Factors influencing life happiness among elderly female in Rayong Province, Thailand.
OBJECTIVE
To study the factors influencing life happiness of elderly female in Rayong province, Thailand.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey research was conducted among 233 elderly female aged between 60-80 years using multi-stage random sampling. The data were collected from June 6th to July 31st 2008 by interviewing questionnaires. Data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient and Stepwise multiple regression analysis.


RESULTS
About half (50.2%) of the elderly female had moderate level of life happiness, followed by low level (27.1%) and high level (22.7%). The factors which significantly influenced the life happiness of the elderly female were self-esteem, social support, and family relationships (p < 0.05). In addition, self-esteem, social support, and family relationships could significantly predict life happiness of the elderly female by 91.4%. Self-esteem had the highest predictive power of life happiness among elderly female.


CONCLUSIONS
The important factors influencing life happiness of elderly female were self-esteem, social support, and family relationships. To promote life happiness of elderly female, responsible organizations should establish activities that enhance the elderly female's self-esteem, provide sufficient social support, and promote good family relationships.
Department of Family Health, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Sutham
S
Nanthamongkolchai
Chutigai
C
Tuntichaivanit
Chokchai
C
Munsawaengsub
Phitaya
P
Charupoonphol
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand