \< .001), comorbidities (β = -.057, p \< .050), and IADL limitations (β = -.118, p \< .001) had negative direct effects on life satisfaction. Optimism, sense of mastery and closeness with family/friends promotes coping and life satisfaction whereas frailty and comorbidities negatively influence coping and life satisfaction of the older adults. Community interventions should target coping strategies that enhances optimism, mastery, and interpersonal closeness among older adults during pandemic.}, keywords = {COVID-19 pandemic, Life Satisfaction, Older people}, issn = {2399-5300}, doi = {10.1093/geroni/igac059.3134}, author = {Xu, Dongjuan and Lalani, Nasreen and Arling, Gregory} } @article {12340, title = {Genetically-predicted trait-BMI, everyday discrimination and life satisfaction among older U.S. adults}, journal = {Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology}, volume = {8}, year = {2022}, pages = {179{\textendash}201}, abstract = {Objectives This study tested whether genetically predicted trait-body mass index (trait-BMI) was linked to more general daily discrimination among older adults, and consequently to decline in their life satisfaction. Methods Data were from the Health and Retirement Study, nationally representative of U.S. adults over 50. Genetic prediction models were used to extract the trait component of BMI, which was then deployed in regression models for discrimination. A recently developed {\textquotedblleft}regression with residuals{\textquotedblright} approach was used to test associations with subsequent change in life satisfaction. Results Genetically predicted trait-BMI was linked to more general discrimination reports. It also had negative associations with change in life satisfaction{\textemdash}linkages not consistently or strongly mediated by discrimination. Conclusions Trait-BMI{\textemdash}arguably resistant to sustained alteration through individual efforts{\textemdash}seems linked to decline in older adults{\textquoteright} life satisfaction. General daily discrimination, however, may not be an important mechanism.}, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, polygenic scores, Regression with residuals, trait-BMI}, doi = {10.1007/s40750-022-00189-5}, author = {Aniruddha Das} } @article {12917, title = {Happy and Satisfied in Very Late Life? Findings from the Health and Retirement Study}, journal = {OBM Geriatrics}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, pages = {29}, abstract = {This research aims to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of positive subjective well-being among centenarians and near-centenarians in the Health and Retirement Study. Participants who eventually survived to age 98 or older (N = 516) were included. Study variables included demographic characteristics, health and activities of daily living (ADL) functioning, cognitive functioning, and positive well-being. Additionally, a smaller subsample (n = 192) of participants with supplemental leave-behind questionnaire (LBQ) data, some of whom (n = 30) were assessed across three comparative time points, were included to examine psychological well-being variables over time. In the full sample, approximately 86\% and 81\% of participants over or near the age of 100 reported enjoying their lives and being happy, respectively. Also in the full sample, better self-rated health (SRH) was associated with greater happiness/enjoyment. Results with the LBQ subsample (n = 192) identified that a) greater life satisfaction related to better SRH, b) better cognitive functioning related to greater optimism and purpose in life, and c) more educated and non-White participants tended to have greater purpose in life. Finally, for the longitudinal subsample, life satisfaction increased significantly while purpose in life decreased significantly as participants neared age 100. Implications for this study include a greater focus on developing interventions geared toward improving psychological well-being; specifically, increasing purpose in life and optimism, as well as focusing on improving happiness and life enjoyment.}, keywords = {centenarian, exceptional longevity, Happiness, Leave Behind Questionnaire, Life Satisfaction, Optimism, Purpose in life, Self-rated health, Subjective well-being}, doi = {10.21926/obm.geriatr.2204211}, author = {Rotem Arieli and Gina Lee and Yeon Ji Ryou and Peter Martin} } @mastersthesis {12697, title = {The Joint Retirement Decision and Life Satisfaction of Older Adults}, year = {2022}, school = {Texas Tech University }, address = {Lubbock, TX}, keywords = {Couples, Life Satisfaction, Retirement}, url = {https://hdl.handle.net/2346/90267}, author = {Slabach, Colin} } @article {12349, title = {The Power Of Optimism In Older Age}, year = {2022}, publisher = {Texas A\&M Today}, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, Optimism, Physical limitations}, url = {https://today.tamu.edu/2022/04/20/the-power-of-optimism-in-older-age/}, author = {Rouse, Lauren} } @article {12162, title = {Psychological well-being, education, and mortality.}, journal = {Health Psychology}, volume = {41}, year = {2022}, pages = {225-234}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: Research on older adults often focuses on mitigating health risks, and less is known about protective factors that contribute to longer, healthier lives. We examine longitudinal associations between psychological well-being and mortality among a national sample of older adults and test competing hypotheses about whether the education/mortality association depends on the level of psychological well-being.

METHOD: We use six waves (2006-2016) of the Health and Retirement Study, a national sample of adults over age 50 ( = 21,172), with 14 years of mortality follow-up. Psychological well-being is measured up to three times and includes positive affect, life satisfaction, purpose in life, social support, and optimism. Discrete-time survival models examine (a) the association between time-varying psychological well-being and mortality, and (b) interactions between psychological well-being and education on mortality.

RESULTS: Higher purpose in life, positive affect, optimism, social support, and life satisfaction predicted lower mortality. A 1 increase in most measures of psychological well-being was associated with a 2-4 year increase in life expectancy at age 50. Positive affect and purpose in life moderated the education/mortality association-the inverse association between education and mortality was stronger for those with high psychological well-being.

