Decomposition of caste differential in life satisfaction among older adults in India

Background: Being a multi-cultured country, India has varied social groups which largely shape the lives of individuals. Literature has shown that life satisfaction is highly associated with the social status of individuals. However, changing age dynamics (growing older) and definition of life among people presses the need to understand whether the additional years of life in older adults are manifested with the disparity in life satisfaction among the Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribes (ST) and non-SC/ST social groups in recent years. The present study explored the factors contributing to such differences in life satisfaction across social groups.

Methods: This study used data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India conducted during 2017-18. The analytical sample of the study was 30,370 older adults. Life satisfaction was the outcome variable with a score ranging from 5 to 35. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were conducted. Simple linear regression analysis was used to establish the association between the outcome and explanatory variables. Further, the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition model was used to analyse the role of explanatory factors in the caste difference in life satisfaction among older people.

Results: Overall, the life satisfaction score among older adults in the study was 23.9 (SD- 7.3). Older adults from non-SC/ST group had significantly higher likelihood of having life satisfaction in comparison to older adults from SC/ST group [Coef: 0.31; CI: 0.14, 0.49]. The decomposition results showed that the model explained 74.3% of the caste gap (between SC/ST and non-SC/ST) in life satisfaction among older adults in India. Subjective social status (39.0%) was widening the gap for life satisfaction among older adults from SC/ST and non-SC/ST group. Similarly, level of education (15.2%) followed by satisfaction with living arrangement (13.2%) and place of residence (5.3%) contributed for widening the gap for life satisfaction among older adults from SC/ST and non-SC/ST group. Region of country (- 11.5%) followed by self-rated health (- 3.0%) and major depression (- 2.7%) contributed for narrowing down the gap for life satisfaction among older adults from SC/ST and non-SC/ST group.

Conclusion: Older adults belonging to non-SC/ST groups were more likely to have a higher level of life satisfaction than those from the SC/ST group. Factors like subjective social status, educational level, living arrangement satisfaction, and place of residence explained the caste differential in life satisfaction among older adults. In addition, factors such as psychological health and perceived health status should be the area of concern and special focus for policy makers and researchers in terms of reducing social inequalities in wellbeing among older population.