The impact of social quality on the subjective well‐being of older adults across cohorts in China: A methodological approach combining ordered logistic regression and random forest

Abstract This study, based on data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey ( N = 9894), employed ordered logistic regression and random forest models to examine the impact of social quality on the subjective well‐being of older adults in China and its generational differences. The findings revealed that social cohesion, social inclusion and social empowerment had significant and positive effects on the subjective well‐being of older adults. In contrast, the quantity of social security benefits within the dimension of socioeconomic security negatively influenced well‐being, possibly due to conflicts among different types of social security, leading to a mismatch between older adults' expectations and actual benefits. The study further identified that living environment, self‐efficacy, external and internal integration perceptions, and interpersonal trust are critical social quality factors influencing the subjective well‐being of older adults across all cohorts. Additionally, the impact of socioeconomic security was found to be weaker for earlier cohorts (1920s/1930s). This study expands the application of social quality theory, highlighting the central role of non‐economic factors in shaping the well‐being of older adults. It also provides important insights for optimizing social security policies and improving the quality of life for older adults.