IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v14y2013i4p1225-1239.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Protective Factors for Subjective Well-being in Chinese Older Adults: The Roles of Resources and Activity

Author

Listed:
  • Bibing Dai
  • Baoshan Zhang
  • Juan Li

Abstract

The purpose of current study was to examine the relationships between resources, activity, and subjective well-being in later life. Using a national sample (N = 3,795) of older adults randomly selected from major Chinese mainland cities, we integrated the constructs of resources and activity into a structural model of subjective well-being. In the model, the three key resources, health, economic status and family relations, were specified as having direct effects on both activity and subjective well-being. Additionally, activity was specified as having a direct effect on subjective well-being. AMOS software was used to test and compare the goodness of fit of various models. The data had a satisfactory fit to the model (GFI = 0.980, NNFI = 0.959, CFI = 0.973, RMSEA = 0.049), indicating that the three resources had significant contributions to subjective well-being. Comparisons using several nested models also suggested that family relations had a stronger effect than health and economic status on subjective well-being. Further, activity was a partial mediator in the relationships between resources and subjective well-being. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Bibing Dai & Baoshan Zhang & Juan Li, 2013. "Protective Factors for Subjective Well-being in Chinese Older Adults: The Roles of Resources and Activity," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1225-1239, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:14:y:2013:i:4:p:1225-1239
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9378-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10902-012-9378-7
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-012-9378-7?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adam Shapiro & Corey Keyes, 2008. "Marital Status and Social Well-Being: Are the Married Always Better Off?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 88(2), pages 329-346, September.
    2. Linda K. George, 2010. "Still Happy After All These Years: Research Frontiers on Subjective Well-being in Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 65(3), pages 331-339.
    3. Nardi Steverink & Gerben J. Westerhof & Christina Bode & Freya Dittmann-Kohli, 2001. "The Personal Experience of Aging, Individual Resources, and Subjective Well-Being," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 56(6), pages 364-373.
    4. Edward Deci & Richard Ryan, 2008. "Hedonia, eudaimonia, and well-being: an introduction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, January.
    5. Sheung-Tak Cheng & Alfred C. M. Chan, 2006. "Filial Piety and Psychological Well-Being in Well Older Chinese," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(5), pages 262-269.
    6. Greig, Gail & Entwistle, Vikki A. & Beech, Nic, 2012. "Addressing complex healthcare problems in diverse settings: Insights from activity theory," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(3), pages 305-312.
    7. Ariela Lowenstein, 2007. "Solidarity–Conflict and Ambivalence: Testing Two Conceptual Frameworks and Their Impact on Quality of Life for Older Family Members," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 100-107.
    8. Spinney, Jamie E.L. & Scott, Darren M. & Newbold, K. Bruce, 2009. "Transport mobility benefits and quality of life: A time-use perspective of elderly Canadians," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, January.
    9. Alan Waterman & Seth Schwartz & Regina Conti, 2008. "The Implications of Two Conceptions of Happiness (Hedonic Enjoyment and Eudaimonia) for the Understanding of Intrinsic Motivation," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 9(1), pages 41-79, January.
    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. Zhen Zhang & Jianxin Zhang, 2015. "Social Participation and Subjective Well-Being Among Retirees in China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 123(1), pages 143-160, 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. Lin Yu & Zhimin Yan & Xun Yang & Lei Wang & Yuhan Zhao & Glenn Hitchman, 2016. "Impact of Social Changes and Birth Cohort on Subjective Well-Being in Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Temporal Meta-analysis, 1990–2010," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(2), pages 795-812, March.
    4. Yafei Liu & Martin Dijst & Stan Geertman, 2017. "The subjective well-being of older adults in Shanghai: The role of residential environment and individual resources," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(7), pages 1692-1714, May.
    5. Xinyu He & Daniel T. L. Shek & Wenbin Du & Yangu Pan & Yin Ma, 2022. "The Relationship between Social Participation and Subjective Well-Being among Older People in the Chinese Culture Context: The Mediating Effect of Reciprocity Beliefs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-14, December.
    6. Alma Au & Simon Lai & Wen Wu & Jan Hofer & Holger Busch & Iva Poláčková Šolcová & Peter Tavel & Sheung-Tak Cheng, 2020. "Generativity and Positive Emotion in Older Adults: Mediation of Achievement and Altruism Goal Attainment Across Three Cultures," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 677-692, February.

