Factors Associated with Life Satisfaction of Older Adults in Almaty, Kazakhstan

In social gerontology, understanding the life satisfaction of older adults is important for capturing details about their overall health and wellbeing. However, life satisfaction may vary over time and place and can diversify depending on the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of respondents in a particular geographical region. More cross-cultural research is needed to better understand the association between life satisfaction and an individual's situation to enable effective policy making. Relatively little is known about the lives of older adults and their health and wellbeing in central Asia. Kazakhstan has the second largest population in this region. In order to explore the association between socio-economic, demographic and cultural circumstances and life satisfaction of older adults (aged 60 years and over), this study focuses on Almaty, Kazakhstan, the former capital. Using a quantitative questionnaire, data was collected during March - April 2024 from 491 older adults living in Almaty. The results show that most older adults were satisfied with their lives, although the level of such satisfaction varied by age and gender with men reporting a higher degree of satisfaction than women. Divorced individuals reported lower life satisfaction, while those who were widowed or actively engaged in social and neighbourhood activities showed higher levels.