Living Arrangement, Social Connectedness, and Life Satisfaction among Korean Older Adults with Physical Disabilities: The Results from the National Survey on Persons with Disabilities

Life satisfaction is an important indicator of quality of life. We examined the association between living arrangement and life satisfaction among older adults with physical disabilities and the mediating and moderating roles of social connectedness. We used data from the 2011 National Survey on Persons with Disabilities, South Korea, and analyzed a sub-sample of adults aged 65 and older with physical disabilities. We employed multivariate regression analyses to assess life satisfaction by living arrangement, taking into account social connectedness (social participation and quality of social relations) as well as background characteristics including the degree of independence in activities of daily living. Types of living arrangement included living with a spouse, living alone, and living with others. Among older adults with physical disabilities, individuals living alone and living with others reported poorer life satisfaction than those living with a spouse. The relationship between living arrangement and life satisfaction was explained away when quality of family and friend relations were added to the multivariate regression model. The influence of the quality of friend relations on life satisfaction was greater for those living alone, presenting the moderating role of living arrangement. Higher risks of life dissatisfaction among Korean older adults living alone with physical disabilities are of major concern. The results suggest that quality of social relations is an important modifiable factor for life satisfaction in this population. It would be crucial for policy makers and practitioners to recognize the needs for meaningful social connection by living arrangement among older adults with physical disabilities.