title: Self-reported sensory impairment and life satisfaction in older French-speaking adults.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of sensory impairments to life satisfaction in the elderly. A secondary data analysis was conducted with 826 older French-speaking participants in a larger study. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to determine the role played by 4 sets of variables in life satisfaction. The demographic variables included age, sex, education, and income. The health variables included number of chronic illnesses, functional limitations, and story recall. There were 4 lifestyle variables: social support, social activity, physical activity, and perceived control. The sensory impairment variables included vision and hearing. The final model explained 36% of the variance. All variables except story recall and physical activity were found to be significant. Although health explained a larger percentage of the variance, the sensory impairment variables contributed significantly to the model. The findings indicate that vision and hearing are important components of life satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Ecole de psychologie, Université de Monctón, New Brunswick, Canada. paul-emile.bourque@umoncton.ca
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Léger
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pushkar
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Béland
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009509:New Brunswick; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors