家庭發展階段與家庭結構對中年世代生活滿意度的影響

Effects of Family Development Stages and Family Structures on Life Satisfaction of Middle-aged Generation

中年世代是相較於其他生命階段較少受到研究的時期，然而，國內外文 獻與調查都指出，中年人的生活滿意度是所有年齡層的低點，因此，著實需 要多加關心中年世代的生活。本研究關注中年世代的家庭發展階段、家庭結 構與生活滿意度，研究目的有三：1.探討中年世代的生活滿意度狀況，2.暸解 不同家庭發展階段與家庭結構中年世代的生活滿意度，3.分析中年世代的家庭 發展階段、家庭結構對生活滿意度的影響。本研究以個人背景為控制變項，家庭發展階段、家庭結構為自變項，生 活滿意度為依變項，使用方便抽樣找尋符合三明治形象的中年世代受試者（40 至 60 歲、父母其一尚存、已婚、至少擁有一個不限年齡子女、與配偶子女同住）進行問卷調查，問卷共計發出 730 份，回收 499 份，有效問卷共 333 份。 結果顯示中年世代只能說是還算同意其生活為滿意；相較於家庭發展階 段第四階段（空巢期階段），中年世代位於家庭發展階段第一階段（子女學齡前 階段）、第二階段（子女青少年階段）、第三階段（子女送出階段）時，生活滿意 度顯著較低；中年世代的家庭結構是折衷家庭或核心家庭（是否和父母共同居住），對其生活滿意度並無顯著影響。 依據研究結果，本研究分別針對中年世代、政府、學校、企業、家庭生活教育專業人員等對象提供關於家庭發展階段與家庭結構的建議，期望能提 升中年世代的生活滿意度。

Compared with the other life stages, the middle-aged generation stage is the stage that little research has focused on. However, previous literature and survey, both domestic and foreign, pointed out that the life satisfaction is the lowest for the middle-aged generation of all age levels. Therefore, the life of middle-aged generation certainly requires more concerns. This research focuses on the middle-aged generation’s family development stages, family structures, and life satisfaction. There are three purposes of this study: 1. To investigate the middle-aged generation’s life satisfaction conditions. 2. To understand their life satisfaction conditions in terms of different family development stages and family structures. 3. To analyse the effect of their family development stages and family structures on their life satisfaction.This study analyzes personal background as a control variable, family development stages and family structures as independent variables, life satisfaction as a dependent variable. A questionnaire survey was carried out in a convenience sample. Participants had to meet the requirements for target respondents: 40- to 60-years-old, married, having at least one living parent, and having at least one child at any age, living with spouse and children. Out of the 730 copies of questionnaires distributed, 499 copies were collected, 333 was effective.The results indicated that middle-aged generation is generally content with their life. Where family development stages are concerned, the adults at the first stage (the stage before families with school-aged children), the second stage (the stage of families with teenagers), and the third stage (the stage of families launching young adults) experience significantly lower life satisfaction, as compared with the middle-aged adults at the fourth stage (the stage after empty nest). Where family structures are concerned, middle-aged adults living in stem families or nuclear families do not show significant difference in life satisfaction.According to the results, suggestions about family development stage and family structures were provided for middle-aged adults, the government, schools, enterprises, family life educators, and etc., hoping to enhance the life satisfaction of middle-aged adults.