Perceived Health and Life Satisfaction of Elderly People: Testing the Moderating Effects of Social Support, Attitudes Toward Aging, and Senior Privilege

As health declines with age, it is critical to explore moderators that could buffer the impact of declining health on life satisfaction of elderly people. This study aims to test the moderating effects of social support, attitudes toward aging, and senior privilege on the relationship between perceived health and life satisfaction among elderly people. The study used a sample of 5809 Chinese elderly people. Multiple regression analyses were performed to test the moderating effects of the study variables along with gender difference. The results show that social support and attitudes toward aging do not moderate the relationship between perceived health and life satisfaction; senior privilege however, amplifies the impact of perceived health on life satisfaction for female elderly people. The findings recommend personalized provision of senior privilege based on health status and types of diseases, rather than only based on age; and suggest tailored female-oriented social services such as psychological counseling and humanistic care.