PROFILING OF LIFE SATISFACTION OF MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS IN HULU LANGAT, SELANGOR

Abstract

Middle-aged women are inclined to experience empty nest syndrome, menopause, health problem, sleep disturbance, weight gain, lethargy and attention deficit. Overwhelming workload, multiple roles at home, elderly care giving and so forth worsen the situation. These factors may influence their emotional well-being and their life satisfaction. This article therefore has two objectives, which are to identify the differences in life satisfaction among middle-aged Malay women from different educational level, marital status, career and income, and to identify the profile of middle-aged women who have low life satisfaction level. This study adopted the survey technique, which employed the Life Satisfaction Index A- Short Form by Barrette and Murk. Simple random sampling and purposive sampling have been used to obtain the responses. A total of 410 middle aged career women in Hulu Langat, Selangor have participated in this study. The finding showed that life satisfactions among middle-aged women are different depending on their marital status, career and income. Single women and widower who are working in private sector and of low-income level reported to have the lowest life satisfaction. This finding may provide input to the planning of programs to enhance the well-being and life satisfaction among middle aged career women.