Health Status and Quality of Life of Older People in Selected European Countries: The Results of Latent Class Analysis

Anita Abramowska-Kmon , SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Martin Piotrowski, University of Oklahoma

There is a strong relationship between health status and subjective quality of life. Thus, to analyze subjective quality of life of older people, its different dimensions (health, subjective well-being, happiness, depression and loneliness) should be taken into account simultaneously. The aim of our analysis is to determine the factors associated with subjective quality of life of the population aged 65 and older, taking into account different measures of health status and subjective well-being. This goal will be realized in two steps. First, by defining homogenous sub-populations of older people based on their health status and subjective quality of life. Second, by determining factors related to the membership within a selected/ specific group. For this purpose we used Latent Class Analysis and multinomial logistic regression models and data from the 6th wave of SHARE data for 17 European countries (limited to people 65+). We obtained four classes of older people: Class 1 contains individuals with both the best subjective well-being and physical health outcomes, Class 4 is the mirror image of Class 1, reporting the worst subjective well-being and physical health values, Class 2 is intermediate between Classes 1 and 4 on subjective well-being/physical health, while Class 3 is closer to Class 4 in terms of physical limitations but had better subjective-wellbeing outcomes that in some cases were even better than that of Class 2. The results of regression modelling are with line with those received in the analyses of determinants of subjective well-being and health status among older adults.

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 Presented in Session 49. Health and Quality of Life of Older People