This study aims to examine effects of retirement experience and leisure satisfaction on preparation behavior levels for old age, among the middle-aged. At first, sociodemographic factors of the middle-aged are understood and actual conditions of prepa...
This study aims to examine effects of retirement experience and leisure satisfaction on preparation behavior levels for old age, among the middle-aged. At first, sociodemographic factors of the middle-aged are understood and actual conditions of preparation behavior levels for old age are investigated. In addition, this study examines whether there are differences in the preparation behavior levels for old age according to whether or not retirement is prepared and whether or not leisure activities are conducted, respectively, and what effects the retirement experience and the leisure satisfactions have on preparations for old age.
The ultimate purpose of this study is to understand actual conditions of each preparation areas for old age by examining preparation levels for old age, among the middle-aged, just prior to old age, and propose specific measure for successful aging and provide basic data for social welfare practices, program developments, political suggestions, by exploring the effects of retirement experience and leisure satisfaction on preparation for old age.
The subjects of this study are 15 regions selected based on 2010 population census. A total of 1870 middle-aged persons were recruited, who were in the age between 45 to 64 years old and allocated as the final sample size to which the ratios by gender and age are applied. The data were collected and one to one interviews were conducted by professional examiners for five weeks, from October 3 to November 30, 2011.
The findings are as follows:
First, for the preparation level for old age among the middle-aged, social preparation level is highest, followed by physical and then economic one.
Second, there are some significant differences in the preparation level of old age according to whether or not retirement is prepared: physical, economic and social preparation, suggesting that persons who prepare their retirements are better than those who do not, in physical, economic and social preparation for old age. On the other hand, there is no significant difference in preparation level of old age, depending on whether or not leisure activities are enjoyed.
Third, the factors to influence physical preparations for old age include age, marital and employment status, presence of religion, scholarship, average monthly household income, subjective evaluation of health, leisure satisfaction and positive and negative recognition of retirement. Thus, when a subject is older, has no partner and job, has a religion and his levels of scholarship, average monthly household income, subjective evaluation score of health, leisure satisfaction and positive and negative retirement experience are higher, then the level of his/her preparation for old age seems to be higher.
The factors to have some effects on economic preparations for old age include age, presence of religion, scholarship, average monthly household income, subjective evaluation of health, leisure satisfaction and positive and negative retirement experience. Hence, if a subject is older and has a religion and higher scholarship, average monthly household income, subjective evaluation of health, leisure satisfaction and positive and negative retirement experience, level of his/her economic preparation for old age seems to be higher.
The factors to affect social preparations for old age are gender, presence of religion, scholarship, average monthly household income, subjective evaluation of health, leisure satisfaction, positive retirement experience. Therefore, when a subject is male and has a religion and higher scholarship, average monthly household income, subjective evaluation of health, leisure satisfaction and positive retirement experience, the level of his/her social preparation for old age is found to be higher.
The findings show that individual and national interventions are required to keep higher level of social preparations for old age. Therefore, some programs considering individual health and leisure, challenging spirit and life style around family should be developed. Moreover, some programs and educations for nationally enhancing the recognitions of social and personal relations among the middle-aged would be necessary. In order to increase low level of economic preparations for old age, many difficulties they come to experience should be primarily resolved. And supports for re-employment, improvement of pension institution, income security system for the old are required to be developed to prevent potentially dangerous accidents after their retirements.
As the levels of preparations for old age are varied according to whether or not retirements are prepared, various factors to promote preparation behaviors for retirements should be understood. Of the factors, positive retirement experiences have significant effects on physical, economic and social preparations for old age, so various institutional supports are necessary: changes of recognitions for enhancing positive recognitions of old age, educations for knowledge regarding retirements, re-employments and leisure activities. The leisure satisfactions is also found to significantly affect physical, economic and social preparations for old age, and therefore, development of leisure program and political, economic and physical supports would be required to qualitatively improve the leisure satisfaction, which would make it possible to continuously perform them, rather than considering only quantitative aspects such as presence or frequency of leisure activities.