3rd European Conference on Positive Psychology, Braga, 4 July 2006 Some Predictors of Life Satisfaction in Older Men and Women in Western Croatia Marlena

3rd European Conference on Positive Psychology, Braga, 4 July 2006

Some Predictors of Life Some Predictors of Life Satisfaction in Older Men and Satisfaction in Older Men and

Women in Western CroatiaWomen in Western Croatia

Marlena PlavšićMarlena PlavšićAssociation of Psychologists of Istria Association of Psychologists of Istria

Neala Ambrosi-RandićNeala Ambrosi-RandićFaculty of Philosophy, Pula, Univ. of Faculty of Philosophy, Pula, Univ. of

RijekaRijeka


Demographic pictureDemographic picture – – older than 60older than 60

11,8 12

17,6 17,4

21,5 21,7

0

5

10

15

20

25

%

1961 1991 2001

years

Croatia Western Croatia


Life satisfaction and Life satisfaction and elderlyelderly

life satisfaction - critical dimension, life satisfaction - critical dimension, directly directly attributableattributable to elderly to elderly’’s quality of lifes quality of life

life satisfaction life satisfaction -- concerned with the concerned with the experience experience of life of life rather than the conditions of liferather than the conditions of life


Life satisfaction and Life satisfaction and elderlyelderly

positive levels of life satisfaction positive levels of life satisfaction -- normative normative throughout the worldthroughout the world ((exceptionexception:: severely severely economically disadvantaged economically disadvantaged communities)communities)

little or no support little or no support is found for is found for gender gender differencesdifferences in satisfaction with life in satisfaction with life


Study in CroatiaStudy in Croatia(Plavšić and Ambrosi-Randić, (Plavšić and Ambrosi-Randić,

2005)2005) majority of elderly report majority of elderly report high high

satisfactionsatisfaction with their overall with their overall lives and important specific lives and important specific domains such as family, domains such as family, friends, living environment, friends, living environment, self and job self and job

no gender differencesno gender differences were were found found

however, the results revealed however, the results revealed numerous numerous gender differences gender differences in other groups of variablesin other groups of variables


Purpose of the studyPurpose of the study

to investigate whether:to investigate whether:

socio-demographicsocio-demographic problems relatedproblems related health related andhealth related and activity related variablesactivity related variables

predict satisfaction with life predict satisfaction with life inin men and men and womenwomen


Sample Sample

452 subjects 452 subjects random sample (from random sample (from

the elections’ lists)the elections’ lists) 60-90 years old 60-90 years old

(M=70.7)(M=70.7) from from WWestern Croatia estern Croatia

(Istrian county)(Istrian county) from 12 communities from 12 communities

grouped in 3 sizes: grouped in 3 sizes: smaller, medium, smaller, medium, largelarge 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

60-69 70-79 80-90

menwomen


Measures Measures

aa modified version of the modified version of the Questionnaire on needs and quality of Questionnaire on needs and quality of life life developed by developed by TakšićTakšić and and SpitekSpitek

aa modified version of modified version of Life satisfaction Life satisfaction scalescale constructed by Huebner, Drane constructed by Huebner, Drane and Valois (5 -point responses: from and Valois (5 -point responses: from completely satisfied to completely completely satisfied to completely dissatisfied)dissatisfied)


ProcedureProcedure

this is a part of a larger survey this is a part of a larger survey studying needs and quality of life of studying needs and quality of life of elderly in Western Croatia elderly in Western Croatia

it took part from Nov 2004 - Jan it took part from Nov 2004 - Jan 2005 2005

individual administration of individual administration of questionnaires questionnaires


Groups of variables – Groups of variables – predictors to life predictors to life

satisfactionsatisfaction

socio-demographic socio-demographic (marital, (marital, educational, material status, social educational, material status, social contacts)contacts)

problemsproblems health-related health-related (health status, presence (health status, presence

of illnesses)of illnesses) activity-related activity-related (home-, culture, sport- (home-, culture, sport-

related activities)related activities)


