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Correlates of Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged and Older Black Adults

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Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

This study examines satisfaction across life domains (condition of the home, city of residence, daily life/leisure, family life, current financial situation, total household income, health, and life as a whole) among Black adults. The study also explores the association between satisfaction in each life domain and sociodemographic, personality, and mental/physical health measures.

Methods

A community-dwelling sample of Black adults (n = 93, age range = 55–80) residing in the Tampa, FL area, completed a life satisfaction scale and measures of sociodemographic factors, personality, and mental/physical health between October 2014 and June 2016.

Results

Better life satisfaction was observed in the oldest-old (80+) compared with the middle-aged (55–64; p < .05). Less education, less financial strain, lower depressive symptoms, and better self-rated physical health were associated with higher satisfaction although the pattern of results varied by domain.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the evaluation of life satisfaction domains may be a useful approach for identifying specific individual needs, which may inform age-friendly community initiatives.

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Data can be made available upon request.

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Funding

This research was supported by Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute Small Grants Program (BRD215).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, 115 Health & Human Development Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Alyssa A. Gamaldo, Shyuan Ching Tan, Lauren A. Gerlin, Terrance B. Knox, Dominique Prawl & Katherine S. Argueta Portillo

  2. School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Alyssa A. Gamaldo & Ross Andel

  3. School of Health and Applied Human Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, USA

    Angie L. Sardina

  4. Psychology Department, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Lesley A. Ross

  5. International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic

    Ross Andel

Authors
  1. Alyssa A. Gamaldo
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  2. Angie L. Sardina
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  3. Shyuan Ching Tan
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  4. Lesley A. Ross
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  5. Lauren A. Gerlin
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  7. Dominique Prawl
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  8. Katherine S. Argueta Portillo
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  9. Ross Andel
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Contributions

Alyssa Gamaldo (assistant professor), Angie Sardina (assistant professor), Shyuan Ching Tan (graduate student), Lesley Ross (associate professor), Lauren Gerlin (undergraduate student), Terrence Knox (undergraduate student), Dominique Prawl (undergraduate student), Katherine Argueta Portillo (undergraduate student), and Ross Andel (professor) are interested in identifying factors associated with physical/cognitive functioning with age.

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Correspondence to Alyssa A. Gamaldo.

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Gamaldo, A.A., Sardina, A.L., Tan, S.C. et al. Correlates of Life Satisfaction Among Middle-Aged and Older Black Adults. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 8, 1249–1259 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00884-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00884-7

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