Intergenerational Co-Residence and Life Satisfaction: The Moderating Role of Productive Engagement among Older Adults

Living with adult children may provide emotional and instrumental support, thereby enhancing older adults' life satisfaction. However, it may also increase intergenerational conflict, potentially reducing life satisfaction. These mixed findings suggest that other factors, such as productive engagement, may influence the relationship between intergenerational co-residence and life satisfaction.

This study examined the moderating role of productive engagement on the relationship between intergenerational co-residence and life satisfaction among older adults. The sample consisted of 331 older adults aged 60 years and above (M = 66.75) who had at least one adult child. Data were analyzed using moderation analysis with the PROCESS Macro in IBM SPSS Statistics.

A significant interaction effect was found after controlling for relevant sociodemographic characteristics of older adults and their adult children. The results indicate that productive engagement moderates the relationship between intergenerational co-residence and life satisfaction among older adults.

The findings suggest that the association between intergenerational co-residence and life satisfaction depends on older adults’ levels of productive engagement. Living with adult children was more positively associated with life satisfaction among older adults with higher levels of productive engagement.

The study highlights the role of productive engagement in the relationship between intergenerational co-residence and life satisfaction among older adults. Supporting older adults’ participation in meaningful activities that align with their capacities may help promote well-being in later life. Future research should examine other relevant factors, such as relationship quality or health status, to better understand the conditions under which intergenerational co-residence is associated with life satisfaction.