Dimensions and Correlates of General Well-Being among Older Adults

Abstract

This article examines dimensions and correlates of psychological well-being among older adults aged 55 and above using the General Well-Being (GWB) Scale with data (N=2,931) collected in Kentucky in 1982. A shortened, 11-item version of the GWB is confirmed for use among older respondents and is found to comprise three correlated dimensions termed positive affect, enervation, and negative affect. Development of this scale involved exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, comparison of alternative model specifications, and regression of its component dimensions onto known correlates of psychological well-being in older adults, including age, education, marriage, gender, race, and subjective health.

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