Cognitive impairment and domain-specific life satisfaction among older adults: Findings from the Korean National Longitudinal Study on Aging

Abstract

Background

Overall life satisfaction among older adults is associated with cognitive impairment. However, little is known regarding its influence on satisfaction with specific domains of life, such as health, income status, and marital relationship. This study aims to analyze the relationship between cognitive impairment and satisfaction with specific domains of life in older Koreans.

Methods

This study used data from the Korean National Longitudinal Study on Aging from 2014 to 2020. Cognitive function was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination. Four different models are used to assess the effect of cognitive impairment on four different measures of life satisfaction. The dependent variable in each model was overall life satisfaction, satisfaction with health status, satisfaction with economic status, and satisfaction with marital relationship, respectively. A generalized estimating equation modeling approach was used to take advantage of panel data.

Results

In the weighted sample, 54.1% of the participants were women. The mean (± standard error) age of all participants was 68.9 (±0.1) years old. A total of 1671 participants (24.8%) had cognitive impairment. After adjustment of other variables, individuals without cognitive impairment were more satisfied with overall life (B = 2.75, P < 0.001), health status (B = 4.31, P < 0.001), economic status (B = 2.83, P < 0.001) and marital relationship (B = 3.36, P < 0.001) than impaired individuals.

Conclusion

Cognitive impairment in old age is significantly associated with overall life satisfaction as well as satisfaction with several domains of life, such as health, income status, and marital relationship. Cognitive impairment is more strongly associated with satisfaction with health status and marital relationship than on satisfaction with economic status. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 182–189.