Predictors of Quality of Life in Different Age Groups Across Adulthood

ABSTRACT

This study examines the Quality of Life (QOL) of 374 individuals from a generational perspective. Using a nonexperimental design and multiple regression analyses, the results indicated that social support is the highest preditor of QOL for all generations. As for specific generational groups, in addition to social support, income was observed as a QOL predictor for young adults; marital status was a significant predictor for the middle-aged adults, and income emerged as the important predictor for older adults. These results offer valuable insights for the planning and implementation of Intergenerational Education Programs with the aim of increasing QOL across adulthood.

KEYWORDS:

• Quality of life
• social support
• intergenerational education programs
• adulthood

Notes

^1. The access to economic resources for developing that kind of activities differs between countries and regions. In Portugal, obtaining funding and partners for developing these programs is difficult, as it is crucial to gather information that demonstrates the relevance of their development.

^2. The Township of Bonfim presents an aging index of 265.7, twice the National Aging index (127.8), which as mentioned in the introduction, places Portugal among the most aged countries in the world (Pordata, n.d).

^3. Study undertaken by the Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning, Universty of London. Divided into five parts: learning and identity; learning and health; learning, life satisfaction and happiness; learning and community vitality and learnings spillovers and interplays.

^4. Questionnaire designed to identify the population’s potentials and needs as part of PhD research in the field of education sciences, specializing in lifelong education and adult training, at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, co-funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT).

^5. Since psychometric methods are not appropriate for composite indicators we did not obtain Cronbach’s α for this measure. The interitem associations are only appropriate for reflective indicators (Costa, 2015). However, we have calculated the correlation matrix for the 3 variables and all the correlations are significant at p < .001, ranging between .215 and .323.

^6. Mandatory education in Portugal is 12 years long, ending with the completion of secondary education.

^7. Structure of the Portuguese education system: the first and second cycles of basic education together correspond to primary education; the third cycle of basic education corresponds to middle school education; secondary education corresponds to high school education. More information is available at https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Portugal:Overview.

^8. In 2013, the average salary in Portugal was around €963. GEE/MEE (2013), statistical bulletin, December 2013. Retrieved from http://www.gee.min-economia.pt [16/01/2016].

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology [PhD Grant: SRFH/BD/86104/2012].