Are all domains of life satisfaction equal? Differential associations with health and well-being in older adults

PURPOSE: Growing evidence documents strong associations between overall life satisfaction and favorable health and well-being outcomes. However, because most previous studies have assessed satisfaction with one’s life as a whole, we know little about whether specific domains of life satisfaction (e.g., satisfaction with family life, income) might be responsible for longitudinally driving better health and well-being. METHODS: Data were from 13,752 participants in the Health and Retirement Study—a prospective and nationally representative cohort of US adults aged > 50. We evaluated if positive changes in seven individual domains of life satisfaction (between t(0); 2008/2010 and t(1); 2012/2014) were associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (at t(2); 2016/2018). RESULTS: Most domains of life satisfaction were associated with psychological outcomes: satisfaction with family and non-work activities showed the largest associations (sometimes double in magnitude) with subsequent psychological factors, followed by satisfaction with financial situation and income. Further, some domains showed associations with specific physical health outcomes (e.g., mortality, number of chronic conditions, physical functioning limitations), health behaviors (e.g., sleep problems), and social factors (e.g., loneliness). CONCLUSIONS: As countries seek innovative and cost-effective methods of enhancing the health and well-being of our rapidly aging populations, findings from our study suggest that some domains of life satisfaction have a substantially larger influence on health and well-being outcomes than others. Individual domains of life satisfaction might be novel targets for interventions and policies seeking to enhance specific facets of health and well-being. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11136-021-02977-0.