Ageing Perception and Social Relationships Moderate the Associations Between Health Stressors and Life Satisfaction in the Very Old: Evidence from the ELSA Study

This study investigated whether social relationships and aging perceptions moderate the roles of health stressors on life satisfaction among very old adults (80+ years, N = 4,220) in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Data were analyzed in R Lavaan using structural equation modeling with latent interactions. Positive ageing perception and the quality of social relationships with children and relatives attenuated the influence of mobility limitations on life satisfaction. Only social relationships moderated pain’s influence on life satisfaction. Interventions to increase subjective well-being in advanced old age can target positive views of aging and the quality of social relationships.