CONCLUSIONS: We find strong evidence that psychological well-being predicts lower mortality risk and modifies the association between education and mortality. The inverse association between education and mortality becomes stronger at higher levels of purpose in life and positive affect. Therefore, efforts to promote life satisfaction, social support, and optimism may support longer lives without widening education disparities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

}, keywords = {Education, Life Satisfaction, Mortality, Optimism, Purpose in life, Social Support, Wellbeing}, issn = {1930-7810}, doi = {10.1037/hea0001159}, author = {Boylan, Jennifer Morozink and Tompkins, Justin L and Patrick M. Krueger} } @article {12030, title = {The Role of Optimism on the Relationship Between Activity Limitations and Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States: A Growth Curve Model of Changes Over Time.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology}, volume = {41}, year = {2022}, pages = {993-1001}, abstract = {

Activity limitations can diminish life satisfaction. This study explored the role of optimism on the relationship between changes in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL) limitations and life satisfaction over time among middle-aged and older adults. Growth curve modeling accounting for intra- and inter-individual changes in life satisfaction was applied to the 2008-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study Leave Behind Survey subsample ( = 39,122 person-years). After controlling for sociodemographic factors, physical functioning decline adversely affected life satisfaction ( = -0.12, = -0.13, 0.001), but the negative consequences reduced slightly through optimism ( = -0.11, = -0.12, = 0.47, 0.001). Increasing optimism could reduce the negative consequences of ADL/IADL limitations on life satisfaction among middle-aged to older adults.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Activity limitation, instrumental activities of daily living, Leave Behind Survey, Life Satisfaction, Optimism}, issn = {1552-4523}, doi = {10.1177/07334648211056638}, author = {Cheng, Kent Jason Go and McMaughan, Darcy Jones Dj and Smith, Matthew Lee} } @article {WAN2022107064, title = {Subjective markers of successful aging and change in Internet use among older adults: The distinctive role of subjective health}, journal = {Computers in Human Behavior}, volume = {127}, year = {2022}, pages = {107064}, abstract = {Lower rates of Internet adoption among older adults pose significant challenges in delivering important online services to older adults. Addressing the age-related digital divide requires determining factors that can influence Internet use in aging and may be targeted for intervention. Candidate factors include self-perceptions associated with successful aging, but prior research has not determined whether changes in self-perceptions are related to changes in Internet use within individuals. The present study examined the relationship between self-perception measures (subjective age, subjective health, and life satisfaction) and Internet use among older adults, using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study. Results indicated a selectively robust relationship between Internet use and better subjective health among older Americans. Further, these relationships were not altered by changes in technology adoption over time. Finally, longitudinal data over eight years revealed that change in Internet use was selectively associated with changes in subjective health. Together, these results indicate that among self-perception measures of successful aging, subjective health has a robust relationship with both current Internet use and changes in Internet use over time among older Americans. Such findings suggest that effective interventions to increase digital technology utilization likely require accommodations for older adults with poor subjective health.}, keywords = {Internet use, Life Satisfaction, Self-perceptions, Subjective age, Subjective health}, issn = {0747-5632}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.107064}, author = {Xiaoqing Wan and Nichole R. Lighthall and Daniel Paulson} } @article {11646, title = {Does Having a Happy Spouse Lead to a Longer Life?}, year = {2021}, publisher = {Psychology Today}, abstract = {KEY POINTS A person{\textquoteright}s spouse affects their life in many ways. Some characteristics in one{\textquoteright}s spouse are linked to higher income and health, studies show. People aged 50 or older whose spouses report greater life satisfaction are more likely to be alive eight years later, according to research. Happier people are more likely to have a healthy lifestyle, which may guide their partner to adopt that lifestyle and increase longevity. }, keywords = {Happiness, Income, Life Satisfaction, Longevity, spouse}, url = {https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/positively-negative/202105/does-having-happy-spouse-lead-longer-life}, author = {Stavrova, Olga} } @article {11462, title = {How Religious Community Is Linked to Human Flourishing}, year = {2021}, publisher = {Psychology Today}, abstract = {Key Points: An analysis of data from tens of thousands of people found that those who regularly attended religious services were, on average, less likely to become depressed, to smoke, or to drink heavily. Regular service attendance was also related to a lower likelihood of dying during a study{\textquoteright}s follow-up period. People who frequently attend services may benefit from higher life satisfaction, purpose in life, and other indicators of flourishing. }, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, Religion}, url = {https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/human-flourishing/202102/how-religious-community-is-linked-human-flourishing}, author = {Tyler J VanderWeele} } @article {su132413957, title = {The Influencing Mechanism of Social Effort-Reward Imbalance on Life Satisfaction among Aging Workforces in the United States: A Longitudinal Study}, journal = {Sustainability}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, pages = {13957}, abstract = {Improving life satisfaction is consistent with the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals. Although there are many studies examining life satisfaction, research on the influencing mechanisms remains a hot topic and scholars hope to explore more aspects that improve life satisfaction. The purpose was to explore how the relationship between social effort-reward imbalance and life satisfaction are mediated by positive and negative affect. We collected longitudinal data from 909 respondents participating in the 2008 and 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We used the first-order difference method and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis to evaluate the validity of the proposed hypotheses. Our results demonstrated that social effort-reward imbalance was positively related to negative affect, and negatively related to positive affect. Positive affect was positively related to life satisfaction, while negative affect was negatively related to life satisfaction. The findings also indicated that positive and negative affect completely mediated the relationship between social effort-reward imbalance and life satisfaction. This study has made a contribution to the research on the influencing mechanism of life satisfaction from the aspects of theory and practice. Longitudinal data ensured that the conclusions were more reliable so that the study could provide useful suggestions for improving life satisfaction.}, keywords = {Aging Workforce, Life Satisfaction, Negative affect, Positive affect, social effort-reward imbalance}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su132413957}, author = {Lin, Xinqi and Gao, Yongchuang} } @article {11858, title = {Life satisfaction among older adults with impairment in activities of daily living.}, journal = {Age and Ageing}, volume = {50}, year = {2021}, pages = {2047-2054}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Many older adults experience decline in function, but maintain high levels of life satisfaction. The factors associated with high life satisfaction among those with functional impairment are not well understood.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the proportion of older adults with functional impairment reporting high life satisfaction and the predictors of high life satisfaction.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study.

SETTING: Health and Retirement Study.

SUBJECTS: A total of 7,287 community-dwelling participants, 65~years or older, who completed the leave-behind questionnaire in 2014 or 2016.

METHODS: The main predictor was having difficulty or needing help in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL). The primary outcome was reporting high life satisfaction, defined using a three-item Diener scale. Significant factors were identified using modified Poisson regression models adjusted for demographic characteristics.

RESULTS: Those with no ADL impairment were more likely to report high levels of life satisfaction than those with ADL difficulty or ADL dependence (54.4 vs 38.6 vs 27.6\%, P < 0.001). Among those with ADL dependence, we identified several factors associated with high life satisfaction, including: not being lonely (38.2 vs 23.2\%, ARR = 1.6 (1.2, 2.2)), satisfied with family life (35.1 vs 12.8\%, ARR = 2.7 (1.6, 4.4)), and satisfied with financial situation (40.8 vs 16.6\%, ARR = 2.5 (1.8, 3.6)). Similar associations were present among those with ADL difficulty.

CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of older adults with ADL impairment report high life satisfaction, and it is associated with social and economic well-being. Understanding the factors associated with high life satisfaction can lead to clinical practices and policy guidelines that promote life satisfaction in older adults.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, functional impairment, Life Satisfaction}, issn = {1468-2834}, doi = {10.1093/ageing/afab172}, author = {Boccaccio, Dominic E and Irena Cenzer and Kenneth E Covinsky} } @article {11415, title = {Life Satisfaction and Subsequent Physical, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Health in Older Adults.}, journal = {The Milbank Quarterly}, volume = {99}, year = {2021}, pages = {209-239}, abstract = {

Policy Points Several intergovernmental organizations (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Health Organization, United Nations) are urging countries to use well-being indicators (e.g., life satisfaction) in addition to traditional economic indicators when making important policy decisions. As the number of governments implementing this new approach grows, so does the need to continue evaluating the health and well-being outcomes we might observe from policies aimed at improving life satisfaction. The results of this study suggest that life satisfaction is a valuable target for policies aiming to enhance several indicators of psychosocial well-being, health behaviors, and physical health outcomes.

CONTEXT: Several intergovernmental organizations (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Health Organization, United Nations) are urging countries to use well-being indicators (e.g., life satisfaction) in addition to traditional economic indicators when making important policy decisions. As the number of governments implementing this new approach grows, so does the need to continue evaluating the health and well-being outcomes we might observe from policies aimed at improving life satisfaction.

METHODS: We evaluated whether positive change in life satisfaction (between t ;2006/2008 and t ;2010/2012) was associated with better outcomes on 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (in t ;2014/2016). Data were from 12,998 participants in the University of Michigan{\textquoteright}s Health and Retirement Study-a prospective and nationally representative cohort of US adults over age 50.

FINDINGS: Participants with the highest (versus lowest) life satisfaction had better subsequent outcomes on some physical health indicators (lower risk of pain, physical functioning limitations, and mortality; lower number of chronic conditions; and higher self-rated health) and health behaviors (lower risk of sleep problems and more frequent physical activity), and nearly all psychosocial indicators (higher positive affect, optimism, purpose in life, mastery, health mastery, financial mastery, and likelihood of living with spouse/partner; and lower depression, depressive symptoms, hopelessness, negative affect, perceived constraints, and loneliness) over the 4-year follow-up period. However, life satisfaction was not subsequently associated with many specific health conditions (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, arthritis, overweight/obesity, or cognitive impairment), other health behaviors (i.e., binge drinking or smoking), or frequency of contact with children, family, or friends.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that life satisfaction is a valuable target for policies aiming to enhance several indicators of psychosocial well-being, health behaviors, and physical health outcomes.

}, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, Outcome-wide epidemiology, psychological well-being, Public Health}, issn = {1468-0009}, doi = {10.1111/1468-0009.12497}, author = {Eric S Kim and Scott W Delaney and Tay, Louis and Chen, Ying and Diener, E D and Tyler J VanderWeele} } @article {11927, title = {Older Adults{\textquoteright} Life Satisfaction: The Roles of Seeking Financial Advice and Personality Traits}, journal = {Journal of Financial Therapy}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This paper uses 1,237 respondents from the Health and Retirement Study dataset to examine the relationships among personality, financial advice-seeking, and life satisfaction of U.S. older adults. The results indicate that extraversion is negatively associated with seeking professional financial advice, while conscientiousness and openness were associated positively with seeking professional financial advice. Individuals with a neurotic personality trait were positively associated with seeking financial advice from families and friends. Additionally, seeking professional financial advice, and being extraverted and conscientious, were positively associated with life satisfaction among older adults. The implications for financial therapists and counselors include suggestions for implementation of cross-functional collaborative counseling strategies when working with older clients who may be experiencing physical and mental health-related problems. Implications of the findings for policymakers are also discussed.}, keywords = {Cognitive Ability, Financial help seeking, financial therapy, Health Status, Life Satisfaction, Personality}, issn = {1944-9771}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.4148/1944-9771.1253}, author = {Chatterjee, Swarn and Fan, Lu} } @mastersthesis {11863, title = {The Role of Self-Efficacy in the Variation of Health Outcomes Late in Life}, volume = {M.S.}, year = {2021}, school = {University of Michigan - Dearborn}, address = {Dearborn, MI}, abstract = {As the population of the United States ages, variation in late-life health and wellbeing outcomes have become an increasingly popular and necessary area of scientific exploration. Previous research has identified ageism (Levy et al., 2000) and perceived age discrimination (Han \& Richardson, 2015; Marquet et al., 2019) as factors that negatively impact outcomes for older adults. Further, as conceptualized through the Stereotype Embodiment Theory (Levy, 2009), self-perceptions of aging have been found to mediate the influence of perceived age discrimination on health outcomes. Individuals from stigmatized groups have a physiological reaction (i.e., a stress response) to negative age stereotypes (Levy et al., 2000) and other forms of discrimination (Lui \& Quezada, 2019). Therefore, analyzing the Stereotype Embodiment Theory and Transactional Model of Stress (Lazarus \& Folkman, 1987) in combination allows one to consider the variation of aging outcomes as subject to individual factors involved in stress appraisal and coping. The current study utilized public data from 676 older adults who participated in two waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2012; 2016). First, conditional process analysis was employed to confirm self-perceptions of aging as a mediator between perceived age discrimination and outcomes. Next, the potential protective effects of self-efficacy in the stress appraisal process were explored. Results confirmed the indirect effect of perceived age discrimination on health outcomes and life satisfaction through self-perceptions of aging. However, the analysis did not provide evidence for self-efficacy{\textquoteright}s moderating effect on the relationship between perceived age discrimination and self-perceptions of aging. This study provides additional support for the Stereotype Embodiment Theory and offers individual differences in stress appraisal as an explanation for variation in late-life wellness. }, keywords = {Ageism, health outcomes, Life Satisfaction, perceived age discrimination, Self-efficacy}, url = {https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/169509/Bookman\%2C\%20Lindsey\%20-\%20The\%20Role\%20of\%20Self-Efficacy\%20in\%20the\%20Variation\%20of\%20Health\%20Outcomes\%20Later\%20in\%20Life.pdf?sequence=3}, author = {Bookman, Lindsey} } @book {WR-A1009-1, title = {The Age Profile of Life-Satisfaction After Age 65 in the U.S.}, series = {RAND Working Paper}, volume = {WR-A1009-1}, year = {2020}, publisher = {RAND Corporation}, organization = {RAND Corporation}, address = {Santa Monica, CA}, abstract = {Although income and wealth are frequently used as indicators of well-being, they are increasingly augmented with subjective measures such as life satisfaction to capture broader dimensions of individuals{\textquoteright} well-being. Based on data from large surveys of individuals, life satisfaction in cross-section increases with age beyond retirement into advanced old age. It may seem puzzling that average life satisfaction would be higher at older ages because older individuals are more likely to experience chronic or acute health conditions, or the loss of a spouse. Accordingly, this empirical pattern has been called the "paradox of well-being." We examine the age profile of life satisfaction of the U.S. population age 65 and older in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and also find increasing life satisfaction at older ages in cross-section. But based on the longitudinal dimension of the HRS life satisfaction significantly declines with age and the rate of decline accelerates with age. Widowing and health shocks play important roles in this decline. We reconcile the cross-section and longitudinal measurements by showing that both differential mortality and differential non-response bias the cross-sectional age profile upward: individuals with higher life satisfaction and in better health tend to live longer and to remain in the survey, causing average values to increase. We conclude that the optimistic view about increasing life satisfaction at older ages based on cross-sectional data is not warranted.}, keywords = {age profile, Life Satisfaction}, doi = {10.7249/WRA1009-1}, author = {P{\'e}ter Hudomiet and Michael D Hurd and Susann Rohwedder} } @article {11343, title = {DO WEALTH SHOCKS MATTER FOR THE LIFE SATISFACTION OF THE ELDERLY? EVIDENCE FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY }, number = {DDP2002}, year = {2020}, institution = {Department of Economics, University of Victoria}, address = {Victoria, B.C., Canada}, abstract = {This note studies the determinants of life satisfaction for the elderly and near-elderly in the U.S., using data from the Health and Retirement Study. The econometric analysis exploits the 2008-09 financial crisis as a source of exogenous variation in wealth, caused by a long-lasting decrease in asset prices. Although absolute changes in wealth are not found to systematically affect individuals{\textquoteright} well-being, losing 60\% or more of the pre-crisis wealth negatively impacted measures of life satisfaction.}, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, Subjective well-being, Uninsurable shocks, Wealth}, issn = {1914-2838 }, url = {https://www.uvic.ca/socialsciences/economics/assets/docs/discussion/ddp2002.pdf}, author = {Cozzi, Marco and Li, Qiushan} } @article {11250, title = {Happy Retirees? Maybe Not: Why Life Satisfaction Isn{\textquoteright}t Necessarily {\textquoteleft}U-Shaped{\textquoteright} After All}, year = {2020}, publisher = {Forbes}, address = {Jersey City, New Jersey }, abstract = {Happiness, experts say, is U-shaped: generally speaking, we are happy/full of life satisfaction as young adults but, as we reach middle age, we become less satisfied, with a trough in one{\textquoteright}s early 50s; from this trough we rebound to ever-increasing satisfaction levels as we age. It{\textquoteright}s remarkable, really, considering the physical infirmities we face, plus financial worries, loss of loved ones, and more. What explains this? We become wiser and we are able to see all of life{\textquoteright}s ups and downs with a greater sense of perspective. But what if that{\textquoteright}s not true?}, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, Retirement}, url = {https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2020/12/06/why-life-satisfaction-isnt-necessarily-u-shaped-after-all/?sh=34a5562f4d97}, author = {Bauer, Elizabeth} } @article {Lappan202018, title = {Longitudinal and Reciprocal Relationships Between Psychological Well-Being and Smoking}, journal = {Nicotine \& tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, note = {cited By 1}, pages = {18-23}, abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Smoking cessation treatments currently succeed at a rate of approximately 20\%-30\%, underscoring the importance of exploring factors that might increase intervention effectiveness. Although negative affect has been studied extensively in relation to smoking cessation, psychological well-being (PWB; eg, life satisfaction, optimism, positive affect, purpose in life) has received little attention. This study tested longitudinal and reciprocal relationships between PWB and smoking status in older adults. METHODS: Panel data were obtained from the biennial, longitudinal Health and Retirement Study. Using structural equation modeling, we developed cross-lagged models to examine the relationships of PWB in 2006 with smoking status in 2010 and of smoking status in 2006 with PWB in 2010 while controlling for covariates (Ns = 2939-4230, 55\% women, 89\% white, mean age = 64 years, mean years of education = 13, 25\% smokers in 2006 and 21\% smokers in 2010). Separate cross-lagged models were developed for each of the PWB variables: life satisfaction, optimism, positive affect, and purpose in life. RESULTS: Greater life satisfaction (standardized path coefficient = -0.04), optimism (standardized path coefficient = -0.07), and positive affect (standardized path coefficient = -0.08) in 2006 predicted a reduced likelihood of smoking in 2010. Being a smoker in 2006 predicted lower life satisfaction (standardized path coefficient = -0.25), optimism (standardized path coefficient = -0.10), positive affect (standardized path coefficient = -0.10), and purpose in life (standardized path coefficient = -0.13) in 2010. CONCLUSIONS: Findings warrant further exploration of the relationships between PWB and smoking, and support the incorporation of PWB-boosting components into existing treatments. IMPLICATIONS: Given the relatively low success rate of current smoking cessation treatments, the present results suggest that increasing PWB might promote abstinence and therefore warrant consideration as a focus of future cessation treatment research. Moreover, these results suggest that smoking might inhibit PWB, illuminating a negative consequence of smoking not previously identified. Helping smokers increase their PWB may benefit them beyond promoting cessation and contribute to a flourishing society. These results warrant further investigation of PWB and smoking, and support the continued evaluation of PWB-boosting components in smoking cessation treatments. {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.}, keywords = {Adult, Aged, Article, Education, Female, human, Life Satisfaction, Male, Middle Aged, Optimism, people by smoking status, psychological well-being, Retirement, Smoking cessation, structural equation modeling}, issn = {1469994X}, doi = {10.1093/ntr/nty185}, author = {Lappan, S. and Thorne, C.B. and Long, D. and Hendricks, P.S.} } @article {11061, title = {Neighborhood Engagement, Dogs, and Life Satisfaction in Older Adulthood.}, journal = {Journal of Applied Gerontology}, year = {2020}, month = {2020 Sep 10}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationships between dog ownership, dog walking, and the emotional bond with a dog to neighborhood engagement and life satisfaction among those over age 50.

