Education and Subjective Well-Being among Older Vietnamese: Exploring Gender Differences

Abstract

Vietnam, like many developing countries, is facing a rapid aging population. Therefore, understanding factors that are important to wellbeing in old age has become a key public policy concern. Using data from 2011 Vietnam National Aging Survey, the goal of this study was to examine the association between level of education and the subjective well-being of elderly males and females in Vietnam based on two affective domains: happiness and loneliness (N=2,571). Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed level of education was associated with happiness and loneliness of the elderly but there were distinct gender differences. Higher education was positively associated with men’ s happiness, but not for women. Regarding loneliness, having university education is associated with a lower level of loneliness for both sexes. The study found those with higher education tended to be happier and less lonely. However, educational level had a stronger effect on males than females. Therefore, raising education level of the next generations is important in improving their subjective wellbeing during their old age.