Chapter 9The second set of factors we evaluate relates to physical
health. This is assessed in terms of the presence of doctor-
diagnosed serious illness (e.g., cancer, arthritis, and coronary
heart disease), together with the presence of long- term limit-
ing illness, as a broader marker of health. Figure 9.2 (second
panel) summarizes the standardized regression coefficients
(β) for each variable. Positive coefficients indicate that the
variable is associated with greater life- satisfaction, and nega-
tive scores with lower satisfaction. As we can see, the general
question about health was related to life- satisfaction, while
the individual illnesses were not. This may be due in part
because they are relatively rare, and because a large part of
the health status is explained by limiting long- standing ill-
ness. For people living with a partner (N = 3,535), we also in-
vestigated the effect of the partner’s self- rated health, which
showed a strong negative relationship with life- satisfaction
(β [s.e.] = −0.06 [0.02]) without altering the effects of other
factors in the model.
Our next set of factors concerns people’s functional ca-
pacity. As we age, our senses deteriorate, and we may have
greater difficulty hearing and seeing. Our sleep may get
worse, and our mobility reduced, and we may develop diffi-
culties in carrying out normal activities of daily living such
as being able to bathe or shower, or controlling urination.
These factors could impair our satisfaction with life. As seen
in Figure 9.2 (third panel), they have a sizable impact on
life- satisfaction, with independent associations between
low life- satisfaction and poorer eyesight, poorer sleep qual-
ity, urinary incontinence, and more impairment in mobility.
Finally, mental well- being is assessed in terms of depres-
sive symptoms and diagnosed depressive illness, together
with people’s broader sense of control over their lives, and