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What Matters for Life Satisfaction among the Oldest-Old? Evidence from China

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  • Ng, Sor Tho

    (University of Malaya)

  • Tey, Nai Peng

    (University of Malaya)

  • Asadullah, Niaz

    (Monash University)

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of life satisfaction among the oldest-old (i.e. individuals aged 80 or over) in China. We use the 2011/2012 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data (n = 6530) for this paper. Logistic regression is used to analyse the effects of socio-demographic, economic, health, instrumental activities of daily living, family and community factors on life satisfaction and depression among the oldest-old in China. Our analysis confirms the significance of many factors affecting life satisfaction among the oldest-old in China. Factors that are correlated with life satisfaction include respondent's sex, education, place of residence, self-rated health status, cognitive ability (using mini mental state examination), regular physical examination, perceived relative economic status, access to social security provisions, commercialized insurances, living arrangements, and number of social services available in the community (p

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  • Ng, Sor Tho & Tey, Nai Peng & Asadullah, Niaz, 2017. "What Matters for Life Satisfaction among the Oldest-Old? Evidence from China," IZA Discussion Papers 10624, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp10624
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    Cited by:

    1. N. Keating, 2022. "A research framework for the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030)," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 775-787, September.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Lucille Aba Abruquah & Xiuxia Yin & Ya Ding, 2019. "Old Age Support in Urban China: The Role of Pension Schemes, Self-Support Ability and Intergenerational Assistance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-17, May.
    5. Lili Li & Zhonggen Zhang & Changluan Fu, 2020. "The subjective well-being effect of public goods provided by village collectives: Evidence from China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    6. Haiyang Lu & Peishan Tong & Rong Zhu, 2020. "Longitudinal Evidence on Social Trust and Happiness in China: Causal Effects and Mechanisms," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(5), pages 1841-1858, June.
    7. Marta Pascual-Sáez & David Cantarero-Prieto & Carla Blázquez-Fernández, 2019. "Partner’s depression and quality of life among older Europeans," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(7), pages 1093-1101, September.
    8. David Cantarero-Prieto & Marta Pascual-Sáez & Carla Blázquez-Fernández, 2018. "What is Happening with Quality of Life Among the Oldest People in Southern European Countries? An Empirical Approach Based on the SHARE Data," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 1195-1209, December.
    9. Bo Kyong Seo & Ji Hye Kim, 2022. "Intergenerational Coresidence and Life Satisfaction in Old Age: The Moderating Role of Homeownership," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 3199-3216, October.
    10. Sunghee Kim & Kwisoon Choe & Kyoungsook Lee, 2020. "Depression, Loneliness, Social Support, Activities of Daily Living, and Life Satisfaction in Older Adults at High-Risk of Dementia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-10, December.
    11. Pataporn Sukontamarn & M. Niaz Asadullah & Nopphawan Photphisutthiphong & Yen Thi Hai Nguyen, 2023. "Happiness in Old Age: The Daughter Connection," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 1729-1757, June.
    12. Carla Blázquez-Fernández & David Cantarero-Prieto & Marta Pascual-Sáez, 2021. "Quality of Life, Health and the Great Recession in Spain: Why Older People Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-8, February.
    13. Sisi Yang & Katja Hanewald, 2022. "Life Satisfaction of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese: The Role of Health and Health Insurance," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 601-624, April.
    14. Qian Sun & Nan Lu, 2020. "Social Capital and Mental Health among Older Adults Living in Urban China in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-11, October.
    15. Hui You & Yao Wang & Lily Dongxia Xiao & Li Liu, 2022. "Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Negative Psychological Symptoms among Elderly Widows Living Alone in a Chinese Remote Sample: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    16. Lin Zhang & Xinjie Wei & Xueyao Ma & Zhihong Ren, 2021. "Physical Health and Quality of Life among Older People in the Context of Chinese Culture," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-11, June.
    17. Valeria Donisi & Federico Tedeschi & Juan Luis Gonzalez-Caballero & Johanna Cresswell-Smith & Elvira Lara & Marta Miret & Anna K. Forsman & Kristian Wahlbeck & Francesco Amaddeo & Jorid Kalseth, 2021. "Is Mental Well-Being in the Oldest Old Different from That in Younger Age Groups? Exploring the Mental Well-Being of the Oldest-Old Population in Europe," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1693-1717, April.
    18. Fernando Fajardo-Bullón & Jesús Pérez-Mayo & Igor Esnaola & Isobel Anderson & Marcus Knutagård, 2020. "Influence of Psychosocial Variables on the Health of People Living in Housing Exclusion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-17, December.
    19. Sonia Khodabakhsh, 2022. "Factors Affecting Life Satisfaction of Older Adults in Asia: A Systematic Review," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 1289-1304, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ageing; depression; happiness; health; inequality; well-being; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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