This study aims to identify the influential factors contributing to the life satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer. To put it concretely, this study analyzed the actual condition of the life-related factors in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer ? health living, economic life, housing life, family life, and leisure life, and then figured out the level of health satisfaction, economic satisfaction, residential satisfaction, family relation satisfaction, leisure satisfaction, and overall life satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer. Finally, this study analyzed the relative influence of life satisfaction by area in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer, general characteristics contributing to the overall life satisfaction, and life-related factors.
As research material, the 6th Korea Welfare Panel Survey, conducted by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs in 2011 was used, and of 14,696 subjects in total, 1,563 individuals who were born from 1955 to 1963(48-56 years old at the end of 2011, in Korean age) for the 1st baby boomer and 1,330 individuals who were born from 1968 to 1974(37-43 years old at the end of 2011, in Korean age) for the 2nd baby boomer were selected. The research targets were limited to a householder or a spouse, for this study focused on home and family life-related factors and life satisfaction.
To analyze research problems, SPSS 20.0 was used, and conducted simple frequency and percentage frequency, cross tabulation, χ2-test, average and standard deviation, t-test, and multiple regression analysis were carried out. Prior to regression analysis, Pearson’s Coefficient and VIF were checked.
The analysis results of research questions can be summarized as follows:
Research Question 1 analyzed the actual condition of the health living in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer. As a result, the proportion of chronic disease was 44.7%, 18.7%, smoking rate 40.7%, 38.5%, and suicidal idea 14.7%, 11.2% in the 1st baby boomer vs the 2nd baby boomer. And then, observed frequency and expected frequency were compared. As a result, the percentage was much higher in the 1st baby boomer than in the 2nd baby boomer. The percentage of obtaining health insurance was 93.7%, 97.6%, and the drinking rate 58.6%, 71.0%, respectively in the 1st baby boomer vs in the 2nd baby boomer. The observed value was higher than the expected value in the 2nd baby boomer. This suggests that the percentage of obtaining health insurance and the drinking rate were higher in the 2nd baby boomer than in the 1st baby boomer. On the other hand, in psychological health status, the 1st baby boomer scored at 3.61 (average), whereas the 2nd baby boomer at 4.07 (average).
Next, the current status of economic life in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer were analyzed. As a result, the household gross income was 478.74 ten thousand won(average), 412.10 ten thousand won(average), possession of savings accounts 44.8%, 36.2%, total assets 15,405 ten thousand won, 11,917 ten thousand won, possession of real assets 48.9%, 38.2%, possession of liabilities 64.0%, 68.9%, and net assets 17,030 ten thousand won, 12,436 ten thousand won, respectively, in the 1st baby boomer vs the 2nd baby boomer. And then, the observed value and the expected value were compared. As a result, the percentage was higher in the 1st baby boomer than in the 2nd baby boomer. On the other hand, the minimum cost of living was 228.79 ten thousand won(average) and 335.32 ten thousand won(average), proper cost of living 245.46 ten thousand won(average) and 360.48 ten thousand won(average), respectively, in the 1st baby boomer household vs in the 2nd baby boomer household. This suggests that the minimum cost of living and the proper cost of living were one million won higher in the 2nd baby boomer household than in the 1st baby boomer household.
The actual condition of housing life in the 1st baby boomer vs in the 2nd baby boomer was analyzed. As a result, the owner-occupied housing share was 61.5%, 50.6%, respectively, in the 1st baby boomer vs in the 2nd baby boomer. The owner-occupied housing share was much higher in the 1st baby boomer. The 1st baby boomers mostly resided in a detached house and other types of housing, and the 2nd baby boomers mostly resided in an apartment. The 2nd baby boomers held more housing-related debts than the 1st baby boomers, but their populating housing showed a good state in a heat-resistant·fire-resistant·heat dissipating·damp proofing condition and in a soundproofing·ventilating·lighting·heating equipment and had no noise·vibration·odor·air pollution and was safe from the natural disaster. This suggests that housing structure·performance·environment was much better in the 2nd baby boomer than in the 1st baby boomer. In addition, the housing area was larger in the 2nd baby boomer than in the 1st baby boomer.
In the family life between the 1st baby boomer vs the 2nd baby boomer, 55.6% of the 1st baby boomers had anxiety or conflict among family members and most of them had problems in employment, unemployment, and health. 44.1% of the 2nd baby boomers had anxiety or conflict and most of them had economic difficulties, child education, etc. For the composure level in solving problems among family members when there is a clash of opinions, the 1st baby boomer scored at 2.39 point(average) and the 2nd baby boomer at 2.27 (average), which showed that they tended to discuss a problem calmly.
In the actual condition of leisure life in the 1st baby boomer and the 2nd baby boomer, 12.3% of the 1st baby boomers was engaged in volunteer activity, whereas the 2nd baby boomer’s volunteer activity was higher at 15.3% than the 1st baby boomer’s, and 5.9% of the 1st baby boomer group used Internet and the 2nd baby boomer group’s Internet use rate was at 91.5%, which suggested that the 2nd baby boomer group’s observed frequency exceeded the expected frequency. On the other hand, there was a significant difference in leisure spending: the 1st baby boomer group spent 10.96 ten thousand won and the 2nd baby boomer group 13.30 ten thousand won.
