Association of workplace age discrimination with health-related quality of life among young- to middle-aged primary and secondary school teachers in Taiwan: Roles of loneliness, life satisfaction, and psychological distress

Workplace age discrimination (WAD) is an emerging psychosocial stressor that may undermine health-related quality of life (HRQoL), including those working in educational settings. The present study examined associations between WAD and HRQoL and tested potential mediators among Taiwanese schoolteachers. In a cross-sectional online survey, 611 teachers (75% female; mean age 40.9 ± 9.9 years) completed measures of WAD, depression/anxiety/stress (DASS-21), life satisfaction, loneliness (3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale), and HRQoL (WHOQOL-BREF). Pearson correlations and Hayes’ PROCESS (Model 4; 5,000 bootstraps) were used. All variables were significantly intercorrelated ( r = − 0.588 to 0.709, all p- values < 0.001). Higher WAD was directly associated with (i) poorer physical, social, and environmental HRQoL, but not psychological HRQoL, (ii) lower life satisfaction, (iii) greater psychological distress, and (iv) greater loneliness (all p -values < 0.001). Significant indirect associations between WAD and all four HRQoL domains were observed through psychological distress and life satisfaction, while loneliness showed significant indirect associations with physical, psychological and social HRQoL but not environmental HRQoL (β = −0.12 to − 0.01). Therefore, although the direct association between WAD and psychological HRQoL was non-significant, significant indirect associations were evident through all three psychosocial variables. WAD relates to poorer HRQoL largely through psychological distress, loneliness, and reduced life satisfaction. Targeting these factors may mitigate WAD’s impact among Taiwanese teachers.