MEANING IN LIFE AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN CONSERVATISM AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG OLDER ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Authors

  • Lăcrămioara COJOCARU Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Romania
  • Doina AZOICĂI Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, Romania
  • Daniela MUNTELE-HENDREȘ Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Romania
  • Camelia SOPONARU Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Romania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22551/MSJ.2026.02.18

Abstract

Population aging presents growing challenges for maintaining quality of life in later adulthood. Conservative personal values and existential meaning are both associated with well-being in older adults, yet their functional relationship remains unclear. Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating mechanism through which the presence of meaning in life influences the relationship between value conservatism and quality of life in older adults. Materials and methods: A sample of 210 participants (mean age = 74.5 years, SD = 6.24, 63.3% women) completed a battery of standardized questionnaires: the WHOQOL-OLD to assess quality of life, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire to assess existential meaning, and the Schwartz Value Survey to measure personal values. Mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS version 28 (Model 4), applying a bootstrap procedure with 5,000 resamples. Results: The mediation analysis indicated that the presence of meaning in life partially mediated the relationship between conservatism and quality of life. Conservatism significantly predicted the presence of meaning (b = 0.072, p = .017), and the presence of meaning significantly predicted quality of life (b = 0.129, p = .005), even after controlling for conservatism. The indirect effect of conservatism on quality of life through the presence of meaning was significant (b = 0.0093; 95% CI [0.001, 0.024]), accounting for approximately 13.8% of the total effect. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that conservative values enhance quality of life in older adults both directly and indirectly by strengthening existential meaning, providing empirical support for the development of integrated interventions focused on cultivating meaning and reinforcing stable values in the service of successful aging.

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Additional Files

Published

2026-06-01

Issue

Vol. 130 No. 2 (2026): The Medical-Surgical Journal

Section

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE - LABORATORY

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