Happiness and Health Among Elderly Females: A Qualitative Study

The present qualitative study explored how a sample of elderly females age between 65-75 from a city of India, Lucknow represented relation of health with happiness framed within their personal perspectives and context using self-made semi structured interview schedule. This study extends the existing quantitative literature by adding elderly female’s personal narratives and voices. Twenty elderly females were interviewed through interview and the data was analysed using content analysis. The result implies a strong interdependence between health and happiness at both physical and psychological level. While exploring the happiness of the participants, they showed a hedonic conception of happiness and while exploring the health, participants showed a traditional view of health, which is emphasizing on physical health. Good health was perceived as feeling better, a sense of peace and positive emotions whereas happiness was experienced as reduced feeling of stress, better immune system and enhanced recovery from illness, as reported by participants. The present research paper suggests the importance and relatedness of being happy and healthy and how these two affect the overall wellbeing and functioning of elderly people.