Social Frailty Moderates the Association Between Gender and Life Satisfaction: Evidence from a Large-Scale Survey Among Indian Older Adults.

Abstract

This study examined the role of gender, social frailty, depressive symptoms, and cognitive impairment on life satisfaction, along with the interaction effect of social frailty between gender and life satisfaction. We used the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1 data and considered 23,345 older adults. Multivariate models, ordinary least squares regression, and moderation analyses were conducted. The higher levels of social frailty status depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment reduced life satisfaction. The interaction models revealed that the relationship between gender and life satisfaction was moderated by social frailty. The results indicate the need to improve social networks and engagement among aging adults.