본 연구의 목적은 공적연금수급노인과 연금을 수급하지 않고 있는 일반노인들의 삶의 만족도 요인을 비교 분석하여 노인복지 정책에 대한 이론적, 정책적 제언을 하고자 하였다. 본 연구를 위해 공적연금수급노인과 연금을 수급하지 않고 있는 일반노인을 대상으로 하여 삶의 만족도를 분석하였다. 조사대상은 경상남도 진해시에 거주하는 60세 이상 노인 385명이다. 조사대상 노인 전체의 삶의 만족도에 영향을 미치는 요인들은 연령, 교육수준, 건강상태, 주관적 경제상태, 한달용돈, 한달주요수입원, 친구/이웃 수 등이었다. 기존의 연구에서는 자녀의 지지가 만족도에 영향을 미치고 있으나 본 연구에서는 다른 결과가 나왔는데 이러한 결과는 관념적으로 생각하는 노인의 자녀에 대한 기대가 크지 않음을 보여주며 자식의존형 노인보다 사생활과 독립성을 중요시하는 노인이 증가하고 있는 것으로 판단된다. 만족도에 대한 두 집단 간의 차이에서 주목할 만 한 점은 연금을 수급하는 노인들은 삶의 만족도의 영향요인이 경제적 수준으로 간결한 반면, 일반노인들은 교육수준, 건강상태, 주관적 경제수준, 한달용돈, 한달주요수입원, 친구/이웃 수, 친구/이웃 접촉빈도 등이 만족도와 관련을 보여서, 연금수급노인에 비해 주변의 환경에 더 많은 영향을 받고 있음을 알 수 있다. 또한 공적연금이 삶의 만족도를 높이는데 중요한 자원이 되고 있고, 현재 연금을 수급하고 있지 않은 노인들에 대한 정책적 배려가 필요함을 시사한다.

This study compares characteristics of two groups’ life satisfaction and factors that influence on their life satisfaction between senior citizens on public pension plan and those without pensions. This study surveys 383 senior citizens aged 60 and higher in Jinhae-city Kyungsangnam-do. - 21 - It finds that the factors that have influence on these senior citizens’ life satisfaction are age, academic career, health state, subjective economic state and the number of friends/neighbors. Support from a spouse or children used to be an important factor that influences on their satisfaction according to most of previous studies but this study finds that many elders do not have much expectation from their children and most of them emphasize on their private life and independence rather than relying on their children. With this subject on the satisfaction that both two groups feel with their life, what you need to pay attention to is that in case of the elderly who receive pensions, only economic state plays a role in influencing on their life satisfaction while other non-economic factors such as age, academic career, health state, subjective economic state, the number of friends/neighbors and frequency of contact with friends and neighbors play such a role for the elderly without pensions. This finding shows that the elderly without pension are more influenced by other surrounding circumstances than the elderly on the pension plans and it also implies that pension is an important source to raise the level of life satisfaction of the elderly. It also suggests that the elderly without pensions have to be cared by other alternative polices. This result suggests that further researches are needed to know how public pension programs can fully play its role in securing senior’s well-being and other welfare policies for senior citizens are required based on that.

This study compares characteristics of two groups’ life satisfaction and factors that influence on their life satisfaction between senior citizens on public pension plan and those without pensions. This study surveys 383 senior citizens aged 60 and higher in Jinhae-city Kyungsangnam-do. - 21 - It finds that the factors that have influence on these senior citizens’ life satisfaction are age, academic career, health state, subjective economic state and the number of friends/neighbors. Support from a spouse or children used to be an important factor that influences on their satisfaction according to most of previous studies but this study finds that many elders do not have much expectation from their children and most of them emphasize on their private life and independence rather than relying on their children. With this subject on the satisfaction that both two groups feel with their life, what you need to pay attention to is that in case of the elderly who receive pensions, only economic state plays a role in influencing on their life satisfaction while other non-economic factors such as age, academic career, health state, subjective economic state, the number of friends/neighbors and frequency of contact with friends and neighbors play such a role for the elderly without pensions. This finding shows that the elderly without pension are more influenced by other surrounding circumstances than the elderly on the pension plans and it also implies that pension is an important source to raise the level of life satisfaction of the elderly. It also suggests that the elderly without pensions have to be cared by other alternative polices. This result suggests that further researches are needed to know how public pension programs can fully play its role in securing senior’s well-being and other welfare policies for senior citizens are required based on that.

public pensions, social insurance, life satisfaction, social relationship network