Factors related to quality of life among middle-aged and older korean adults in 2006 and 2014: A nationally representative study

Predictors of subjective well-being in Korean men and women: Analysis of nationwide panel survey data

Subjective well-being has been associated with sociodemographic characteristics, health, and satisfaction with family life. There is evidence on gender difference in subjective well-being and differential relationships of predictors between men and women worldwide. However, little is known about the gender gaps in subjective well-being in Korean adults. Using nationwide panel survey data, this study aims to examine predictors of subjective well-being in the Korean population and to investigate if there is a difference in the impact of some predictors between men and women. Generalized estimating equations were used to measure the relationship between subjective well-being and explanatory variables, using individual-level data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) between 2017 and 2020. Model 1 investigated sociodemographic variables. Model 2 added three health-related variables (such as disability, chronic disease, and subjective health status) and satisfaction with family life. Additional models included a range of interaction terms. In the 2020 KOWEPS, 10,758 respondents rated their subjective well-being scores on the Cantril ladder. The mean score of all respondents was 6.74 (SD = 1.66). In the analysis of the pooled sample, subjective well-being was higher in women than in men (Models 1-2, p < .01). Among all variables examined, satisfaction with family life was the most important predictor of subjective well-being (β = 1.3625; p < .01). Education level and employment status had significant interaction effects with gender on subjective well-being. In particular, higher education was more important for women and stable employment was more important for men.

Social Activities and Health-Related Quality of Life in Rural Older Adults in South Korea: A 4-Year Longitudinal Analysis

During later life, inadequate social interactions may be associated with worse quality of life in older adults. Rural older adults are prone to developing unhealthy lifestyles related to social activities, which can lead to a poorer quality of life than that enjoyed by older adults living in urban areas. This study aimed to describe longitudinal changes in social activity participation and health-related quality of life among rural older adults, exploring potential associations with changes to in-person social activity over four years. We used prospective community-based cohort data from the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) collected between December 2011 and January 2016. The sample included 525 older adults who completed the measure of health-related quality of life. Our results showed a significant change in health-related quality of life according to changes in participation in meeting with friends. Even though an individual's participation in other social activities did not show significant differences in health-related quality of life, our findings imply that in-person social activities may be an important resource to encourage participation in physical activities and to develop other positive outcomes, such as a sense of belonging or satisfaction with later life, among rural older adults.