Effects of Grit on the Successful Aging of the Elderly in Korea

The purpose of the study was to determine how grit in the elderly affects the level of successful aging of elderly people living in communities. A survey was conducted with 315 aging people in the metropolitan cities of Seoul and Incheon as well as mid- and small-sized cities, including Cheonan and Seosan, and agriculture or fishery-based regions including Tae- An and Hongseong. A correlation and hierarchical regression analysis to identify the effects of grit on successful aging were conducted. First, the correlation coefficient between major variables was low, in a range of 0.02 0.41. Second, successful aging of the elderly was seen to increase when perseverance was high. These results will make academic and practical contributions in gerontology, welfare of the aged, social welfare, and psychosociology areas.