Current life engagement factors as a predictor of elder life satisfaction

Abstract

This thesis examined life satisfaction among an elder population. The purpose was to determine what aspects of life engagement in an elder person's life were most predictive of high levels of life satisfaction. The life engagement factors examined were familial social support, social support from friends, health, and meaningful daily activities. The first hypothesis was that each of these measures of life engagement were expected to contribute to the experience of lite satisfaction. The second hypothesis was that friend and familial support would be the most significant predictor of life satisfaction. The study was conducted at an apartment complex for independent senior citizens. Each participant completed the Life Satisfaction in the Elderly Scale (LSES), which gives a total score and is divided into eight subscales (Conte & Salamon, 1984). This was used as the dependent variable. A short researcher developed survey called the Current Life Engagement Scale (CLES), which consists of four subscales, was used as the independent variable. Data for analysis included the total LSES score and scores on the engagement subscales of familial support, support from friends, meaningful daily activities, and health and independence. Results were analyzed using the enter method for multiple regression. Pearson correlations were also explored to assess the extent to which the LSES subscales were related to the CLES scores. The findings showed that life engagement was a significant predictor of elders' satisfaction. However, only three of the four life engagement factors were found to contribute to life satisfaction for elders. In addition, the hypothesis that social support would be the most significant predictor of life satisfaction was not supported. The social support from family contributed to the regression, but not significantly. In fact, it was the other two subscales, meaningful daily activities and health and independence, which were significant predictors of life satisfaction. Hopefully by understanding the most important factors in elders' experience of life satisfaction we can upgrade the services and programs that are already in the community to serve seniors more effectively. With the aging population, it is important to explore this information in the hopes of bettering our futures.