Research Question 2 analyzed the life satisfaction by life area in the 1st baby boomer and in the 2nd baby boomer. As a result, there was a significant difference in health satisfaction, economic satisfaction, family relation satisfaction, leisure satisfaction, and overall life satisfaction. Health satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer vs in the 2nd baby boomer was 3.33 point(average), 3.77 point(average), respectively. This suggested that their health satisfaction was higher than the ordinary level. Economic satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer scored at 2.65 point(average), which was lower than the 2nd baby boomer(2.83 point), and their level of economic satisfaction did not reach the ordinary level in both groups. In the family relation satisfaction, the 1st baby boomer scored at 3.85 point(average), whereas the 2nd baby boomer scored at 4.03 point(average), which was at a generally satisfied level. The leisure satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer vs in the 2nd baby boomer was at a moderate level: 2.99 point(average), 3.14 point(average), respectively. To compare the difference in overall life satisfaction, the 1st baby boomer scored at 3.42 point(average), whereas the 2nd baby boomer scored at 3.62 point(average). The level of family relation satisfaction was the highest and the level of economic satisfaction was the lowest in both groups.
Research Question 3 identified the influential factors contributing to the life satisfaction of baby boom generation by life area. To do so, multiple regression was carried out in two stages. As a result, the variables that had a significant impact on the health satisfaction in the 1st baby boomers were psychological health status, presence of chronic disease, health insurance, and state of employment in consecutive order. When the state of employment was added in the second stage, R2 increase was 0.004, which was statistically significant. The variables that had a significant impact on the health satisfaction in the 2nd baby boomer were psychological health status, presence of chronic disease, health insurance, and academic ability in order. When academic ability was added in the 2nd stage, R2 increase was 0.012, which was statistically significant.
The variables that had a significant impact on the economic satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer were total cost of living of household, number of household member, presence of liabilities, financial assets, and real assets in consecutive order. When the number of household member was added in the 2nd stage, R2 increase was 0.011, which was statistically significant. The variables that had a significant impact on the economic satisfaction in the 2nd baby boomer were total cost of living of household, financial assets, academic ability, and presence of savings in consecutive order. When academic ability was added in the 2nd stage, R2 increase was 0.012, which was statistically significant.
The variables that had a significant impact on the residential satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer were living space, heat-resistant·fire-resistant·heat dissipating·damp proofing house, housing tenure(self-owned), type of housing(single house), type of housing(others), safety from the natural disasters, and number of household member in consecutive order. When the number of household member was added, R2 increase was 0.003, which was statistically significant. The variables that had an impact on the residential satisfaction in the 2nd baby boomer were living space, type of housing(single house), type of housing(others), heat-resistant·fire-resistant·heat dissipating·damp proofing house, noise·vibration·odor·air pollution, housing tenure, number of household member, and residential district in consecutive order. When the number of household member was added in the 2nd stage, R2 increased by 0.002, which was statistically significant.
The factors that had an impact on the family relation satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer were composure level solving problems among family members when there is a clash of opinions, frequency of a conflict of opinions among family members, presence of spouse, presence of child, state of employment, and academic ability in consecutive order. When presence of spouse, presence of child, state of employment, and academic ability were added, R2 increase was 0.047, which was statistically significant. The variables that had a significant impact on the family relation satisfaction in the 2nd baby boomer were composure level in solving problems among family members when there is a clash of opinions, frequency of a conflict of opinions among family members, academic ability, and presence of child in consecutive order. When academic ability and presence of child were added in the 2nd stage, R2 increase was 0.019, which was statistically significant.
The factors that had an impact on the leisure satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer were leisure cost, volunteer activity, Internet use, and presence of spouse in order. When presence of spouse was added, R2 increase was 0.005, which was statistically significant. The variables that had a significant impact on the leisure satisfaction in the 2nd baby boomer were leisure cost, volunteer activity, academic ability, Internet use, and presence of spouse in order. When academic ability and presence of spouse were added, R2 increase was 0.002, which was statistically significant.
The variables that had a significant impact on the overall life satisfaction in the 1st baby boomer were psychological health status, total living cost of household, housing tenure, living space, composure level in solving problems among family members when there is a clash of opinions, frequency of a conflict of opinions among family members, debts, real assets, number of household member, heat-resistant·fire-resistant·heat dissipating·damp proofing house, volunteer activity, and type of housing(others) in order. When the number of household member was added in the 2nd stage, R2 increase was 0.003, which was statistically significant. The variables that had an impact on the overall life satisfaction in the 2nd baby boomer were composure level in solving problems among family members when there is a clash of opinions, financial assets, psychological health status, presence of spouse, total living cost of household, type of housing (single house), frequency of a conflict of opinions among family members, and health insurance in order. When the presence of spouse was added in the 2nd stage, R2 increase was 0.009, which was statistically significant.