Social Networks and Life Satisfaction of Older Female Baby Boomers in Korea

This study investigates the effects of social networks on life satisfaction among older female baby boomers in South Korea.The data were drawn from the 2023 National Survey of Older Koreans, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, using a stratified multistage probability sampling method.From the full dataset, a weighted sample of 1,500 female respondents born between 1955 and 1958 was selected for analysis.A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was employed to examine the predictive effects of various factors on life satisfaction.In Model 1, control variables including educational attainment, marital status, employment status, household income, and self-rated health were entered.In Model 2, family networks (frequency of contact and visits with children and relatives) were added.In Model 3, friend networks (frequency of contact and visits with friends) were additionally included.The results showed that self-rated health had a significant positive effect on life satisfaction across all models.Among family networks, frequent contact with children had a positive effect, while frequent contact with relatives had a negative effect.In addition, both frequent contact and visits with friends were found to have statistically significant positive effects on life satisfaction, indicating the independent influence of peer-based networks.While health and family remain important, these findings highlight the distinct and often underappreciated role of peer-based social networks in shaping life satisfaction among aging female baby boomers.