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Daily Functioning, Health Status, and Happiness in Older Adults

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  • Erik Angner
  • Jennifer Ghandhi
  • Kristen Williams Purvis
  • Daniel Amante
  • Jeroan Allison

Abstract

The hypothesis that the degree to which disease disrupts daily functioning is inversely associated with happiness is widely accepted, yet existing literature offers little direct evidence in its support. This paper explores the hypothesized association in a community-based sample of 383 older adults. To assess the degree to which disease disrupts daily functioning we developed a measure—called the freedom-from-debility score—based on four Short Form-12 (SF-12) Health Survey questions explicitly designed to represent “limitations in physical activities because of health problems” and “limitations in usual role activities because of physical health problems.” The results were consistent with the hypothesis. When participants were divided into categories based on their freedom-from-debility score, median happiness scores were monotonically increasing across categories. Controlling for demographic and socio-economic factors as well as health status (measured both subjectively and objectively), a one-point increase in freedom-from-debility score (on a scale from 0 to 100) was associated with a three-percent reduction in the odds of lower-quartile happiness. The results support the contention that health status is one of the most influential predictors of happiness, that the association between health status and happiness depends greatly on the manner in which health status is measured, and that the degree to which disease disrupts daily functioning is inversely associated with happiness. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Erik Angner & Jennifer Ghandhi & Kristen Williams Purvis & Daniel Amante & Jeroan Allison, 2013. "Daily Functioning, Health Status, and Happiness in Older Adults," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(5), pages 1563-1574, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:5:p:1563-1574
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9395-6
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    3. H. Nicolás Acosta-González & Oscar D. Marcenaro-Gutiérrez, 2021. "The Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Self-Reported Health: Evidence from Ecuador," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 1961-1981, October.
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    5. Anna Olga Kuzminska, 2016. "Third Variable Effects in Management Studies (Efekty trzeciej zmiennej w naukach o zarzadzaniu)," Problemy Zarzadzania, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 14(60), pages 147-159.
    6. Hannah C. Silver & Steven B. Caudill & Franklin G. Mixon Jr., 2017. "Human capital and life satisfaction in economic transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 25(2), pages 165-184, April.
    7. Germán Lobos & Klaus G. Grunert & Miguel Bustamante & Berta Schnettler, 2016. "With Health and Good Food, Great Life! Gender Differences and Happiness in Chilean Rural Older Adults," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 865-885, June.
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