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Determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in subjective well-being in later life: a cross-country comparison in England and the USA

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Abstract

Purpose

To explore country-specific influences on the determinants of two forms of subjective well-being (life satisfaction and quality of life) among older adults in England and the USA.

Methods

Harmonised data from two nationally representative panel studies of individuals aged 50 and over, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), are used. Linear regression models are fitted separately for life satisfaction and quality of life scales using cross-sectional samples in 2004. The ELSA sample was 6,733, and the HRS sample was 2,300. Standardised coefficients are reported to determine the country-specific importance of explanatory variables, and predicted values are shown to highlight the relative importance of statistically significant country-level interaction effects.

Results

Having a disability, been diagnosed with a chronic conditions or having low household wealth are strongly associated with poorer life satisfaction and quality of life. These statistical effects are consistent in England and the USA. The association of years spent in education, however, varied between the two countries: educational inequalities have a greater adverse effect on subjective well-being in the USA compared with England.

Conclusion

Interventions are required to counterbalance health and socioeconomic inequalities that restrict sections of the population from enjoying satisfying and meaningful lives in older age. The differential association between education and well-being in England and the USA suggests that the provision of welfare benefits and state-funded public services in England may go some way to protect against the subsequent adverse effect of lower socioeconomic status on subjective well-being.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funding for the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which is provided by the National Institute of Aging (grants 2RO1AG7664-01A1 and 2RO1AG017644) and a consortium of UK government departments coordinated by the Office for National Statistics.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AE, UK

    Stephen Jivraj

  2. Sociology and the Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research, University of Manchester, Humanities Bridgeford Street Building, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    James Nazroo

Authors
  1. Stephen Jivraj
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  2. James Nazroo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen Jivraj.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Table 2 Quality of life OLS model results, ELSA
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Table 3 Life satisfaction OLS model results, ELSA
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Table 4 Quality of life OLS model results, HRS
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Table 5 Life satisfaction OLS model results, HRS
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Table 6 Quality of life pooled OLS model summary
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Table 7 Life satisfaction pooled OLS model summary
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Jivraj, S., Nazroo, J. Determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in subjective well-being in later life: a cross-country comparison in England and the USA. Qual Life Res 23, 2545–2558 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0694-8

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