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Background: As aging is associated with lower quality of life (QOL), it is important to determine overall QOL and its related factors among older adults. Studies have shown that gender plays an essential role in the perception of health across cultures. As very few studies has been conducted on gender disparity in the elderly in India. Thus, the study was conducted to assess the differences in QOL and subjective happiness between male and female community-dwelling elderly. Objectives: The study was conducted to assess the differences in QOL and subjective happiness between male and female community-dwelling elderly in India. Study Design: The study design involves a cross-sectional survey. Methods: The data were collected from community-dwelling elderly (>60 years of age) based on convenient sampling. QOL and subjective happiness were tested by World Health Organization QOL (WHOQOL)-BREF and the Subjective Happiness Questionnaire. Informed consent was taken before administering the study-specific questionnaire via mail, telephone, or in person. Only completed questionnaires were used. Data hence collected were analyzed. Results: The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis, whereas the differences between gender on QOL and happiness were computed using the t-test and Mann--Whitney test, respectively. Gender and educational qualification correlated with QOL measure WHOQOL (P = 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.014, 0.527). Furthermore, a positive correlation (P = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.994, 0.998) was found between WHOQOL-BREF and the Subjective Happiness Questionnaire. For the overall QOL and general health section in WHOQOL-BREF, males scored a mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 3.825 ± 0.71 and 3.275 ± 1.15, whereas females scored a mean ± SD of 3.875 ± 0.56 and 3.35 ± 1.21. For the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF except for domain 4 (t = 2.17; 95% CI: 26.13, 28.06), mean ± SD (27.10 ± 4.35), (P = 0.033), and Subjective Happiness questionnaire, the differences in the means of elderly males and females were nonsignificant on Mann--Whitney test. Conclusion: This study shows that gender-related factors influence specific areas of QOL, such as females scoring less in physical and psychological factors, whereas scoring better than males in social relationship and environment areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how work is the key to health, happiness, and wealth. The author presents an extended example to describe how financial service professionals can redefine their work in retirement so as to provide both income and a satisfying life. Differences between men and women related to the benefits of working in retirement are briefly discussed. The author discusses the need for many to continue to work in order to pay for their increased longevity. She cites research that shows the keys to happiness are leisure, meaning, and fulfillment, with leisure being the least consequential. She also discusses how meaningful engagement contributes to longevity and mental activity. The author concludes work should be redefined as an activity that adds quality and meaning to life.

Objective The aim of the present study was to evaluate factors associated with happiness in a sample of Brazilian older adults. Methods A study was conducted with 263 elderly people in the area of coverage of a family health unit located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The Subjective Happiness Scale was used to measure happiness, the final score of which determined one of three outcomes: not happy, intermediate, and happy. Disability, sociodemographic characteristics, and psychological, cognitive, and physical factors were considered for the multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results Statistically significant differences were found among the three groups regarding satisfaction with life, disability, social phobia, anxiety, depression, and frailty (p ≤ 0.05). In the multinomial regression analysis, being “not happy” was significantly associated with satisfaction with life (RRR: 0.53), depression (RRR: 1.46), social phobia (RRR: 1.24), and age (RRR: 1.06). Conclusion The present findings indicate that psychological factors and age influence the levels of happiness in older adults living in the community. Furthermore, better screening, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders could increase the feeling of happiness among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study that reveals that older people are happier when involved in games and activities and while scoring well, as compared to being idle.

