Correlations between satisfaction with life and selected personal resources among students of Universities of the Third Age

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of the study was to identify personal resources, including health-related resources, sense of self-efficacy, attitude to life (optimism/pessimism) and self-assessment, and to determine their relationship with satisfaction with life in members of the Universities of the Third Age (U3As) in Poland. The impact of sociodemographic factors was analyzed.Materials and methodsThe study included 320 participants of U3As; their mean age was 67.5 years and the vast majority of them were women (92.5%). The study was a screening test based on a diagnostic survey using validated scales, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and a survey of own design.ResultsMen showed significantly higher mean SWLS scores than women. SWLS scores were found to correlate significantly with LOT-R (r=0.411; P<0.001) and GSES scores (r=0.451; P<0.001). The respondents’ financial situation had a significant impact on their scores in all scales: SWLS (P<0.001), LOT-R (P<0.001) and GSES (P<0.001). Educational attainment of the respondents showed a significant correlation with SWLS (P=0.004) and GSES (P=0.011).ConclusionIn the process of preparation for successful aging, particular emphasis should be placed on the continuous development of an individual, as it leads to the improvement of their socioeconomic status. Also, promoting positive personality traits and responsibility for one’s own life, including health, is of vital importance. The study is particularly important for the early identification of individuals at risk of unsuccessful aging.

Generalized Self-Efficacy, Dispositional Optimism, and Illness Acceptance in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

“…Self-efficacy is strongly associated with an ability to control one’s actions so as to achieve the desired results, even in unfavorable circumstances. It reflects a person’s beliefs about their capability to change their behavior when diagnosed with an illness or to prevent potential health problems [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. The author of the Polish adaptation of GSES reported mean scores for Polish populations, including a population of women who had undergone a mastectomy—30.07 [ 14 ].…”

“…The author of the Polish adaptation of GSES reported mean scores for Polish populations, including a population of women who had undergone a mastectomy—30.07 [ 14 ]. In Polish hysterectomy patients, a self-efficacy score of 32.46 was reported [ 1 ], in University of the Third Age students—a mean of 30.12 [ 25 ], and in patients with heart failure—32 [ 27 ]. These data indicate a strong sense of self-efficacy in the various groups [ 1 , 14 , 25 , 27 ].…”

“…In Polish hysterectomy patients, a self-efficacy score of 32.46 was reported [ 1 ], in University of the Third Age students—a mean of 30.12 [ 25 ], and in patients with heart failure—32 [ 27 ]. These data indicate a strong sense of self-efficacy in the various groups [ 1 , 14 , 25 , 27 ]. As to the present study, it demonstrated a moderate level of self-efficacy in PCOS patients (28.74), similar to that found in diabetics (28.34) or in women with migraines (28.57) [ 14 ].…”

“…In a study by Zielińska-Więczkowska (2017), concerning the relationships between satisfaction with life and selected personal resources in University of the Third Age students, self-efficacy was associated with education, financial standing, and perceived health. Lower levels of education were associated with poorer self-efficacy, while a better financial standing or better perceived health was related to higher GSES scores [ 25 ]. In the present study, lower levels of self-efficacy were found in PCOS patients who lived in cities other than province capitals, had had a primary/vocational education, had higher BMI values, and had been living with PCOS for a longer time (1–10 years), while higher levels were found in women with a better socio-economic standing.…”

“…This trait is conducive to motivation, perseverance, and determination in pursuing and achieving goals [ 2 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]. The literature on the subject provides a highly inconsistent view on dispositional optimism and its predictors in various patient groups studied in the world, depending on their health status [ 2 , 25 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. In their study on the relationship between dispositional optimism and acceptance of illness in a group of patients with Graves’ disease, Basińska et al (2008) found comorbidity to be the only variable significantly affecting the patients’ optimism levels.…”