Stability, Predictors, and Sensitivity of Life Satisfaction Index Scores among Taiwanese Older Adults

The growing population of older adults in Taiwan makes the aging issue of increasing importance these years. How to assess the extent of satisfaction in later life among Taiwanese older adults becomes, therefore, critical. This research focuses on stability, predictors, and sensitivity of life satisfaction index (LSI) scores adopted in the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) across five waves of investigation. The LSI scores appear stable over the period of investigation. The key predictors of LSI scores include health, depressive symptoms and perception to financial situations. The LSI scores are also sensitive to changes in these predictors. The stability and sensitivity of the LSI scores suggest that this measure could be used to assess the degree of life satisfaction among senior Taiwanese. The research also shows that older adults in Taiwan are, overall, satisfied with their later lives. Those who pertain worse health, depressive symptoms and inferior financial situations become less satisfied with their lives. Older adults who experienced lower depressive symptoms over time become more satisfied with their lives. The results suggest three possible directions to improve life satisfaction among older adults in Taiwan - maintenance of health and financial security, as well as prevention of the risk of depressive symptoms.