Marital statusMarital status

marriedmarried divorceddivorced never marriednever married widowed widowed


Educational background Educational background

uncompleted uncompleted elementary schoolelementary school

completed completed elementary schoolelementary school

completed high completed high schoolschool

completed collegecompleted college


Self-estimated material Self-estimated material status – compared with status – compared with

peerspeers

better than better than others’others’

similar to similar to others’others’

worse than worse than others’ others’


Social relationshipsSocial relationships(frequency and quality)(frequency and quality)

with:with: the spousethe spouse children and children and

grandchildrengrandchildren siblings and relativessiblings and relatives friendsfriends neighboursneighbours colleaguescolleagues parentsparents


ProblemsProblems

moneymoney healthhealth lonelinessloneliness fear of ageingfear of ageing medical/health medical/health

servicesservices boredom boredom repairing toolsrepairing tools public transportpublic transport

helplessnesshelplessness housekeeping housekeeping food supplyfood supply environmental environmental

maintenancemaintenance living conditionsliving conditions family relationshipsfamily relationships personal hygiene personal hygiene


Health-related variables Health-related variables

Self-evaluated health Self-evaluated health status:status:

rather healthyrather healthy neither healthy, nor illneither healthy, nor ill sicklysickly suffering of suffering of oonnee/more /more

illness(es)illness(es)

Self-evaluated presence Self-evaluated presence of: of:

cardiac insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency, high prehigh presssuresure

pulmonary problems pulmonary problems endocrine problems endocrine problems rheumatic diseaserheumatic disease loss of visual ability loss of visual ability digestive diseasesdigestive diseases allergiesallergies loss of auditory acuity loss of auditory acuity cancercancer neurotic and mental neurotic and mental

illnessillness


Activities – composite of:Activities – composite of:

watching TVwatching TV housekeeping housekeeping listening to radio listening to radio reading reading walking walking time with time with

grandchildren grandchildren gardening gardening taking care of taking care of

domestic animalsdomestic animals fixing, repairing fixing, repairing

going to church going to church solving crosswords solving crosswords handicrafts handicrafts chess, cards chess, cards sports/recreation sports/recreation club activitiesclub activities taking care of parentstaking care of parents cultural eventscultural events computers computers


For For bothboth - men and women - men and women life satisfaction life satisfaction

positivelypositively correlates correlates with:with:

activitiesactivities social relationshipssocial relationships material statusmaterial status educational educational

backgroundbackground illnessillness

negativelynegatively correlatecorrelatess with: with:

problemsproblems marital statusmarital status


Results of multiple regressionResults of multiple regressionsignificant predictorssignificant predictors for life for life

satisfactionsatisfaction

FForor menmen less problemsless problems more social more social

relationshipsrelationships more activitiesmore activities lower educationlower education better evaluated better evaluated

healthhealth more illnessesmore illnesses

FForor womenwomen: : less problemsless problems more more social social

relationshipsrelationships


Results of regression Results of regression analyses of life satisfaction analyses of life satisfaction

for for womenwomen (n = 158)(n = 158)

problems20%

social relationships

6%

other10%

not explained64%


Results of regression Results of regression analyses of life satisfaction analyses of life satisfaction

for for menmen (n =(n = 131)131)

other2%

education4%

health6%

soc. relationships

5%

activity8%

problems13%

not explained

58%

illness4%


ConclusionConclusion

Although older men and Although older men and women expressed women expressed the the

same high levels of life same high levels of life satisfactionsatisfaction, these high , these high

scores may be scores may be explainable, as least explainable, as least

partly, with partly, with different different variables reflecting variables reflecting men and women’s men and women’s

different gender life different gender life stylesstyles


AppendicesAppendices


Means and standard Means and standard deviations of all measuresdeviations of all measures

