IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v14y2013i1p19-36.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Change in Life Satisfaction Under Chronic Physical Multi-morbidity in Advanced Old Age: Potential and Limits of Adaptation

Author

Listed:
  • Oliver Schilling
  • Hans-Werner Wahl
  • Frank Oswald

Abstract

We examined the impact of chronic multi-morbidity on intra-individual change of life satisfaction (LS) in advanced old age, considering (1) adaptation in terms of stabilization or restoration of LS across accumulation of chronic conditions and (2) loss in functional competence to conduct activities of daily living (ADL) as potentially mediating the effect of chronic multi-morbidity on LS. Longitudinal data from a German sample (N = 451, aged 80–90 at baseline, 3 measurements covering 2.25 years) was analyzed by means of latent growth curve modeling. An adaptive curvilinear relationship between self-reported number of chronic conditions health constraints (NCC) at baseline and change in LS was confirmed, where the largest LS decline occurred under medium, but less worsening under highest levels of NCC. Change in ADL predicted LS change, but did not mediate the effects of NCC on LS. The findings confirmed the importance of both chronic multi-morbidity and loss of functional competence as independent predictors of decline in LS in very old age. Only limited evidence supported an adaptive stabilization of LS under accumulating levels of chronic multi-morbidity. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Schilling & Hans-Werner Wahl & Frank Oswald, 2013. "Change in Life Satisfaction Under Chronic Physical Multi-morbidity in Advanced Old Age: Potential and Limits of Adaptation," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 19-36, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:1:p:19-36
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-011-9313-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10902-011-9313-3
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-011-9313-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bruno S. Frey & Alois Stutzer, 2002. "What Can Economists Learn from Happiness Research?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 40(2), pages 402-435, June.
    2. Freedman, V.A. & Martin, L.G., 2000. "Contribution of chronic conditions to aggregate changes in old-age functioning," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 90(11), pages 1755-1760.
    3. Ruut Veenhoven, 1996. "Developments in satisfaction-research," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 1-46, January.
    4. Verbrugge, Lois M. & Jette, Alan M., 1994. "The disablement process," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 1-14, January.
    5. Stuck, Andreas E. & Walthert, Jutta M. & Nikolaus, Thorsten & Büla, Christophe J. & Hohmann, Christoph & Beck, John C., 1999. "Risk factors for functional status decline in community-living elderly people: a systematic literature review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 445-469, February.
    6. Scott Schieman & Gabriele Plickert, 2007. "Functional Limitations and Changes in Levels of Depression Among Older Adults: A Multiple-Hierarchy Stratification Perspective," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(1), pages 36-42.
    7. Smith, Jacqui, 2001. "Well-being and health from age 70 to 100: findings from the Berlin Aging Study," European Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(4), pages 461-477, October.
    8. Alex Michalos & Bruno Zumbo & Anita Hubley, 2000. "Health and the Quality of Life," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 245-286, September.
    9. Oliver Schilling, 2006. "Development of Life Satisfaction in Old Age: Another View on the "Paradox''," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 75(2), pages 241-271, January.
    10. Alex Michalos, 1985. "Multiple discrepancies theory (MDT)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 347-413, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marina Näsman & Fredrica Nyqvist & Mikael Nygård, 2022. "Disentangling the Concept of Well-Being in Very Old Age Using Rodgers’ Evolutionary Concept Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 3101-3126, August.
    2. Cristina Dumitrache & Gill Windle & Ramona Rubio Herrera, 2015. "Do Social Resources Explain the Relationship Between Optimism and Life Satisfaction in Community-Dwelling Older People? Testing a Multiple Mediation Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 633-654, June.
