Social Relationships and Health as Predictors of Life Satisfaction in Advanced Old Age: Results from a Swedish Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between family and friend social support, health, and life satisfaction for a single cohort of eighty-year-old persons living in Lund, Sweden. Results indicate that participants who remained in the study are healthier and score higher on life satisfaction when compared with those who either drop-out or die prior to age eighty-three. Even though well-integrated with family and friends, the number of friends decreases significantly from eighty to eighty-three years; those who reported no close friends nearly doubled from eighty to eighty-three years. However, for those with close friends, contact with friends increases with age. In contrast to previous research, a correlational analysis indicates that neither child nor friend support is related to life satisfaction at either eighty or eighty-three years. However, health measures and satisfaction with sibling contact are related to total life satisfaction at age eighty-three only. These findings indicate the multidimensionality of both social support and life satisfaction for the old-old.

Personal Factors Predictive of Health-Related Lifestyles of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…In general, after the stepwise selection of the previous two predominant personal health factors, the demographic variables appeared to be less accountable for the variance of lifestyle behaviors (see b coefficients in Table 3), yet the levels of their predictive strength were still statistically significant. Although findings of population-based studies on various health outcomes (e.g., functional independence, life satisfaction, quality of life) have generally favored married older men and women (de Belvis et al, 2008;McCamish-Svensson, Samuelsson, Hagberg, Svensson, & Dehlin, 1999), our results did not suggest the effect of marital status on the outcomes of the lifestyle measure. Interestingly, as distinguished by Pender (1996) in her Health Promotion Model, personal psychocognitive factors, such as selfperception of health and self-efficacy, may have more direct influence on the pattern and frequency of healthpromoting behaviors, whereas personal demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, race, and marital status, are considered modifying factors that have indirect effects on health behaviors.…”

The Relationship between Social Support and Subjective Well-Being across the Lifespan

“…Walen & Lachman, 2000), or quality of contact with adult children (Pinquart & Sörensen, 2000). How-ever, in some research social support (i.e., contact frequency and mutual support) from friends was found to be more important than family support for enhancing well-being of the elderly (Li, Ji, & Chen, 2014), while in other research either family or friends' support was unrelated to their well-being (McCamish-Svensson et al, 1999).…”

“…However, there are studies showing negative effects, i.e. increased depression or negative affect (Lakey, Orehek, Hain, & VanVleet, 2010;Lee, Netzer, & Coward, 1995) or no effect of social support on life satisfaction (McCamish-Svensson, Samuelsson, Hagberg, Svensson, & Dehlin, 1999).…”

Aspectos estruturais e funcionais do apoio social de idosos do Município de São Paulo, Brasil

“…Especialmente em idosos, numerosos estudos verificaram que o apoio social foi consistentemente associado com a mortalidade 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 , com algumas medidas de saúde, tais como capacidade funcional, incontinência urinária, autoavaliação de saúde e problemas visuais 10 , com sintomas depressivos 11,12 , assim como com escores de auto-avaliação de satisfação com a vida 13,14 , de estado de ânimo 10 e de auto-estima 15 .…”