METHOD: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study ( = 476), two path analysis models were conducted to test the research hypotheses.

RESULTS: Findings indicated that dog ownership did not have a direct or indirect relationship on life satisfaction. However, time spent in dog walking was associated with frequency of social interactions, which itself had a positive association with life satisfaction. The bond with a dog was not directly associated with life satisfaction but was associated with dog walking.

DISCUSSION: Dog walking is a promising strategy for simultaneously promoting better health and social engagement, and these factors in turn can promote greater life satisfaction of older adults.

}, keywords = {Engagement, Life Satisfaction, neighborhood}, issn = {1552-4523}, doi = {10.1177/0733464820953725}, author = {Angela L Curl and Bibbo, Jessica and Rebecca A Johnson} } @article {11210, title = {Subjective well-being among male veterans in later life: The enduring effects of early life adversity.}, journal = {Aging \& Mental Health}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between childhood and young adult adversities and later-life subjective well-being among older male veterans. We also explored whether early-life parent-child relationships and later-life social engagement served as moderators and mediators, respectively.

METHODS: Data were from the 2008 to 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study for male veterans ( = 2026). Subjective well-being measures included depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and life satisfaction. Linear regression with the macro was employed to estimate the relationships.

RESULTS: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were positively associated with number of depressive symptoms and negatively related to life satisfaction. Combat exposure, a young adulthood adversity experience, was positively associated with depressive symptoms, but not with self-rated health or life satisfaction. Later-life social engagement mediated the relationship between ACEs and subjective well-being indices. Parent-child relationship quality did not moderate the association between the measures of adversity and any measure of subjective well-being.

