The Contribution of Resistance Resources and Sense of Coherence to Life Satisfaction in Older Age

Ulrich Wiesmann () and Hans-Joachim Hannich

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2013, vol. 14, issue 3, 928 pages

Abstract: We investigate how the sense of coherence and resistance resources explain two aspects of life satisfaction, general life satisfaction and satisfaction with health in older age. For the first time, we tested the mediating role of the sense of coherence. In our questionnaire study, 387 older persons at the mean age of 73.8 years volunteered. In addition to the sense of coherence and life satisfaction measures, we assessed selected resistance resources representing relevant socio-demographic, functional health, social network, everyday competence, and psychological factors. We found that (a) resistance resources and the sense of coherence significantly predicted life satisfaction, (b) the sense of coherence was a mediator of the relationship between resistance resources and life satisfaction, and (c) the predicted effects did not differ for general life satisfaction and satisfaction with health. The sense of coherence as well as resources such as physical health, everyday competence, social support, and self-esteem are important antecedents of life satisfaction. Moreover, the sense of coherence represents a superordinate concept as it pools resistance influences on life satisfaction. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Keywords: Sense of coherence; Resilience; Life satisfaction; Successful aging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10902-012-9361-3

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