VariablesVariables MenMen WomenWomen

MM SDSD MM SDSD

Life satisfactionLife satisfaction 20.1220.12 2.982.98 20.2420.24 3.323.32

Marital statusMarital status 22.18.18 0.380.38 2.472.47 0.500.50

Material statusMaterial status 1.91.988 0.560.56 1.871.87 0.560.56

Educational Educational backgroundbackground

2.72.733 0.980.98 22.19.19 0.980.98

Social relationshipsSocial relationships 1313.95.95 3.03.055 112.652.65 3.343.34

ActivitiesActivities 36.8536.85 5.805.80 35.7135.71 4.794.79

ProblemsProblems 8.308.30 77.31.31 10.0910.09 8.8.2266

HealthHealth 14.9814.98 1.981.98 2.22.244 1.01.022

Illnesses Illnesses 17.8417.84 11.31.31 17.17.4477 1.431.43


CorrelationCorrelationss between all measures between all measures

for for womenwomen (n = 158) and (n = 158) and menmen (n =(n = 131)131)

SatiSatiss

ActivActiv ProbProbll

SocSoc MarMaritit

MateMaterr

EduEducc

HealHeal IllnIlln

SatisSatis -- .43.43 -.55-.55 .47.47 -.26-.26 .32.32 .23.23 -.34-.34 .39.39

ActivActiv .22.22 -- -.36-.36 .42.42 -.04-.04 .27.27 .49.49 -.45-.45 .32.32

ProblProbl -.58-.58 -.19-.19 -- -.42-.42 .36.36 -.41-.41 -.33-.33 .69.69 -.56-.56

SocSoc .34.34 .37.37 -.27-.27 -- -.57-.57 .29.29 .39.39 -.27-.27 .22.22

MaritMarit -.13-.13 -.25-.25 .14.14 -.65-.65 -- -.13-.13 -.22-.22 .16.16 -.17-.17

MaterMater .27.27 -.26-.26 .24.24 .24.24 -.22-.22 -- .48.48 -.31-.31 .25.25

EducEduc .17.17 -.27-.27 -.27-.27 .27.27 -.31-.31 .25.25 -- -.23-.23 .25.25

HealtHealthh

-.33-.33 .46.46 .46.46 -.20-.20 .09.09 -.11-.11 -.12-.12 -- -.64-.64

IllnesIllnesss

.27.27 -.41-.41 -.41-.41 .23.23 -.22-.22 .08.08 .20.20 -.60-.60 --


Correlations between socio-Correlations between socio-demographic, activity demographic, activity related, health related related, health related

variables and life variables and life satisfactionsatisfactionVariablesVariables Life Life

satisfaction satisfaction MenMen

Life Life satisfaction satisfaction

WomenWomen

Marital statusMarital status -0.26-0.26 -0.13-0.13

Material statusMaterial status 0.320.32 0.270.27

Educational Educational backgroundbackground

0.230.23 0.170.17

Social relationshipsSocial relationships 0.470.47 0.340.34

ActivitiesActivities 0.430.43 0.220.22

ProblemsProblems -0.55-0.55 -0.58-0.58

HealthHealth -0.34-0.34 -0.33-0.33

Illnesses Illnesses 0.390.39 0.270.27


Multiple linear regression Multiple linear regression analysis of life satisfaction analysis of life satisfaction

for for womenwomenVariablesVariables ββ tt pp

ProblemsProblems -0.48-0.48 -6.22-6.22 0.0010.001

Social Social relationshrelationshipsips

0.270.27 3.013.01 0.0030.003

R = 0.63 RR = 0.63 R22 = 0.40 = 0.40

F F (8, 149)(8, 149) = 12.47 p<0.001 = 12.47 p<0.001


Multiple linear regression Multiple linear regression analysis of life satisfaction analysis of life satisfaction

for for menmenVariablesVariables ββ tt pp

ProblemsProblems -0.45-0.45 -4.23-4.23 0.0010.001

Social Social relat.relat.

0.270.27 3.013.01 0.0030.003

ActivitiesActivities 0.250.25 2.602.60 0.010.01

EducationEducation -0.20-0.20 -2.27-2.27 0.020.02

HealthHealth 0.290.29 2.622.62 0.010.01

IllnessIllness 0.190.19 2.172.17 0.030.03

R = 0.68 RR = 0.68 R22 = 0.46 = 0.46

F F (8, 122)(8, 122) = 12.85 p<0.001 = 12.85 p<0.001

Documents

3rd European Conference on Positive Psychology, Braga, 4 July 2006 Some Predictors of Life Satisfaction in Older Men and Women in Western Croatia Marlena