FACTORS ASSOCIATED TO SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING IN OLDER ADULTS

analytical, cross-sectional study developed in Chile. The sample consisted of 20,351 seniors, who answered a question on overall life satisfaction in the National Socio-Economic Survey, 2011. Subjective wellbeing was correlated with health, demographic and social indicators. Comparisons of averages, correlations and regressions were applied using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20.

Results:

life satisfaction was associated with increased age; being male; participation in social organizations; being married or living as a couple; having higher education level; higher income; good perceived health status and better health care.

Conclusion:

according to the age and income predictors, it can be concluded that, over the years, life satisfaction is reinforced, but in combination with adequate perceived health and income, which permit an excellent quality of life.

DESCRIPTORS:
Aged; Quality of life; Happiness; Nursing; Personal satisfaction; Health of the elderly; Social determinants of health.

Factors Health Dimension	Mean (M)	Standard deviation (SD)	Hypothesis test	p
Life satisfaction	7,055	2,225	t(3843536,809)=-95.578	0,000^*
Health system
Private	7,935	1,969	F(8,2567186)=9054.626	0,000^†
Public	7,585	2,020
Armed forces	7,594	2,163
Nutritional status
Normal weight	7,181	2,216	F(3,2521026)=10343.166	0,000^†
Overweight	7,043	2,184
Obesity	6,869,	2,073
Low weight	6,209	2,339
Functional loss to perform activities alone
Yes	6,426	2,382	t(383441.407)=158.087	0,000^*
No	7,141	2,189
Functional loss to recall things
Yes	6,313	2,214	t(552672.863)=-229.752	0,000^*
No	7,188	2,199
Functional loss to go out alone
Si	6,488	2,376	t(482323.514)=-158.928	0,000^*
No	7,150	2,184

	Non-standardized coefficients		Typified coefficients	t	Sig
	B	Typ error	Beta
(Constant)	5.176	.009		577.147	0.000^*
Health status	.424	.001	.267	404.403	0.000^*
Public	-.269	.006	-.038	-41.666	0.000^*
Private	.401	.008	.045	49.133	0.000^*
Nutritional status	.092	.003	.020	32.929	0.000^*
Difficulties to perform activities alone	.008	.005	.001	1.465	0.143
Difficulties to recall things	-.657	.004	-.108	-167.690	0.000^*
Difficulties to go out alone	-.001	.005	.000	-.226	0.821

Factors Demographic Dimension	Mean (M)	Standard deviation (SD)	Hypothesis test	p
Sex
Man	7,189	2,156	t(2539503,300)=-88.810	0.000*
Woman	6,943	2,274
Age
60 to 69 years	7,053	2,209		0.014^†
70 to 79 years	6,957	2,204
80 to 89 years	7,288	2,311
90 or higher	7,272	2,270
Estado civil
Married	7,265	2,160	F(6,2581067)=4360.485	0.000^‡
Divorced	7,151	2,363
Annulled	7,063	2,359
Living together	6,963	2,375
Single	6,954	2,339
Widowed	6,832	2,157
Educational level
Postgraduate	8,345	1,789	F(10.2581063)=4532.957	0.000^‡
Professional	7,670	1,981
Higher technician	7,938	2,020
Special education	5,800	2,255

	Non-standardized coefficients		Typified coefficients	t	Sig.
	B	Typ error	Beta
(Constant)	5.332	.015		348.571	0.000^*
Sex	.121	.003	.027	35.712	0.000^*
Age (full years)	.016	.000	.056	86.645	0.000^*
Married/fixed partner	.125	.005	.028	24.042	0.000^*
Separated/widowed	-.248	.005	-.052	-52.971	0.000^*
Primary education	.128	.005	.029	23.697	0.000^*
Secondary education	.392	.006	.081	68.650	0.000^*
Higher education	.956	.007	.131	141.832	0.000^*

	Non-standardized coefficients		Typified coefficients	t	Sig
	B	Typ error	Beta
(Constant)	6.249	.004		1743.485	0.000^*
Participation in social organizations	.241	.003	.051	79.717	0.000^*
National Autonomous Income Quintile	.220	.001	.135	196.477	0.000^*
Work	.139	.004	.027	39.609	0.000^*

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem Campus Universitário Trindade, 88040-970 Florianópolis - Santa Catarina - Brasil, Tel.: (55 48) 3721-4915 / (55 48) 3721-9043 - Florianópolis - SC - Brazil
E-mail: textoecontexto@contato.ufsc.br

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[1] Correspondence: Maria Cecilia Toffoletto Calle Sazie, 2212, 6° piso Santiago, Chile E-mail: mtoffoletto@unab.cl