Social Support and Daily Life Activity: Determinants of Aging Well

Despite the importance and prevalence in the use of the term "aging well," there has been an absence of an empirically valid aging well model for conceptualization and measurement of the phenomenon. The purpose of the study was to conceptualize and test a model for aging well. A sample of 554 non-institutionalized individuals was taken using primary sampling units (PSUs), and a higher-order confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test a model for aging well. This study confirmed a five-factor structure of aging well, including (a) daily life activity, (b) social resources and supports, (c) mental efficacy, (d) physical health and functional status, and (e) material security. Although all five dimensions strongly contribute to the aging well construct, the statistical results have shown that Social Resources and Support (SRS) and Daily Life Activity are the most important in explaining aging well. Material Security is the weakest latent variable in the model. The study indicates the model for aging well is a single, holistic, and multidimensional framework with a strong theoretical and empirical base.