Life Satisfaction of the Elderly in Kerala – A Longitudinal Analysis

The unprecedented upsurge in human longevity in the 20th century has increased the number of older persons all over the world, which in turn resulted in the phenomenon of population ageing, a direct outcome of demographic transition. Within the context of India, the process of ageing is more widely apparent in the South than the northern States. In the case of Kerala, one out of 10 persons was elderly and this proportion is projected to become one out of four by the middle of this century.
This paper focuses on the effect of life satisfaction on health of the elderly in Kerala. The study is based on longitudinal studies on elderly in Kerala conducted by Centre for Development Studies. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed and finally multivariate logistic regression was carried out for the statistical inference. Findings suggest that well-being is higher among males, among Muslims, those living with family, having good health, having no disability and having good IADL. Objective health has no positive effect on the life satisfaction of the elderly, but subjective health has significant effect.