Life Satisfaction Trajectories and Associated Factors in Middle-Aged and Older Mexican Adults

Background

Given the importance of understanding psychosocial well-being as part of aging characteristics and processes, the present study aimed to describe life satisfaction among middle-aged and older adults in Mexico, according to sociodemographic, economic, psychosocial, and health factors.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), a longitudinal, nationally representative survey of adults aged 50 years and older. Data from the 2012, 2015, and 2018 waves were analyzed for this study. Life satisfaction in the MHAS is assessed using the Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). For the construction of the trajectories over six years of follow-up, quartiles of the scale were calculated for each wave. Multinomial regression models were then estimated to determine significant factors associated with each trajectory.

Results

A total of 8,376 individuals aged 50 years and older met our study criteria for complete data in the three follow-up waves. Four life satisfaction trajectories were identified over six years of follow-up: high-constant, high-low, low-high, and low-constant. Subjective or psychosocial characteristics such as depressive symptoms, self-reported health, and functional ability were highly significant factors associated with life satisfaction trajectories, while multimorbidity was not significant.

Conclusions

This research contributes to the understanding of psychosocial well-being in Mexican older adults by exploring life satisfaction trajectories and their associated factors. The study shows that psychosocial and economic factors, along with functional abilities, have a much greater impact on life satisfaction, beyond the presence of comorbidity.