Although the factors that influence people's perception of happiness have long been a focus for scholars, research to date has not offered conclusive findings on the relationships between income, age and happiness. This study examined the relationship between money and happiness across age groups. Analysing data from United States General Social Surveys from 1972 to 2006, this study finds that even after controlling for all the major socio-demographic variables, income (whether household income or personal equivalised income) had a significant positive association with happiness for young and middle-age adults, but it was not the same case with older adults. After controlling for the major socio-demographic variables, there was no evidence of a significant relationship between income (whichever definition) and happiness for older adults. The results also showed that the effect of household income on happiness was significantly smaller for older adults than for young or middle-age adults in the model controlling for major socio-demographic variables. The relationship between household income and happiness no longer differed significantly across age groups after social comparison variables were included. The relationship between equivalised income and happiness did not vary significantly by age group after controlling for the major socio-demographic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The goal was to adapt and to conduct the preliminary validation of the Scale of Happiness of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUNSH). Three hundred elderly (Maule, Chile) of more than 65 years (M = 72,8; DS = 5,71), answered the MUNSH, the Life Satisfaction Scale of Diener (ESV), and the Abbreviated Geriatric Depression Scale of Yesavage (EGADY). The MUNSH reached a Cronbach's alpha consistency of 0.90, and correlated positively with the ESV (r = 0.623) and negatively with the EGADY (r = -0.746), demonstrating appropriate convergent validity. A factor analysis revealed a multifactorial structure for the MUNSH with a single factor explaining 31,7 % of the variance. The data collected with the MUNSH are analyzed in terms of age and sex differences and separate normative scores are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between health literacy and happiness was explored using a cross-sectional survey of community-dwelling older primary-care patients. Health literacy status was estimated with the following previously validated question: “How confident are you in filling out medical forms by yourself?” Happiness was measured using an adapted Subjective Happiness Scale. Of all patients ( n = 383), 62% were younger than 65, 28% were men, and 39% were African–American. In bivariate analysis, health literacy was positively correlated with happiness (Spearman’s ρ = 0.261; p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that lowest-quartile happiness was associated with poverty (OR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.17–4.31), unfavorable self-rated health (OR: 4.16; 95% CI: 2.34–7.40), and lower health literacy (OR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.23–4.32). The results suggest that inadequate health literacy may be an obstacle to happiness above and beyond its effect on poverty and health, and offers partial support for the inclusion of general and health literacy scores in composite quality-of-life and human development indices. Though alternative explanations are possible, we speculate that the association between health literacy and happiness might be mediated by a sense of personal control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. To study the relationship between the objective variables of functionality and degree of life satisfaction in elderly people with an active lifestyle. Material and Methods. The study took place using a sample of 340 elderly people, aged 60-85, who were all leading an active life. The tests applied were: Satisfaction with Life Scale, Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test, Memory Failures Everyday, Geriatric Depression Scale, OARS social support subscale, COOP-WONCA physical dimension subscale and Siu and Reuben hierarchical scale for self-sufficiency. Results. Statistical analyses were made using Pearson's correlations, with a significance level of p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 between the objective variables and satisfaction with life level. The overall results show a negative correlation, that is, a paradox of well-being between the objective criteria of level of studies, memory level and self-sufficiency and the objective criterion of the level of life satisfaction. Conclusion. Proposals for intervention in elderly people's physical activity are needed, since reduced mobility could lead to a pathological pattern of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the hypothesis that physical activity will have favorable effects on measures of self-efficacy for a 400-m walk and satisfaction with physical functioning in older adults 70+ years of age who have deficits in mobility. We randomized a total of 412 adults aged 70-89 years at elevated risk for mobility disability to either a physical activity or a successful aging educational control intervention for 12 months. Participants in the physical activity intervention had more favorable changes in both outcomes as a result of treatment than those in the successful aging intervention. Gender, age, and scores on a short physical performance battery did not moderate these effects. Physical activity is an effective means of intervening on self-efficacy and satisfaction with physical function in older adults with impaired lower extremity functioning. This is an important finding in light of the importance of these process variables in behavior change and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a national survey of quality of life (QoL) in older age. The main aim of the analyses was to examine the definitions of quality of life given by people aged 65 or more years and the underlying reasons. Open-ended questions were used to elicit their perceptions of QoL. These were followed by structured measures of self-rated QoL overall, and of domains of QoL commonly reported in the literature. The main things said by the respondents to give their lives quality were categorised into 'themes'. These were: social relationships; social roles and activities; leisure activities enjoyed alone; health; psychological outlook and wellbeing; home and neighbourhood; financial circumstances; and independence. The reasons people gave to explain why these things were important to their QoL focused on: the freedom to do the things they wanted to do without restriction (whether in the home or socially); pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction with life; mental harmony; social attachment and having access to companionship, intimacy, love, social contact and involvement, help; social roles; and feeling secure. This paper also presents data that demonstrates the ability of theoretically informed, structured survey indicators of QoL to predict respondents' self-rated overall QoL. Logistic regression analyses showed that most of these indicators were strong, independent predictors of self-ratings of QoL, although those that were not significant in the model did not fully incorporate lay reasons of QoL in their measurement scales. In conclusion, the indicators which were not significant in the model did not fully incorporate lay values in their measurement properties. It is also likely that those indicators that were significant could have been improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including partnerships in widowhood in Spain; understanding of older women; and trends impact the social lives of older women.

This entry presents articles from various journals discussing topics related to the effects of social isolation and loneliness in older people's health including the longitudinal study which examined the impact of positive emotions on their physical activity rates. An article discussing the study conducted on the impact of loneliness on rural older adults with chronic illness is featured. The study on the effects of loneliness on mortality rates of older people is also discussed.