DISCUSSION: Childhood adversity and combat exposure were related to worse later life subjective well-being. Also, later-life social engagement mediated the association of two early life adversity measures and subjective well-being. Future research should examine subjective well-being and early life adversity for female veterans and should employ more detailed information about combat exposure.

}, keywords = {Adversity, depression, Life Satisfaction, Military service, Self-rated health}, issn = {1364-6915}, doi = {10.1080/13607863.2020.1842999}, author = {Mai See Yang and Lien Quach and Lee, Lewina O and Avron Spiro III and Jeffrey A Burr} } @article {10622, title = {Debt, Religious Beliefs, and Life Satisfaction }, journal = {Journal of Financial Therapy}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, type = {Journal}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to explore religious factors as a resource for coping with indebtedness. Using a sample (n = 3,174) extracted from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examined the relationship between household debt and life satisfaction, and tested for stress-buffering (i.e., moderation) from religious identification, religious beliefs, and prayer frequency. Results suggest that some religious factors may play a small role in moderating the relationship between indebtedness and life satisfaction, and that such moderation is itself dependent on one{\textquoteright}s religious identification. Implications for practice (particularly faith-based providers of financial counseling) and recommendations for future research are discussed.}, keywords = {complex data analysis, debt; religiosity, Life Satisfaction}, issn = { 1944-9771}, doi = {10.4148/1944-9771.1195}, url = {https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1195\&context=jft}, author = {Ammerman, David D. and Stueve, Cherie and Hayward, Stephen} } @mastersthesis {10377, title = {Life Satisfaction and Healthcare Utilization Among Immigrants to the United States}, volume = {Master}, year = {2019}, pages = {71}, school = {Louisiana State University}, abstract = {Previous research suggests a relationship between life satisfaction and healthcare utilization or HCU (Habibov \& Afandi, 2016; Kim, Park, Sun, Smith, \& Peterson, 2014). However, no study was found that examined this relationship among elderly American immigrants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether life satisfaction is linked to HCU for this population. The researcher of the current study applied binary logistic regression to data taken from the Health and Retirement Survey to determine whether changes in life satisfaction could be linked to variance in HCU across seven domains, including hospitalization, overnight nursing home stays, doctors visits, dentist visits, use of prescription medications, use of home health, and outpatient surgery. Results of this analysis suggested that a significant relationship did exist between life satisfaction and each of these domains, although the relationships varied in direction and effect size.}, keywords = {Healthcare, Immigration, Life Satisfaction}, url = {https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/4999/}, author = {Harrelson, MC} } @article {10170, title = {Understanding the association between perceived financial well-being and life satisfaction among older adults: Does social capital play a role?}, journal = {Journal of Family and Economic Issues}, volume = {40}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Using data from the 2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we examined the association between subjective perception of financial well-being and life satisfaction. We also examined the effect of social capital on the link between financial well-being and life satisfaction among older adults. We further explored how the role of social capital in life satisfaction differs by household asset quartiles. The role of social capital was statistically significant in the relationship between financial well-being and life satisfaction among older adults. The findings of this study suggest that participation in social activities explains the link between financial well-being and life satisfaction among older adults, and its mediating effect is slightly larger for the top quartile than the bottom quartile.}, keywords = {Financial Health, Life Satisfaction, Social capital, Social Factors, Well-being}, issn = {1058-0476}, doi = {10.1007/s10834-019-09634-2}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007\%2Fs10834-019-09634-2}, author = {Yeo, JeongHee and Lee, Yoon G.} } @article {9805, title = {Does retirement improve health and life satisfaction?}, journal = {Health Economics}, volume = {27}, year = {2018}, pages = {2067-2086}, abstract = {We utilize panel data from the Health and Retirement Study to investigate the impact of retirement on physical and mental health, life satisfaction, and health care utilization. Because poor health can induce retirement, we instrument for retirement using eligibility for Social Security and employer-sponsored pensions and coverage by the Social Security earnings test. We find strong evidence that retirement improves reported health, mental health, and life satisfaction. In addition, we find evidence of improvements in functional limitations in the long run. Although the impact on life satisfaction occurs within the first 4~years of retirement, many of the improvements in health show up four or more years later, consistent with the view that health is a stock that evolves slowly. We find no evidence that the health improvements are driven by increased health care utilization. In fact, results suggest decreased utilization in some categories.}, keywords = {Life Satisfaction, Optimism, Retirement Planning and Satisfaction}, issn = {1099-1050}, doi = {10.1002/hec.3821}, author = {Gorry, Aspen and Gorry, Devon and Sita Nataraj Slavov} } @mastersthesis {10288, title = {The Effect of Life Satisfaction on Health Care Utilization in Retirement Age Americans: A Latent Transition Analysis}, volume = { Master of Arts}, year = {2018}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2019-03-12}, pages = {48}, school = {University of Alabama}, type = {phd}, abstract = {Retirement is often celebrated as an important milestone in life. It is also a time when health concerns may increase as retirees enter the early stages of old age. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is evidence for distinct patterns of excessive health care use and life satisfaction in the immediate post-retirement period. The role theory of retirement states that individuals may experience psychological distress during the retirement transition due to the loss of a work identity (Wang, 2007). This psychological vacuum created by the loss of work identity may manifest itself as low life satisfaction. The vacuum may be filled by increased health care utilization among older adults post-retirement. While high life satisfaction has been linked to less health care utilization, there has been no systematic search for subgroups of retirees who show more health care use. (E.S. Kim, Park, Sun, Smith \& Peterson, 2014; Gorry, 2015). The present study used a large longitudinal database of older adults, the Health and Retirement Study, to analyze membership in different life satisfaction and health care use trajectories from the pre- to post-retirement measurement waves. A latent transition analysis was utilized to identify classes of retirees that show differences in self-reported life satisfaction and health care use over time and found three distinct trajectories (low down-tick, moderate up-tick, high stable) of life satisfaction and four distinct trajectories (as distinguished by low, moderate, high levels of illness and HCU) of health care use. There was a significant, albeit weak association between one{\textquoteright}s membership in a given life satisfaction trajectory and health care use trajectory.