![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Schedule:
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
* noted as presenting author
Background and purpose
Housing matters for the quality of life of older adults. Previous studies have reported that housing is a strong indicator of older adults' life satisfaction. Another issue is that most studies have used a life satisfaction scale as a summated score. While the summated score is a conventional way using the life satisfaction scale, this study aims to examine how differently three aspects (income, health, and relationship) of life satisfaction have changed during the study period (from 2005 to 2015). The final research question of this study is to examine the extent to which homeownership influences the different paths of life satisfaction in terms of income health, and relationship in South Korea.
Methods
The study sample comes from the Panel Data of Income Security of Older Adults collected by the National Pension Research Center in Korea. The study used a 6 wave panel data which was collected every two year since 2005. The sample size is 1,650 older adults aged 65 or above. An independent variable is homeownership. Dependent variables are indicators of a life satisfaction scale: Satisfaction of income, satisfaction of health, and satisfaction with relationship. We used latent growth curve modeling to examine the different paths of the three aspects of life satisfaction during the study period. In addition, the final research model examines the extent to which homeownership influences the initial level and changes in the life satisfaction indicators.
Results
Key findings are summarized as follows: First, the three aspects of life satisfaction among older adults show very interesting patterns. While life satisfaction with income have increased steadily during the study period, life satisfaction with relationship has decreased slowly and steadily. Health satisfaction has increased up to the wave 4 (year 2011) but decreased steadily to the wave 6 (year 2015). Second, we ran three latent growth curve modeling for income, health, and relationship satisfaction indicators. We found that while homeownership is statistically related to intercept and changes of income and relationship satisfaction, homeownership is not statistically associated with health satisfaction of older adults.
Conclusion and implications
Compared to previous studies, this study has focused on the specific aspects of life satisfaction by looking into income security, health, and relationship. One of main findings is that we need to examine different paths of life satisfaction indicators of older adults rather than using a summated score of life satisfaction scale. The study's findings support that homeownership can influence life satisfaction of older adults in Korea. However, the study does not support that older adults with their own home are going to be satisfied with their health. Homeownershis is very important for making aging in place possible. This study concludes with a strong policy implication that older adults aging in their home are much happier and then policy makers need to develop homeownership enhancement program for older adults without their own home.
Housing matters for the quality of life of older adults. Previous studies have reported that housing is a strong indicator of older adults' life satisfaction. Another issue is that most studies have used a life satisfaction scale as a summated score. While the summated score is a conventional way using the life satisfaction scale, this study aims to examine how differently three aspects (income, health, and relationship) of life satisfaction have changed during the study period (from 2005 to 2015). The final research question of this study is to examine the extent to which homeownership influences the different paths of life satisfaction in terms of income health, and relationship in South Korea.
Methods
The study sample comes from the Panel Data of Income Security of Older Adults collected by the National Pension Research Center in Korea. The study used a 6 wave panel data which was collected every two year since 2005. The sample size is 1,650 older adults aged 65 or above. An independent variable is homeownership. Dependent variables are indicators of a life satisfaction scale: Satisfaction of income, satisfaction of health, and satisfaction with relationship. We used latent growth curve modeling to examine the different paths of the three aspects of life satisfaction during the study period. In addition, the final research model examines the extent to which homeownership influences the initial level and changes in the life satisfaction indicators.
Results
Key findings are summarized as follows: First, the three aspects of life satisfaction among older adults show very interesting patterns. While life satisfaction with income have increased steadily during the study period, life satisfaction with relationship has decreased slowly and steadily. Health satisfaction has increased up to the wave 4 (year 2011) but decreased steadily to the wave 6 (year 2015). Second, we ran three latent growth curve modeling for income, health, and relationship satisfaction indicators. We found that while homeownership is statistically related to intercept and changes of income and relationship satisfaction, homeownership is not statistically associated with health satisfaction of older adults.
Conclusion and implications
Compared to previous studies, this study has focused on the specific aspects of life satisfaction by looking into income security, health, and relationship. One of main findings is that we need to examine different paths of life satisfaction indicators of older adults rather than using a summated score of life satisfaction scale. The study's findings support that homeownership can influence life satisfaction of older adults in Korea. However, the study does not support that older adults with their own home are going to be satisfied with their health. Homeownershis is very important for making aging in place possible. This study concludes with a strong policy implication that older adults aging in their home are much happier and then policy makers need to develop homeownership enhancement program for older adults without their own home.