A Comparative Study on Life Satisfaction on the Disabled Elderly and the Disabled Middle Aged

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide a specific welfare service suitable for each generation by conducting a comparative analysis of the factors affecting the lives of the disabled.

Method/Statistical Analysis: This study analyzed the data of 2017 which is the 12th data of the Korea Welfare Panel conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. As related variables, gender, education level, household income, and work ability were selected as demographic factors, and the relationship with life satisfaction was identified through social support, depression, health status satisfaction, and family life satisfaction.

Findings: As a result of comparison of social support, depression, health status satisfaction, and overall life satisfaction by generation, the middle-aged turned out to perceive higher only in health satisfaction variable. And as a result of the factors that influence the overall life satisfaction of the middle-aged and the elderly, first, for the middle-aged, household income and working ability affect overall life satisfaction in the first model, which only used demographic variables. Social support, depression, health satisfaction, and family life satisfaction in the second model, which added four variables, all four variables were found to influence overall life satisfaction. For the elderly, the first model, which only included socio-demographic variables, showed that household income and working ability were overall life. In addition to the elderly, gender also affects overall life satisfaction. Social support, depression, health satisfaction, and family life satisfaction in the second model, which added four variables, all four variables, were found to affect overall life satisfaction, and gender and household income were still influential factors.

Improvements/Applications: Social support perception, depression, health satisfaction, and family life satisfaction turned out to have a great influence. An approach providing multi-dimensional resources encompassing individual, family, emotional and social factors is required.