[Sociodemographic and health factors explaining emotional wellbeing as a quality of life domain of older people in Madrid, Spain. 2005].
BACKGROUND
The study of the emotional state and personal coping resources has drawn an increasing interest in the Quality of Life (QoL) field. Diverse researches have demonstrated its contribution to satisfaction with life, and the interconnection with other life domains of great importance in ageing, as health is. The aim of this work is to analyze the relationships of emotional wellbeing (in terms of affects and coping resources) with sociodemographic and health factors.


METHODS
A survey on QoL among older people living in family housing of Madrid province (CadeViMa-2005) was used. Multivariate analyses were applied for generating an indicator of emotional wellbeing which integrated positive and negative affects, as well as personal coping resources. A logistic regression model was created to explain a positive emotional wellbeing, according to sociodemographic and health characteristics.


RESULTS
People without anxiety or depression problems were around three times more likely to evaluate their emotional wellbeing positively than those who had problems. Older adults whose health was better than in the previous 12 months, seemed to be five times more likely to report a high emotional wellbeing, compared to those who experienced a health decline. Individuals with a very good perceived health status were 26 times more likely of having a high emotional wellbeing than people with a negative health perception. Those with middle and upper social class were three times more likely to experience a positive emotional wellbeing than those belonging to a low social class.


CONCLUSIONS
Health greatly influences emotional wellbeing with a relevant role of the subjective experience of health, together with social class as an indicator of educational level and socioeconomic status.
Prieto-Flores
María Eugenia
ME
Instituto de Economía, Geografía y Demografía (IEGD), Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales (CCHS), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. mprieto@ieg.csic.es
Fernández-Mayoralas
Gloria
G
Rojo-Pérez
Fermina
F
Lardiés-Bosque
Raúl
R
Rodríguez-Rodríguez
Vicente
V
Ahmed-Mohamed
Karim
K
Rojo-Abuín
José Manuel
JM
D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health