Impact of Age Disparity on Spouse Satisfaction in Older Adults

Background: Divorce is a major public concern in many countries and results from spouse dissatisfaction. This study aimed to investigate whether age disparity between couples is associated with spouse satisfaction in older adults. Methods: Using Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging 2018 data, we selected 4,498 individuals that provided information on the age of a living spouse. According to the age gap between couples, subjects were assigned to one of three groups, that is, a similar age group (less than a 1-year difference), an older husband group, and an older wife group. Multivariate regression models were used to identify factors, including couple seniority, related to spouse satisfaction scores. Results: The older wife group had a higher proportion of females than other groups, and members of this group were poorer, had lower levels of educational attainment, were more likely to be unemployed, and were more dissatisfied with their spouses. Multivariate regression models identified some factors associated with spouse satisfaction. However, age disparity was not found to be associated with spouse satisfaction. Conclusion: Age disparity is not associated with spouse satisfaction among married Korean older adults.