Social relationships and health as predictors of life satisfaction in advanced old age: Results from a Swedish longitudinal study

This longitudinal study examines the relationship between family and friend social support, health, and life satisfaction for a single cohort of eight y-year-old persons living in Lund, Sweden. Results indicate that participan ts who remained in the study are healthier and score higher on life satisfa ction when compared with those who either drop-out or die prior to age eigh ty-three. Even though well-integrated with family and friends, the number o f friends decreases significantly from eighty to eighty-three years; those who reported no close friends nearly doubled from eighty to eighty-three ye ars. However, for those with close friends, contact with friends increases with age. In contrast to previous research, a correlational analysis indica tes that neither child nor friend support is related to life satisfaction a t either eighty or eighty-three years. However, health measures and satisfa ction with sibling contact are related to total life satisfaction at age ei ghty-three only. These findings indicate the multidimensionality of both so cial support and life satisfaction for the old-old.