Abstract
The study examines the correlates of change in living arrangements and the association of such changes with subjective well-being among older adults by assessing a nationally representative survey in India. The study utilized the data from the ‘Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India’. The effective sample size for the analysis after removing missing cases and outliers was 9231 older adults. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis along with multivariate analysis were performed to find out the results. About 3.8% of older adults changed their living arrangements after turning 60 years old. Among them, 33.2% stated that the marriage of their children was the major reason for their change in living arrangement after turning old followed by the death of spouse/children (19.5%) and family conflict (14.3%). Older adults who changed living arrangements were 65% significantly more likely to report low subjective well-being than older adults who did not change their living arrangements after turning old [OR:1.65; CI: 1.26–2.16]. The study found a higher likelihood of transition in living arrangements of older adults who were more vulnerable. The change made in living arrangements in late life that is associated with low subjective well-being among older adults indicates a need for developing an appropriate home environment for older adults where they can find life satisfaction and self-esteem and live the rest of their life in happiness.
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Srivastava, S., Muhammad, T. In Pursuit of Happiness: Changes in Living Arrangement and Subjective Well-Being among Older Adults in India. Population Ageing 16, 459–475 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-021-09327-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-021-09327-5