Health Factors Affecting Current Life Satisfaction of Older People with Disabilities Living Alone : Comparison with those Living with their Spouse

Objective: This study aimed to examine the health factors affecting the current life satisfaction of older adults with disabilities living in single-person households. Methods: Health factors included physical, mental, and social factors, as suggested by the World Health Organization. This study used data from the 2020 Survey on the Status of Persons with Disabilities. This study focused only on older people with disabilities who lived alone or with their spouse. The total number of people with disabilities was 2,483. IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 program was used to analyze the health factors by conducting a descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and logistic regression. Results: The subjective health status of older adults with disabilities living in single-person households was lower than that of older adults living with their spouse (p < 0.05), and their experience of depressive symptoms (p < 0.05) and loneliness was higher (p < 0.05). In addition, cultural activities and current life satisfaction were lower in those living alone than that of adults living with a spouse. The health-related factors affecting the current life satisfaction of older adults with disabilities living alone included the presence of chronic diseases, level of stress, and satisfaction with cultural life. Conclusion: The physical, mental, and social health-related quality of life of those living alone was lower than that of those living with a spouse. Satisfaction with cultural life is necessary to improve the quality of life of older people with disabilities living alone, and satisfaction with cultural life is expected to improve their health.