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We analyse the relationship between parenthood and quality of life in old age. Our main rationale is that the effect of having children on the quality of life varies with individual financial well-being as well as with the societal context, e.g. the welfare state and the economy. Analyses are based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (wave 2 and 4) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (wave 6) with respondents aged 50 plus from 19 European countries in all. We find the effect of parenthood on quality of life to depend on individual resources, the economy and social service expenditures. Older persons with difficulties in making ends meet, living in less affluent countries with lower gross domestic product per capita and welfare states with higher spending on social services benefit the most from parenthood in late life. Women and men in financial ease do not benefit from parenthood in old age. We do not find substantial gender differences in the relationship of parenthood and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past several decades, the proportion of older adults in the Chinese population has steadily increased during a period of substantial social change; the effect of these changes on older adults warrants examination. The present study explored changes in subjective well-being (SWB) in older adults by birth cohort and the social factors influential in these changes. We performed a cross-temporal meta-analysis using data from 20,713 adults over 60 years of age; data were obtained from 61 studies that used the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness. The dynamics of SWB in older adults were evaluated as a function of time. The mean SWB score decreased by 4.98 over the measured period, indicating a decrease of .52 standard deviations between 1990 and 2010. In addition, SWB in older adults was significantly correlated with high social connectedness and low overall threat. Specifically, urbanization level, Gini coefficient, personal medical expenditure, and birth rate were strong predictors of SWB. Our research demonstrates that social connectedness and overall threat contribute to SWB in Chinese older adults. As SWB is significantly related to the mental and physical health of older adults, the present study may serve as a useful reference for health care agencies and policy-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to gain a better understanding of Chinese seniors' demographic information as well as their attitudes toward old-age support as an indicator for their subjective well-being related to their retirement preparation. Particularly, the variation of demographic and attitudinal characteristics within the population was examined. The data was based on a sample of the Chinese senior population, aged 60 and over in 2006 from 20 provinces and metropolitan areas in China. A two-step cluster analysis was used in the current study and the auto-clustering algorithm indicated a two-cluster solution. Both demographic information and attitudinal responses were used for the clusters. The results showed that Chinese seniors' attitudinal and behavioral traits were relevant to the classification with regard to their retirement preparedness. The current study demonstrated that Chinese seniors were a heterogeneous group that could be divided into two basic, distinct segments, namely, helpless dependents and active independents. Each different group of seniors may raise different key issues in meeting their needs for retirement management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demographic aging of the older population itself has turned out as an issue of great scope, accumulating a large amount of research in recent years. In this context, the prediction or explanation is of much interest. However, little research has studied this prediction when some factors, such as age, gender, and perceived health are controlled, and also few studies have compared these effects in young old and oldest old populations. Thus, the purpose of this study is to test, in a multivariate context, the predictive effects of variables measuring social support, dependence/active perceptions, and generativity on satisfaction with life, while controlling for age, marital status, educational level, gender, and perceived health; examining young old and oldest old similitudes and differences in a little studied population, the Angolan elderly. The sample was formed by 1,003 participants, 737 were young old and 266 were oldest old. To test for the effects, a hierarchical regression was built up, in which age and predictor's interactions were included. Results provide support for some differences in the pattern of relationships hold by young old and oldest old, with social support emerging as the major predictor of life satisfaction during the old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relation between leisure activities and the social status of the elderly based on a heterogeneous sample of the Dutch population. Close relationships are also analyzed to identify which people could serve as successful stimulators of leisure participation. The social profile confirms that older people have fewer social contacts and often feel lonely. This study shows that leisure activities explain a significant part of older people's social connectedness. Voluntary work, cultural activities, holiday, sports, reading books, hobbies and shopping are found to be successful predictors for social connectedness of older people. Watching TV, listening to the radio, and spending time behind the computer (passive activities) were not associated with social connectedness. Friends correlate positively to participation in leisure activities. Partners play a role in participation in cultural activities and sports; parents play a role in participation in voluntary work and holidays; siblings play a role in voluntary work and sports; and children play a role in cultural activities, reading books, and shopping. Local communities can use these close relationships and develop special programs to increase social connectedness and hence improve quality of life for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on three main subjects: (1) monitoring quality of life (QoL) in old age; (2) international and interdisciplinary collaboration for QoL research; and (3) computer-based technology and infrastructure assisting (1) and (2). This type of computer-supported cooperative work in the social sciences has been termed eHumanities or eSocial Science. Although QoL issues matter for all ages, given the size of population aging and the demographic outlook of developed countries, QoL in old age is one of the most pressing issues to study (Walker and Mollenkopf in Quality of life in old age: international and multi-disciplinary perspectives, Springer, The Netherlands, ). Despite the recognized need for good measurement methods in QoL (e.g., Stiglitz et al. in The measurement of economic performance and social progress revisited. progress revisited. OFCE working documents, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE), Paris, ), effective mechanisms allowing cross-country comparisons are still rare. In the context of QoL or human well-being research and measurement, one of the most influential concepts is the capability approach (CA). Yet, the operationalization of the CA has long been one of the serious challenges faced by capabilities and quality of life researchers. As regards to this issue, we argue that modern technology has the potential to provide ample tools for enhancing the measurement of human well-being, and facilitating large-scale collaborative research on the QoL. This paper demonstrates a methodology, procedures, and tools that we have developed, based on the new technologies designed and developed for both governmental and intergovernmental (OECD) sponsored assessments and that are ready to be used for QoL analysis. We propose a viable alternative for facilitating international and interdisciplinary research collaboration to develop a methodology and a dashboard of indicators to monitor the progress of human well-being over the years and to formalize its multidimensional measure for international comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the unique contribution of participation (daily activities and social roles) in explaining well-being of older adults living with chronic conditions and examined which aspect of participation (accomplishment of participation or satisfaction with participation) was more important in describing their well-being. Two hundred older adults with chronic conditions completed the following assessments: Satisfaction with Life Scale to measure well-being; Assessment of Life Habits to evaluate two aspects of participation: (a) accomplishment of daily activities and social roles and (b) level of satisfaction with participation; Interpersonal Support Evaluation List to assess level of social support and Affect Balance scale to measure level of balance confidence. In addition, participants' level of mobility was assessed using the Timed Up and Go test. Regression analysis was performed. Results indicated that number of chronic conditions, social support and satisfaction with participation had a significant contribution to well-being and altogether explained 31% of its variance whereas accomplishment of participation did not play as significant role in the model. In conclusion, participation has a unique contribution to older adults' well-being where satisfaction with participation rather than the accomplishment of activities is of importance. Additional aspects of participation and level of disability are key factors identified for further inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is paucity of research investigating opinions and attitudes of seniors 55 years of age and older in relation to housing accommodation and services sensitive to the needs of the senior population. We describe the results of a cross-sectional survey soliciting opinions and attitudes of seniors with respect to a variety of housing issues including home ownership and home modifications. The objectives of the survey were to improve our understanding of older adults' views and concerns about housing, and to collect information intended to provide policy makers with recommendations regarding housing services, improved access, and safety for older adults as indicated by the individual residents. Most respondents indicated a strong desire to stay and age in their own homes, and continue owning their homes. There was general agreement among those surveyed that other forms of accommodations such as seniors' housing, congregate homes, small self-contained houses placed on the same lot as the home of a close family member, and residential care facilities were alternative housing options that are less preferred. Winter weather conditions in northern British Columbia were reported to be an important impediment for safety, community participation, and access to facilities and services. Policy implications related to housing tenure and housing conditions as important social determinants of health for seniors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the integration of elderly people who migrated to Israel during their lifetimes. Subjective well-being, as measured by the immigrants’ perception of quality of life, satisfaction with life and emotional state, served as a general indicator of integration. The integration of elderly immigrants has not received adequate attention in the literature. A unique database (SHARE-Israel) that was recently released has made study of this topic possible. The current study sample was composed of former migrants aged 50 and older ( n = 930). The analytic model examined ethnic origin and migration variables in relation to the respective subjective outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic background, human and social capital and health. The findings show that in general, ethnic origin seems to matter less for the evaluation of immigrants’ subjective well-being than other socio economic factors such as economic status, social capital and health status. However, recent arrivals from the Former Soviet Union do differ from all other immigrant groups in their lower levels of well-being. In addition, the study points to the importance of language proficiency as a central means for integration in the destination country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the relationship between the life satisfaction of older adults and the social support from grandchildren in Hong Kong. Two hundred and fifteen older people (from the ages of 64 to 101, mean age 79.3), whose youngest grandchild was aged 12 or older, were recruited from elderly service agencies to participate in the study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained interviewers using a standardized questionnaire, which included the Life Satisfaction Scale for Chinese, the Lubben Social Network Scale, the Chinese Tradition Scale, grandchildren social support measures, self-rated health, self-rated financial adequacy, and demographic variables. Hierarchical regression showed that the life satisfaction of older adults benefitted significantly from the social support from grandchildren ( R2 change = .05, Fchange = 7.15, p < .001); while controlling demographic characteristics, general social support, attitude towards Chinese tradition, self-rated health, and self-rated financial adequacy. The total explained variance was 51%. Emotional support and appraisal support from grandchildren were identified as significant contributing factors. The policy and practice implications for active aging policies are discussed in a Chinese context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the need for general level of living surveys targeted towards the very old, both for research and the production of statistics. Questions on living conditions; History and features of level of living surveys; Need for additional efforts in survey planning and consideration.

Examines gender differences in relating life events and well-being in elderly individuals. Results of a survey of elderly participants based on the Rahe Recent Life Change Questionnaire; How events were appraised; Gender differences in the pattern of relationships.