    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. Giulia Ferrari, 2022. "What is wellbeing for rural South African women? Textual analysis of focus group discussion transcripts and implications for programme design and evaluation," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Ettema, Dick & Gärling, Tommy & Olsson, Lars E. & Friman, Margareta, 2010. "Out-of-home activities, daily travel, and subjective well-being," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(9), pages 723-732, November.
    3. Lijian Wang & Liu Yang & Xiaodong Di & Xiuliang Dai, 2020. "Family Support, Multidimensional Health, and Living Satisfaction among the Elderly: A Case from Shaanxi Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-18, November.
    4. Mohsen Joshanloo, 2013. "A Comparison of Western and Islamic Conceptions of Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(6), pages 1857-1874, December.
    5. Pilar Sanjuán, 2011. "Affect Balance as Mediating Variable Between Effective Psychological Functioning and Satisfaction with Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 373-384, June.
    6. Yuval Palgi, 2013. "Ongoing Cumulative Chronic Stressors as Predictors of Well-Being in the Second Half of Life," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1127-1144, August.
    7. Yew-Kwang Ng, 2011. "Happiness Is Absolute, Universal, Ultimate, Unidimensional, Cardinally Measurable and Interpersonally Comparable: A Basis for the Environmentally Responsible Happy Nation Index," Monash Economics Working Papers 16-11, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    8. Morris, Eric A., 2015. "Should we all just stay home? Travel, out-of-home activities, and life satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 519-536.
    9. Veselina P. Vracheva & Robert Moussetis & Ali Abu-Rahma, 2020. "The Mediational Role of Engagement in the Relationship Between Curiosity and Student Development: A Preliminary Study," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1529-1547, April.
    10. Luke Henderson & Tess Knight & Ben Richardson, 2014. "The Hedonic and Eudaimonic Validity of the Orientations to Happiness Scale," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 1087-1099, February.
    11. Baumeister, Roy F. & Vohs, Kathleen D. & Aaker, Jennifer L. & Garbinsky, Emily N., 2012. "Some Key Differences between a Happy Life and a Meaningful Life," Research Papers 2119, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    12. Elliot, Esi Abbam & Cherian, Joseph & Casakin, Hernan, 2013. "Cultural metaphors: Enhancing consumer pleasure in ethnic servicescapes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1004-1012.
    13. Ana Butkovic & Irma Brkovic & Denis Bratko, 2012. "Predicting Well-Being From Personality in Adolescents and Older Adults," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 455-467, June.
    14. Mohsen Joshanloo, 2011. "Investigation of the Contribution of Spirituality and Religiousness to Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Iranian Young Adults," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(6), pages 915-930, December.
    15. Julia Zelikova, 2013. "Successful aging: a cross-national study of subjective well-being later in life," HSE Working papers WP BRP 21/SOC/2013, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    16. Miriam Raquel Wachholz Strelhow & Jorge Castellá Sarriera & Ferran Casas, 2020. "Evaluation of Well-Being in Adolescence: Proposal of an Integrative Model with Hedonic and Eudemonic Aspects," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(4), pages 1439-1452, August.
    17. Ethan McMahan & David Estes, 2011. "Hedonic Versus Eudaimonic Conceptions of Well-being: Evidence of Differential Associations With Self-reported Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 103(1), pages 93-108, August.
    18. Morris, Eric A. & Blumenberg, Evelyn & Guerra, Erick, 2020. "Does lacking a car put the brakes on activity participation? Private vehicle access and access to opportunities among low-income adults," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 375-397.
    19. Gemma Crous & Ferran Casas & Mònica González-Carrasco, 2018. "What Aspects are Important to Adolescents to Achieve Full Satisfaction in Life?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(6), pages 1699-1718, December.
    20. Pinar Bayhan Karapinar & Selin Metin Camgoz & Ozge Tayfur Ekmekci, 2020. "Employee Wellbeing, Workaholism, Work–Family Conflict and Instrumental Spousal Support: A Moderated Mediation Model," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(7), pages 2451-2471, October.

    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:4:p:1225-1239. 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.