In Thailand, life satisfaction of the Thai elderly has become a more
concern due to the greater vulnerability of this population to health problems and
social limitations. The study aimed to investigate the effects of health and social
support on life satisfaction among Thai elderly regarding three age groups (60-69, 70-
79, and 80 and older) and between the male and female elderly in Kanchanaburi
province. Multivariate analysis was used. The multicolinearity issue was tested among
all variables and all variables were acceptable (FVI < 5).
The analysis found that older people with poor mental health reported
lower life satisfaction. The elderly with poor perceived health had lower life
satisfaction, especially among the elderly aged 70-79 years (Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.445,
p <0.001). Savings was found to have significant effects on life satisfaction of the
elderly in particular to those aged 80 and older. The elderly with savings had higher
life satisfaction (OR = 1.86; p <0.001). Both the male and female elderly with poor
perceived health or poor mental health had lower life satisfaction. The number of
known and trusted people was found to have positive effects on life satisfaction of the
elderly, especially the female elderly. The female elderly with a lower number of
known and trusted people reported lower life satisfaction (OR = 0.613; p <0.001).
The results of this study indicate that health is a major problem for the
elderly in Thailand. Health services are very important to enhance the life satisfaction
of the elderly in Thailand as well as income and savings. Job opportunities and ways
to save should be promoted for the population at a younger age. Social networking
should also be implemented, especially for the elderly woman