An Analysis on the Life Satisfaction of the Chinese Elderly

Abstract

Utilizing China’s national survey on the elderly population in 2016, this study examines the perceptions on life satisfaction of the Chinese elderly. Supported by theoretical perspectives, this study is to test the hypothesis that life satisfaction of the Chinese elderly is associated with their 1) demographic characteristics, 2) economic characteristics, 3) social characteristics, 4) social resources, and 5) psychological well-being, by controlling for eight out of twenty-two variables involved in the total analysis. Given the levels of measurement of the variables under study and the purpose of the research hypothesis, the statistical methods applied in this analysis included Chi-square significant test, Pearson correlation, both Zero and first-order table cross-tabulations, and Multiple Linear Regression. Measures of strength such as Cramer’s V and Kendall’s Tau-b and Tau-c were also included. The results, by and large, show robust support to the underlying hypothesis.