Frailty, Socioeconomic Factors, and Life Satisfaction of the Elderly

Abstract

This paper investigates the factors affecting the life satisfaction of the elderly in an aging community. This study uses the data collected by the authors from a field study. The dataset contains biological, socioeconomic , physical health, and psychological information of senior residents aged 65 and over in a community in southern Taiwan. The empirical results from cross-sectional ordinal logistic regression indicate that frailty or age-related chronic diseases that impair the elders' physical function have a significant adverse impact on life satisfaction. Besides, the occurrence of a cerebral vascular accident that leads to claudication has a significant negative impact on elders' life satisfaction. Moreover, elders' perceived income sufficiency and social support correlate positively with life satisfaction. Economic or social welfare policies that improve the economic security of the elderly and public health policies that delay or prevent the development of frailty can upgrade the life satisfaction of the elderly.