Determinants of life satisfaction in Hong Kong Chinese elderly: A longitudinal study

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to identify the predictive variables of life satisfaction in Chinese elderly people. Data came from a longitudinal study of a representative community sample of the elderly Chinese population in Hong Kong. Life satisfaction three years later is associated with a number of variables including gender, age, marital status, years of education, chronic illness, functional impairment, self-rated health, somatic complaints, vision, hearing, social network, social support from family members, quality of social support and financial strain. Using multiple regression models, the authors found that younger elderly persons with less financial strain, better social support, fewer somatic complaints and more education reported a higher level of life satisfaction three years later. These findings were consistent with previous Western studies.