He Li, Xu Zoujie, Chen Guo, Wang Jiangyin, Zhao Jinxu, Zhang Zixian, Yang Yang, Shi Shaocheng, Zhang Liyuan
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (School of Philosophy), Wuhan, Hubei, China.
University College London (Department of Political Science), UK.
Heliyon. 2023 Aug 11;9(8):e19084. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19084. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Over the past four decades, China has seen a rapid increase in the level of urbanization, along with an increasing number of older adults. How to promote active aging in the midst of rapid urbanization has become a new challenge for the Chinese government and all sectors of society. This study attempts to verify the relationship between overage labor and happiness in life, and further explore the possible mediating role of multidimensional value perceptions.
Based on 5010 valid samples from the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018 China Health and Aging Tracking Survey datasets (CHARLS), the study explored and tested the differences in happiness in life between older adults with overage labor and retired older adults. In addition, this study further examined the mediating role of multidimensional value perceptions using a mediation model.
(1) Urban older adults with overage labor had significantly higher levels of happiness in life compared to urban retired older adults. (2) The higher level of life happiness of urban older adults with overage labor depends on their perceptions of different values; (3) Specifically, the realization of value perceptions in personal, family and social dimensions through labor contributes to the life happiness of urban older adults with overage labor.
There is a significant difference between urban old adults with overage labor and urban retired old adults in terms of happiness in life. At the same time, the study confirmed that all three aspects of value perceptions, such as personal, family and social, are the mediating mechanisms between overage labor and urban old adults in terms of happiness in life.
在过去的四十年里，中国的城市化水平迅速提高，老年人数量也在增加。如何在快速城市化进程中促进积极老龄化已成为中国政府和社会各界面临的新挑战。本研究试图验证超龄劳动与生活幸福感之间的关系，并进一步探讨多维价值观念可能起到的中介作用。
基于2011年、2013年、2015年和2018年中国健康与养老追踪调查数据集（CHARLS）的5010个有效样本，本研究探索并检验了从事超龄劳动的老年人与退休老年人在生活幸福感上的差异。此外，本研究还使用中介模型进一步检验了多维价值观念的中介作用。
（1）与城市退休老年人相比，从事超龄劳动的城市老年人生活幸福感水平显著更高。（2）从事超龄劳动的城市老年人较高的生活幸福感水平取决于他们对不同价值的认知；（3）具体而言，通过劳动在个人、家庭和社会维度上实现价值认知有助于从事超龄劳动的城市老年人的生活幸福感。
从事超龄劳动的城市老年人与城市退休老年人在生活幸福感方面存在显著差异。同时，本研究证实，个人、家庭和社会等价值认知的所有三个方面都是超龄劳动与城市老年人生活幸福感之间的中介机制。