}, keywords = {0621:Psychology, Health care utilization, Latent transition analysis, Life Satisfaction, Psychology, Retirement}, isbn = {9780438888531}, url = {https://ir.ua.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/5372/file_1.pdf?sequence=1\&isAllowed=y}, author = {Kouchi,Kathryn} } @mastersthesis {10298, title = {Psychological Well-being and Smoking Cessation}, volume = {PhD}, year = {2018}, note = {Copyright - Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works; Last updated - 2018-10-08}, pages = {90}, school = {The University of Alabama at Birmingham}, abstract = {Introduction: The substantial death toll from smoking combined with the low success rates of current treatment approaches warrants further investigation into mechanisms that promote cessation. While the role of negative affect has been studied extensively in relationship to smoking cessation, the role of psychological well-being (PWB; e.g., life satisfaction, optimism, positive affect, purpose in life, resilience) has received little attention. Treatment outcomes might improve with a better understanding of PWB{\textquoteright}s role in smoking cessation. Methods: Relationships between smoking and PWB were examined in three studies. First, using panel data from the biennial, longitudinal Health and Retirement Study, I developed separate cross-lagged models examining the relationships between smoking status in 2006 and PWB in 2010 and of PWB in 2006 with smoking status in 2010. Second, using data collected from a pilot study of withdrawal regulation training for smoking cessation, I used logistic regression to model the effects of 1) baseline optimism and 2) the change in optimism on cessation outcomes at the three month follow-up. Third, using data from the same pilot study, Generalized Estimating Equations modeled the role of resilience in withdrawal symptom variation over time. Results: For the first study, greater life satisfaction, optimism, and positive affect in 2006 predicted a reduced likelihood of smoking in 2010. Being a smoker in 2006 predicted lower life satisfaction, lower optimism, and lower purpose in life in 2010. For study two, analyses showed no statistically significant relationship between pre-treatment optimism levels and smoking cessation. Alternatively, an increase in optimism from baseline to two month follow-up was associated with an increased likelihood of abstinence at three month follow-up. For study three, the resilience scales Planned Future and Structured Style were found to be psychological predictors of withdrawal symptoms, such that greater resilience predicted reduced withdrawal symptom severity. Conclusions: These initial findings that greater PWB reduces the likelihood of smoking and smoking reduces PWB, that an increase in optimism is associated with cessation outcomes, and that greater resilience may buffer against withdrawal symptoms warrant further exploration into the associations between PWB and smoking. Existing treatments may benefit from incorporating PWB-boosting components.}, keywords = {0680:Health education, Education, Health education, Life Satisfaction, Optimism, Positive psychology, Purpose in life, Resilience, Smoking cessation}, isbn = {9780438344310}, url = {https://search.proquest.com/docview/2108556620?pq-origsite=gscholar}, author = {Thorne,Christopher B.} } @article {9439, title = {Sense of Control, Job Stressors, and Well-Being: Inter-relations and Reciprocal Effects Among Older U.S. Workers}, journal = {Work, Aging and Retirement}, volume = {4}, year = {2018}, pages = {96-107}, abstract = {The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic relations among job stressors, sense of control, and well-being among older working adults. Sense of control can be especially important among older adults given their potential vulnerability due to declining resources in health and work ability. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we examined relations between job stressors and sense of control as they relate to older workers{\textquoteright} well-being, along with reciprocal relations between sense of control and both job and life satisfaction. Using 3 waves of survey data from 477 older working U.S. adults (age 51+) in the Health and Retirement Study, we examined cross-lagged model results and found reciprocal relations between sense of control and both job and life satisfaction. Results highlight the key role of sense of control in maintaining well-being among older workers. These findings resonate with COR, suggesting that sense of control both affects and is affected by individuals{\textquoteright} well-being. Our study sheds light on dynamic processes involving job stressors, sense of control, and well-being and underscores the importance of promoting sense of control for older working adults.}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Health Conditions and Status, Life Satisfaction, Stress, Well-being}, issn = {2054-4642}, doi = {10.1093/workar/waw035}, url = {https://academic.oup.com/workar/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/workar/waw035}, author = {Liu, Mengqiao and McGonagle, Alyssa K. and Gwenith G Fisher} } @article {9742, title = {Social exclusion factors influencing life satisfaction among older adults}, journal = {Journal of Poverty and Social Justice}, volume = {26}, year = {2018}, pages = {35-50}, abstract = {This study aims to examine the relative impact of social exclusion factors on older adults{\textquoteright} life satisfaction. This study conducted a cross-sectional analysis of psychosocial measures from the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (N=4,139). Results found that social exclusion factors indeed affect life satisfaction. Health had the strongest effect on life satisfaction. Good social relationships also positively affect life satisfaction. These findings call for considering multidimensionality of social exclusion in the future research. Researchers and practitioners could pay greater attention to social exclusion, ways to measure it, and its impact on life satisfaction through this study.}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Life Satisfaction, Social capital, Social Support}, issn = {1759-8273}, doi = {10.1332/175982717X15127351091521}, url = {http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/10.1332/175982717X15127351091521http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/jpsj/2018/00000026/00000001/art00003http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/jpsj/2018/00000026/00000001/art00003}, author = {Lee, Joonyup and John G. Cagle} } @article {9246, title = {The educational, racial and gender crossovers in life satisfaction: Findings from the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics}, volume = {73}, year = {2017}, month = {11/2017}, pages = {60-68}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine variations in life satisfaction by education, gender, and race/ethnicity over a period of eight years among middle-aged and older Americans.

METHODS: Mixed-effects models were used to analyze five waves (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014) of longitudinal data from 16,163 participants born 1890-1953 in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study.

RESULTS: Life satisfaction was higher in older adults, and the Great Recession had great impact on life satisfaction. Crossover interactions were found by gender, education, and race/ethnicity. Higher education was associated with higher life satisfaction for both genders, with stronger effects for females. Hispanics had the higher level of life satisfaction than non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans.

DISCUSSION: Longitudinal evidence revealed disparities in life satisfaction. The racial/ethnic differences in the impact of education suggest that the economic and health returns of education vary by social group. Researchers should continue to examine reasons for these disparities.

}, keywords = {Education, Gender Differences, Life Satisfaction, Racial/ethnic differences}, issn = {1872-6976}, doi = {10.1016/j.archger.2017.07.014}, author = {Wei Zhang and Kathryn L. Braun and Wu, Yan Yan} } @article {10989, title = {Does Retirement Make You Happy? A Simultaneous Equations Approach}, number = {2014-310}, year = {2014}, institution = {Michigan Retirement Research Center, University of Michigan}, address = {Ann Arbor}, abstract = {Continued improvements in life expectancy and fiscal insolvency of public pensions have led to increased pension entitlement ages in several countries, but its consequences for subjective well-being are largely unknown. Financial consequences of retirement complicate the estimation of effects of retirement on well-being as financial circumstances may influence well-being, so the effects of retirement may be confounded by income changes. Also, unobservable determinants of income are probably related with unobservable determinants of well-being, making income possibly endogenous if used as control in well-being regressions. To address these issues, we estimate a simultaneous model of retirement, income, and subjective well-being while accounting for time effects and unobserved individual effects. Public pension arrangements (replacement rates, eligibility rules for early and full retirement) serve as instrumental variables. We use data from HRS and SHARE from 2004 to 2010. We find that depressive symptoms are negatively related to retirement while life satisfaction is positively related. Remarkably, income does not seem to affect depression or life satisfaction. This contrasts with correlations in the raw data showing significant relations between income and depression and life satisfaction. This suggests that accounting for the endogeneity of income in equations explaining depression or life satisfaction is important. }, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Income, Life Satisfaction, Retirement}, url = {https://mrdrc.isr.umich.edu/publications/papers/pdf/wp310.pdf}, author = {Raquel Fonseca and Arie Kapteyn and Jinkook Lee and Gema Zamarro} } @mastersthesis {6402, title = {Working for life: An analysis of life satisfaction and delayed retirement among older college faculty}, volume = {Ed.D.}, year = {2012}, pages = {160}, school = {Sam Houston State University}, type = {Dissertation}, address = {Huntsville, TX}, abstract = {Purpose: The aging of the professoriate may be the most important issue in higher education today. When faculty members will choose to retire and how effectively they are replaced is a crucial problem for many institutions. Yet very little data are available on faculty retirement timing. The purpose of this study was to test life-span trajectory theory by comparing individual life-span factors to individual retirement decisions, thus yielding results that may be useful to college administrators. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (FIRS) were used to investigate any differences in life satisfaction, marital status, gender, ethnicity, and region among members of college faculty who delayed their retirement ( n = 420) and those faculty who retired when eligible (n = 931). By analyzing which factors are correlated with the decision to delay retirement, this study should provide data to assist college administrators in improving their recruitment and hiring practices. Method: In this study, the research design was non-experimental causal comparative. Separate Pearson chi-square analyses were performed for (a) delayed retirement status and life satisfaction rating, (b) delayed retirement status and gender, (c) delayed retirement status and marital status, (d) delayed retirement status and ethnicity, and (e) delayed retirement status and region. A discriminant analysis was performed to determine if the dependent variables could predict membership in the two groups (i.e., delayed retirement, did not delay retirement). Findings: The most significant predictors of delayed retirement were gender, ethnicity, and region. Results indicate that faculty who were male, Hispanic and from the Northeast region were more inclined to delay retirement, whereas faculty members who were female, White, from the South or West region were more inclined to retire when eligible. Results are discussed and suggestions are made in terms of the need for greater study of the relationship between gender, ethnicity, region, life satisfaction, marital status, and retirement decisions. KEY WORDS: Delayed retirement, Academic labor planning, Life-span theory, Productive aging, Life-course theory, Life satisfaction, College faculty retirement, Successful aging, Continuity theory, Defined benefit pension plan, Defined cost pension plan.}, keywords = {Delaying retirement, Life Satisfaction}, url = {https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED550752}, author = {Lawrence, Kendall E.} }