Abstract

      The middle-aged tend to be a neglected age group in social studies, despite their relative significance in terms of child-rearing and employment responsibilities. Like our monographs on the well-being of Canada's young adults, #6, seniors, #7, and the employed, #8, this study of 35 to 54 years olds comprises indicators of well-being in the three major domains of life - personal well-being, community or altruistic well-being, and religious or spiritual well-being - in order to produce an overall index of well-being.

      An integrated set of indicators are portrayed. Each of the four well-being indices - personal, community, spiritual and overall -- has a potential maximum of 100 and minimum of 0. If you claimed to be very satisfied with your life in general, not concerned at all about money in the future, volunteered 60 or more hours a year, donated $350 in 2000, attended religious services at least weekly, and considered yourself to be very religious, then all of your well-being indices would equal 100.

      The overall well-being indices for various sub-populations appear in Table 16. The index is 45 for all of the middle-aged, the same as for all Canadians. (It is lower, 41, for young adults aged 15 to 34, and higher, 50, for seniors aged 55 plus). The index ranges from 39 in British Columbia and 41 in Quebec, to 56 in Prince Edward Island. The highest male-female difference appears in British Columbia where the index is 43 for women and 36 for men. The index is about the same for the 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 age groups, and for women and men.

      Considering marital status, the index is highest for the married, 48, followed by the widows/widowers and divorced, 41, and the common-law population, separated, and singles, 39 each group. The index is higher for those who say their health is "very good", 50, compared with others, 40. The index rises sharply with household income and education. The index is relatively high for all types of volunteers and for charitable donors.

      Regarding religious affiliation, the index is lowest for those who have never had any religious affiliation, 33, and higher for those without an affiliation at the time of the survey, 39; Quebec Catholics, also 42; other liberal Protestants, 49, non-Christians, 51, non-Quebec Catholics, 54, and conservative Christians, 61. Gender differences by faith community are insignificant except among non-Christians and Pentecostals, where the index for women is higher than that for men.

      Detailed tables supplemented by summary charts are presented showing the component indicators, personal, altruistic and spiritual well-being indices, and the overall well-being index, for many sub-populations of middle-aged women and men. Regression results for each of the six component indicators are presented in an appendix, and summaries of the results are provided in the introduction.