The Effects of Social Activity Types on the Happiness of Korean Older Adults by Age Groups

노년기 연령집단에 따라 사회활동 유형이 행복감에 미치는 영향

The objective of this study is to examine whether there are differences in participation in social activities and the effects of social activity types on the levels of happiness of the Korean older adults by age groups. The 5th wave(2014) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) was used and a total of 3,273 elderly were selected from the 5th wave, who were 65 years old and older and who were not living with their offsprings. Chi-square test, ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used. The rate of participation in economic activities declined with age and the levels of participation in leisure activities was higher in the young-old group in comparison to the middle- and the oldest- old groups. The levels of participation in family activities was higher in the middle- and the oldest-old groups in comparison to the young-old group. Socializing activities and religious activities measured by the frequencies of activities were not significantly different among the age groups. The results of a regression analysis of social activity types and their effects on happiness by age groups are the followings: 1) Leisure, socializing, religious, and family activities all (with the exception of economic activities) significantly affected the level of happiness of older persons in the young-old group. 2) However, only socializing and family activities in the middle-old age group, and only family activities in oldest-old group, had a statistically significant impact on the levels of happiness. These results support that the rates of participation in the five types of social activities and their effects on the levels of happiness were different by age groups. The implication of this study was to report that needs and the interests of older individuals are different by age groups based on empirical evidences.

본 연구의 목적은 노년기 연령집단별로 사회활동 참여유형이 다른지와 연령집단별로 행복감에 미치는 사회활동 유형은 무엇인지를 조사하는 것이다. 한국고령화패널연구(KLoSA), 5차(2014) 자료를 활용하였으며 5차 시점에서 65세 이상이면서 자녀와 동거하지 않는 노인 3,273명을 대상으로 교차분석, 일원변량분석, 위계적 다중회귀분석(hierarchical multiple regression analysis)을 실시하였다. 연구결과, 경제활동 참여 비율은 연령대가 높아질수록 낮아졌으며, 여가활동은 연소노인이 중고령노인이나 초고령노인집단에 비해 참여수준이 높았다. 가족활동은 연소노인에 비해 중고령노인이나 초고령노인 집단에서 참여수준이 높았고, 그 외의 친목활동과 종교활동은 연령 집단 간 참여수준의 차이를 보이지 않았다. 연령집단별 행복감에 유의미한 영향을 주는 사회활동 유형을 회귀분석 한 결과, 연소노인 집단에서는 경제활동을 제외한 여가활동, 친목활동, 종교활동, 가족활동이 노인의 행복감에 정적으로 유의미한 영향을 미쳤으나, 중고령노인 집단에서는 친목활동과 가족활동이, 초고령집단에서는 가족활동만이 노인의 행복감에 정적으로 유의미한 영향을 미쳤다. 본 연구결과는 연령집단에 따라서 참여하는 사회활동 유형과 그 영향력이 달라질 수 있음을 입증하였다. 본 연구는 다양화되어가는 노인인구의 욕구를 경험적으로 검증하였다는데 그 의의가 있다.