Perceptions of intergenerational relations and psychological well-being among elderly Mexican Americans: a causal model.

A simple path analysis model is applied to data on ninety-eight older Mexican Americans residing in southwest San Antonio. Measures of perceived intergenerational solidarity and activity are treated as intervening variables between health and socioeconomic status on the one hand and life satisfaction on the other. The addition of intergenerational solidarity to the other three independent variables found to be consistent predictors of life satisfaction in previous research contributes significantly to the explanation of life satisfaction. The variable fails, however, to play a significant intervening role except between health and life satisfaction.