The Role of Subjective Age and Ageism in Shaping Quality of Life in Israeli Older Adults

Purpose This study examined how subjective age and ageism relate to quality of life (QoL) among older adults in Israel. Drawing on stereotype embodiment theory, we conceptualized subjective age (feeling younger or older than one’s chronological age) as a psychological resource and ageism as a psychosocial risk factor that may mediate the link between internal perceptions of aging and well-being. Method Data were drawn from Wave 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel). The analytic sample included 528 community-dwelling adults aged 50 and older who completed the Israeli drop-off questionnaire. QoL was assessed with the CASP-12 scale, subjective age was operationalized as a proportional discrepancy between felt and chronological age, and ageism was measured with 10 items adapted from the Ageism Survey. Mediation was tested using PROCESS Model 4, controlling for sociodemographic and health covariates. Results Feeling younger than one’s chronological age was associated with higher QoL (total effect: b = 5.70, p < .001), and this association remained significant after accounting for ageism (direct effect: b = 4.51, p < .001). Ageism partially mediated the association between subjective age and QoL (indirect effect: b = 1.18, 95% CI [0.22, 2.18]). Additionally, Jewish and Arab Israelis reported higher QoL than immigrants from the Former Soviet Union. Conclusions Findings highlight subjective age as a key psychological resource, and ageism as an important social mechanism, shaping QoL in later life within a multicultural context.