Staying active, staying satisfied: how subjective well-being shapes ageing after retirement

Retirement is a major life transition that may influence functional capacity and overall well-being in later life. This study examined whether life satisfaction buffers declines in active ageing following retirement.

We used nationally representative data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2014-2022). Participants were adults aged 55 years and older who experienced a self-reported retirement transition during the observation period. Life satisfaction was measured on a 0-100 scale and categorized into higher and lower groups. The primary outcome was the continuous Active Ageing Index (AAI), and subdomains of health, participation, and security were also examined. Propensity score matching and comparative interrupted time series analyses were applied, and generalized estimating equation models estimated post-retirement changes.

Individuals with higher life satisfaction had higher AAI levels across retirement-centered time points, and GEE models suggested a relatively less pronounced post-retirement decline in the continuous AAI index. In subdomain analyses, significant group-by-time interactions were observed in the health domain at retirement and in the participation domain at selected post-retirement time points, whereas no significant interactions were observed in the security domain.

Life satisfaction may serve as a protective psychological resource during retirement transitions. Policies and interventions that enhance subjective well-being may promote sustained active engagement and resilience in later life.