Understanding the physical health associations of intra-individual variability in life satisfaction among older adults

Abstract

It is well established that inter-individual differences in life satisfaction positively predict health, but it is less clear how intra-individual variability in life satisfaction across time could influence health, particularly across individuals with different satisfaction levels. To address this gap, we analysed a large panel dataset from a national sample of 8,674 older adults, aged 50–70 (M = 59, SD = 5.42) in Singapore who completed surveys over 53 consecutive months. Results from multi-level modelling showed an interaction between variability in life satisfaction and life satisfaction mean on physical health. Specifically, there was no association between variability and health among individuals with higher satisfaction, but variability positively predicted health among individuals with lower satisfaction. This pattern of results suggests the importance of further investigation considering both variability and mean level of life satisfaction when examining health. Potential explanations for our findings, including the strengths and limitations of the current study and future research are discussed.