Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: evidence from the Wisconsin longitudinal study

Andrew Clark and Tom Lee

CEP Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Performance, LSE

Abstract: We here use data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) to provide one of the first analyses of the distal (early-life) and proximal (later-life) correlates of older-life subjective well-being. Unusually, we have two distinct measures of the latter: happiness and eudaimonia. Even after controlling for proximal covariates, outcomes at age 18 (IQ score, parental income and parental education) remain good predictors of well-being over 50 years later. In terms of the proximal covariates, mental health and social participation are the strongest predictors of both measures of well-being in older age. However, there are notable differences in the other correlates of happiness and eudaimonia. As such, well-being policy will depend to an extent on which measure is preferred.

Keywords: life-course; well-being; eudaimonia; health; happiness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I31 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-11-15
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-hap and nep-ltv
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/dp1512.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2021)
Working Paper: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2021)
Working Paper: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2021)
Working Paper: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2017)
Working Paper: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2017)
Working Paper: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2017)
Working Paper: Early-life correlates of later-life well-being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2017)
Working Paper: Early-Life Correlates of Later-Life Well-Being: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (2017)
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