Has life satisfaction in Norway increased over a 20-year period? Exploring age and gender differences in a prospective longitudinal study, HUNT

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the change in overall life satisfaction for different age groups and between genders over a 20-year period. Methods: Data from 1984 to 2008 were extracted from a large prospective longitudinal health study of Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT), Norway. The study included more than 176,000 participants ranging from 20 to 70+ years of age. Data were analysed using logistic regression and adjusted for gender. Results: The analyses revealed an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984–1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995–1997 (HUNT 2), with the highest levels being reached at 2006–2008 (HUNT 3). For all age groups, the data showed an increase of about 20% for the period from 1984–1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995–1997 (HUNT 2). From 1995–1997 (HUNT 2) to 2006–2008 (HUNT 3), the increase in overall life satisfaction was 16% for the younger age groups, and about 32% for the older age groups (40–69 and 70+ years). Women’s scores for overall life satisfaction were higher for nearly all age groups when compared to men using HUNT 3 as a reference. Conclusions: These findings suggest an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984 to 2008, especially for the older age group (40–69 and 70+ years). The data indicate that women score higher on life satisfaction for most age groups as compared to men.