사회적 약자 집단별 삶의 만족도 지역 간 격차와 지역 역량 요인

Regional Disparities in Life Satisfaction by Socially Underprivileged Groups and Regional Capability Factors: A Comparison Between Young and Older Adults

This study aims to examine the current status and changes in the regional disparity in life satisfaction for young and older adults, the most representative socially underprivileged groups in the aging era, and identify regional capability factors that are related to their life satisfaction. For analysis, data from the “Korean Community Health Survey” in 2011 and 2019 was used. The results show that the average life satisfaction of young adults was higher than the whole population’s, but the gap in their life satisfaction between regions increased between 2011 and 2019. Their life satisfaction was higher in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) than in non-SMAs, and higher in rural areas than in large cities and metropolitan cities. On the other hand, the average life satisfaction of older people was lower than the whole population’s, but the gap in their life satisfaction between regions decreased between 2011 and 2019, and their life satisfaction was higher in non-SMAs, metropolitan cities, and large cities. As for the regional capability factors, which are closely related to life satisfaction, the social relationship is confirmed as an important factor for both groups. Also, in the case of young people, the residential environment and basic services have a major influence on life satisfaction, and in the case of older people, it was found that there is a close influence of local health and education levels on life satisfaction. These results suggest the need for customized policies that take into account differences between sub-groups when implementing policies to enhance the life satisfaction of socially underprivileged individuals.