Your Health, My Happiness: Optimism and Socioeconomic Status as Moderators between Spousal Health and Life Satisfaction among the Elderly

摘要

This study aims to investigate the relationship between spousal health and life satisfaction among the elderly as well as the boundary conditions of this relationship. We use a subsample (N = 3532) from the 2011-2012 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). The results show that spousal health is positively related to an individual’s life satisfaction. This relationship is stronger when one is pessimistic than when he or she is optimistic. In addition, there is a three-way interaction between elderly people’s socioeconomic status (SES), their optimism, and their spouse’s health so that when optimism is low rather than high, the moderating effect of SES on the relationship between spousal health and life satisfaction is stronger. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.