Quality of life among retired people in Gauteng Province of South Africa: Assessing the role of socio-demographic factors

Introduction: The retirement period can be filled with mixed emotions for the retiree. Some of the challenges associated with retirement include socioeconomic factors and quality of life (QoL). The study comprised of a population of retired women (n = 94, 37.6%) and men (n = 156, 62.4%). This study aims to explore the role played by socio-demographic factors on the quality of life among retired people in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Methods: a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted. Data was collected telephonically, paper-based, and online from 250 retirees who were 60 years of age and above and were sampled using snowball sampling through their social networks. Participants were recruited in Gauteng province, South Africa in 2020. Multiple regression analysis was utilised to test the influence of socio-demographic factors on the quality of life of participants. Results: The results revealed that age, have dependents, and needed care or support in the last 12 months jointly contributed about 24% (R2 = .240), R = .490 (Adjusted R2 =.218), F (4, 179) = 11.233, p < .001) to the variance in QOL. Independently, age (β = -.216 t = -2.864, p < .005), have dependents (β = -.196, t = -2.928, p < .004), and need care or support in the last 12 months (β = -.240, t = -3.219, p < .002) contributed significantly and negatively to QOL. Conclusions: The results concluded that socio-demographic factors influence the QOL of retired people. The practical implications of these findings highlight the importance of targeted support for older retirees, particularly those over 70, those with dependents, and those requiring care. Future research should incorporate longitudinal studies to explore how QOL changes over retirement and how shifts in socio-demographic status influence this path.