    3. Roman Kaspar & Andrea Albrecht & Thomas Brijoux & Jonas Fey & Luise Geithner & Veronica Oswald & Marcella Reissmann & Michael Wagner & Judith Wenner & Susanne Zank & Jaroslava Zimmermann, 2024. "Successful Life Conduct in Very Old Age: Theoretical Implications and Empirical Support from a Population-Based Study," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 19(4), pages 1-25, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hajdu, Tamás & Hajdu, Gábor, 2011. "A hasznosság és a relatív jövedelem kapcsolatának vizsgálata magyar adatok segítségével [Examining the relation of utility and relative income using Hungarian data]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(1), pages 56-73.
    2. Ulrich Schimmack & Jürgen Schupp & Gert Wagner, 2008. "The Influence of Environment and Personality on the Affective and Cognitive Component of Subjective Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 89(1), pages 41-60, October.
    3. Senik, Claudia, 2009. "Direct evidence on income comparisons and their welfare effects," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 408-424, October.
    4. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Shunsuke Managi, 2025. "Income and Subjective Well-Being: The Importance of Index Choice for Sustainable Economic Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-32, June.
    5. Anna Matysiak & Letizia Mencarini & Daniele Vignoli, 2016. "Work–Family Conflict Moderates the Relationship Between Childbearing and Subjective Well-Being," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 32(3), pages 355-379, August.
    6. Sibel Selim, 2008. "Life Satisfaction and Happiness in Turkey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 531-562, September.
    7. Senik, Claudia, 2008. "Is man doomed to progress?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 140-152, October.
    8. Robert Cummins & Helen Nistico, 2002. "Maintaining Life Satisfaction: The Role of Positive Cognitive Bias," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 37-69, March.
    9. Alex Michalos & P. Hatch & Dawn Hemingway & Loraine Lavallee & Anne Hogan & Bev Christensen, 2007. "Health and quality of life of older people, a replication after six years," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 84(2), pages 127-158, November.
    10. Alex Michalos & Douglas Ramsey & Derrek Eberts & P. Kahlke, 2012. "Good Health is Not the Same as a Good Life: Survey Results from Brandon, Manitoba," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 107(2), pages 201-234, June.
    11. Gabriele Prati, 2023. "The Relationship Between Democracy and Subjective Well-Being as a Function of Anti-Democratic Attitudes: a Multilevel Analysis of 78 Countries Worldwide," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(5), pages 2605-2618, October.
    12. William Betz & Nicole Simpson, 2013. "The effects of international migration on the well-being of native populations in Europe," IZA Journal of Migration and Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 2(1), pages 1-21, December.
    13. Zhifang Su & Jr‐Tsung Huang & Arthur Jin Lin, 2021. "House price expectations, mortgages, and subjective well‐being in urban China," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 1540-1562, December.
    14. Yuanlin Gu & Hua-Liang Wei, 2018. "Significant Indicators and Determinants of Happiness: Evidence from a UK Survey and Revealed by a Data-Driven Systems Modelling Approach," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-12, March.
    15. Elena Bárcena-Martín & Cortés Aguilar Alexandra & Ana I. Moro Egido, 2013. "The role of proximity and social comparisons on subjective well-being," ThE Papers 13/10, Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada..
    16. Christopher Ambrey & Christopher Fleming & Matthew Manning, 2014. "Perception or Reality, What Matters Most When it Comes to Crime in Your Neighbourhood?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(2), pages 877-896, November.
    17. Christopher Ambrey & Christopher Fleming, 2014. "Public Greenspace and Life Satisfaction in Urban Australia," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(6), pages 1290-1321, May.
    18. Delhey, Jan & Kohler, Ulrich, 2005. "From nationally bounded to pan-European inequalities? On the importance of foreign countries as reference groups," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Inequality and Social Integration SP I 2005-204, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    19. Thomas Li-Ping Tang & Toto Sutarso & Mahfooz A. Ansari & Vivien Kim Geok Lim & Thompson Sian Hin Teo & Fernando Arias-Galicia & Ilya E. Garber & Randy Ki-Kwan Chiu & Brigitte Charles-Pauvers & Roberto, 2018. "Monetary Intelligence and Behavioral Economics Across 32 Cultures: Good Apples Enjoy Good Quality of Life in Good Barrels," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(4), pages 893-917, April.
    20. Alexander Jakubow, 2016. "Subjective Well-Being and the Welfare State: Giving a Fish or Teaching to Fish?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(3), pages 1147-1169, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:1:p:19-36. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.