BackgroundAmong older adults, life satisfaction (LS) correlates with health, mortality, and successful ageing. As various potential threats to LS tend to increase with advancing years, patterns of age-related changes in LS among older adults remain inconsistent. This study aimed to identify LS trajectories in older adults and the characteristics of individuals who experience them.MethodsLarge-scale, nationally representative, longitudinal data collected from 2005 to 2013 were analyzed for this study. The outcome measure was a summary of multidimensional domains influencing LS: health, finance, housing, neighbor relationships, and family relationships. Latent class growth models and logistic regression models were used to identify trajectory groups and their predictors, respectively.ResultsWithin 3517 individuals aged 65 or older, five trajectories were identified across eight follow-up years: “low-stable” (TG1; n = 282; 8%), “middle-stable” (TG2; n = 1146; 32.6%), “improving” (TG3; n = 75; 2.1%), “upper middle-stable” (TG4; n = 1653; 47%), and “high” (TG5; n = 361; 10.3%). High trajectory individuals more frequently had higher education, financial security, good physical health, and good mental health than those in the stable, but less satisfied, groups. Similarly, compared to the largest group (upper middle-stable trajectory), individuals in the low-stable or middle-stable trajectory group not only had poorer physical and mental health but were more likely to be living alone, financially stressed, and residing in urban locations. Individuals with improving trajectory were younger and in poorer mental health at baseline compared to the upper middle-stable trajectory group.ConclusionLife satisfaction in the older follows distinct trajectories. For older adults, trajectories are stable over time and predictable, in part, from individual characteristics. Knowledge of these patterns is important for effective policy and program development.

BackgroundAging raises wide-ranging issues within social, economic, welfare, and health care systems. Life satisfaction (LS) is regarded as an indicator of quality of life which, in turn, is associated with mortality and morbidity in older adults. The objective of this study was to identify the relevant predictors of life satisfaction and to investigate changes in a multidimensional construct of LS over time.MethodsThis analysis utilized data from the large-scale, nationally representative Korean Retirement and Income Study (KReIS), a longitudinal survey conducted biennially from 2005 to 2011. Outcome measures were degree of satisfaction with health, economic status, housing, neighbor relationships, and family relationships. GEE models were used to investigate changes in satisfaction within each of the five domains.ResultsOf a total 3531 individuals aged 65 or older, 2083 (59%) were women, and the mean age was 72 (s.d = ±6) years. The majority had a spouse (60.8%) and lived in a rural area (58%). Analysis showed that physical and mental health were consistently and significantly associated with satisfaction in each of the domains after adjusting for potential confounders. Living in a rural area and living with a spouse were related to satisfaction with economic, housing, family relationships, and neighbor relationships compared to living in urban areas and living without a spouse; the only outcome that did not show relationship to these predictors was health satisfaction. Female and rural residents reported greater economic satisfaction compared to male and urban residents. Living in an apartment was associated with 1.32 times greater odds of economic satisfaction compared to living in a detached house (95% CI: 1.14–1.53; p < 0.0001). Economic satisfaction was also 1.62 times more likely among individuals living with a spouse compared to single households (95% CI: 1.35–1.96; p < 0.0001). Financial stress index value was found to be a significant predictor of satisfaction with family relationships.ConclusionsOur study indicates that a single domain of LS or overall LS will miss many important aspects of LS as age-related LS is multi-faceted and complicated. While most studies focus on overall life satisfaction, considering life satisfaction as multidimensional is essential to gaining a complete picture.

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A child's mental health is an important element of his proper emotional development. Abuse of children by parents and peer groups are causes of depression and anxiety in children. These conditions become obstacles to their normal growth process which can be a contributing factor to juvenile delinquency. This study is based in the theoretical background of the relationship between abuse from parents and peer groups and children's emotional health. This information is analyzed through structural equation modeling.

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