Aging and Life Satisfaction: Focusing on Gender Difference

Abstract

This study aimed to empirically analyze whether people engaged more in social activities that provided positive emotion as they aged, and whether age mediated by social activity participation showed indirect effect on life satisfaction. In this study, we focused on whether social activities mediating effect of age were different by gender, paying particular attention to social role theory of gender difference. The data used for the analysis were from the 2016 Chuncheon Area Senior Citizen Survey, which was collected from 65-year or over elderly living in the Chuncheon area. Out of a sample of 1,000, 911 cases were included in the analysis after excluding cases elderly aged 85 or over or having no children. This study utilized a path analysis model to analyze the indirect effect of age mediated with various social activities participation on life satisfaction. The main findings were as follows. In the women sample, the direct effect of age on life satisfaction was not significant, but participation in leisure activities and contact with children and friends and neighbors were significantly associated with life satisfaction. In addition, the indirect effects of age mediated by various social activities were not significant. Second, in men sample, the direct effect of age on life satisfaction was not significant, but participation in leisure activities and contact with friends and neighbors were significantly related to life satisfaction. In addition, the indirect effect of age mediated by participation in leisure activities was significant.