Perceived age discrimination and life satisfaction among older adults in China: mediating roles of leisure and social satisfaction

IntroductionRapid population aging has made age discrimination against older adults increasingly prominent. However, empirical evidence on how age discrimination affects life satisfaction among Chinese older adults, and through which mechanisms, remains limited.MethodsUsing data from the 2021 China Social Survey (CSS), this study analyzed a sample of 840 older adults aged 60 and above. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and mediation analysis were employed to examine the direct effect of perceived age discrimination on life satisfaction, the mediating roles of leisure satisfaction and social satisfaction, and heterogeneity across gender and hukou (household registration) types.ResultsGreater perceived age discrimination was significantly associated with lower life satisfaction. Both leisure satisfaction and social satisfaction mediated this relationship. The negative effect of age discrimination on life satisfaction was significantly stronger among older adults with rural hukou compared with their non-rural counterparts, whereas no significant gender-based differences were observed.ConclusionThis study extends the understanding of age discrimination's detrimental impact to the Chinese context, identifies leisure and social satisfaction as key mediators, and reveals rural-urban heterogeneity. These findings inform targeted interventions to reduce ageism and address structural inequalities, thereby promoting healthy aging in China and other rapidly aging societies.