Factors Associated with Happiness and Aging Preparation among LGBTQ+ Individuals in Rural Communities
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The transition toward an aging society among LGBTQ+ individuals in rural communities has received increasing attention; however, empirical evidence regarding psychosocial factors related to happiness and later-life readiness remains limited. This cross-sectional analytical study aimed to investigate factors associated with happiness and aging preparation among LGBTQ+ individuals in rural communities. The participants comprised 220 LGBTQ+ individuals aged 40 years and older residing in rural communities of Sisaket Province, Thailand. Participants were recruited via snowball sampling through trust-based social networks. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that demonstrated acceptable content validity (IOC = 0.88) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, and backward stepwise multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that family support was the only factor significantly associated with happiness (β = 0.376, p < 0.001), accounting for 14.2% of the variance (R² = 0.142). By contrast, social relationships were the only factor significantly associated with aging preparation (β = 0.168, p = 0.012), explaining 2.8% of the variance (R² = 0.028). The findings suggest that within rural contexts characterized by limited welfare systems and structural support, family acceptance and social relationships may function as important psychosocial resources supporting emotional security and later-life readiness among LGBTQ+ individuals. Furthermore, the findings may provide empirical evidence for the development of health education processes, community health promotion, and socially supportive environments that facilitate quality aging among LGBTQ+ populations in rural Thai communities
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The content and information in the articles published in the Journal of Science and Technology, Sisaket Rajabhat University reflect the opinions and responsibilities of the respective authors. The editorial board of the journal does not necessarily agree with, nor share responsibility for, these views.
Articles, information, content, images, etc., published in the Journal of Science and Technology, Sisaket Rajabhat University are copyrighted by the Faculty of Science and Technology, Sisaket Rajabhat University. If any individual or organization wishes to republish all or part of the content, or use it for any other purpose, they must obtain written permission from the Journal of Science and Technology, Sisaket Rajabhat University beforehand.
References
Antoniucci, C., Entilli, L., Pistella, J., Lucidi, F., & Baiocco, R. (2026). Older LGB Adults and Sport-Related Contexts: Discrimination, Evolving Context, Motivations, and Attitudes Toward LGBTQ+ Sports Associations. Journal of homosexuality, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2026.2642703
Baiocco, R., Antoniucci, C., Pistella, J., Alessandri, G., Alivernini, F., Borghi, A., Chirico, A., Filosa, L., Fini, C., Palombi, T., Rosati, F., Tavolucci, S., & Lucidi, F. (2024). Aging well in an aging society: physical health in older lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1369021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1369021
Best, J. W. (1981). Research in education (4th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Christian, L. M., Cole, S. W., McDade, T., Pachankis, J. E., Morgan, E., Strahm, A. M., & Dush, C. M. K. (2021). A Biopsychosocial Framework for Understanding Sexual and Gender Minority Health: A Call for Action. Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews, 129, 107-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.004
Christian, L. M., Wilson, S., Madison, A. A., Dush, C. M. K., McDade, T. W., Peng, J., Andridge, R. R., Morgan, E., Manning, W., & Cole, S. W. (2025). Sexual minority stress and epigenetic aging. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 126, 24-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2025.01.022
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310
Diener, E. (2012). New findings and future directions for subjective well-being research. American Psychologist, 67(8), 590–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029541
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A. G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146
Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (6th ed.). London: SAGE Publications.
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Kim, H. J., Bryan, A. E., Shiu, C., & Emlet, C. A. (2017). The cascading effects of marginalization and pathways of resilience in attaining good health among LGBT older adults. The Gerontologist, 57, suppl_1, S72–S83. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw170
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Kim, H. J., Shiu, C., Goldsen, J., & Emlet, C. A. (2015). Successful aging among LGBT older adults: Physical and mental health-related quality of life by age group. The Gerontologist, 55(1), 154–168. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnu081
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Jen, S., & Muraco, A. (2019). Iridescent Life Course: LGBTQ Aging Research and Blueprint for the Future – A Systematic Review. Gerontology, 65(3), 253 - 274. https://doi.org/10.1159/000493559
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Kim, H. J., Barkan, S. E., Muraco, A., & Hoy-Ellis, C. P. (2013). Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults: Results from a Population-Based Study, American Journal of Public Health, 103(10), 1802-1809. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301110
Frost, D. M., & Meyer, I. H. (2023). Minority stress theory: Application, critique, and continued relevance. Current opinion in psychology, 51, 101579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101579
House, J. S. (1981). Work stress and social support. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Hurd, L., & Li, L. Y. (2023). “I Want to Grow Older with Dignity”: Older LGBTQ+ Canadian Adults’ Perceptions and Experiences of Aging. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 43(5), 536 - 549. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231219414
Iamko, S., & Boonnun, V. (2021). Stigmatization and pressing LGBT STIGMATIZATION AND PRESSING LGBTQ IN THAI SOCIETY. Academic Journal Phranakhon Rajabhat University, 12(1), 384–398. retrieved from https://so01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/AJPU/article/view/246770 (in Thai)
Knodel, J., Teerawichitchainan, B., Prachuabmoh, V., & Pothisiri, W. (2015). The situation of Thailand's older population: An update based on the 2014 survey of older persons in Thailand. Research Collection School of Social Sciences [Online]. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1948
Langarita, J. A., Montserrat, C., Fustier-García, N., & Albertín, P. (2025). Exploring the Impact of LGBTIQ Policies on Childhood: A Comparative Analysis in Three EU Countries. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-025-01196-3
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674
Pachankis, J. E., Mahon, C. P., Jackson, S. D., Fetzner, B. K., & Bränström, R. (2020). Sexual orientation concealment and mental health: A conceptual and meta-analytic review. Psychological bulletin, 146(10), 831-837. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000271
Pistella, J., Baiocco, R., Antoniucci, C., Alessandri, G., Alivernini, F., Borghi, A., Filosa, L., Fini, C., Palombi, T., Tavolucci, S., & Lucidi, F. (2024). Older LGBT+ Adults and Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Data. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 22(1), 226 - 251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00925-w
Queiroz, A. L. N., Meng, Z., Hall, C. D. X., Lane, B., Wang, L., Haughbrook, R., ... & Ibragimov, U. (2026). A multilevel analysis of LGBT-relevant laws and sexual and gender minority mental health: evidence for the protective role of inclusive policies. BMC Public Health, 26(733), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-26309-4
Teerawichitchainan, B., Pothisiri, W., & Long, G. T. (2015). How do living arrangements and intergenerational support matter for psychological health of elderly parents? Evidence from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand. Social Science & Medicine, 136, 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.05.019.
Tongterm, T., Nantasing, W., Setthamas, M., & Kaewma, J. (2026). From minority stress to active aging readiness: inclusive recreation as community-level social infrastructure for LGBTQ+ adults in rural Thailand. Retos, 78, 41-52. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v78.118481
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2014). Being LGBT in Asia: Thailand country report [Online]. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from: https://www.undp.org/thailand/publications/being-lgbt-asia-thailand-country-report
Westwood, S. (2020). The myth of ‘older LGBT+’ people: Research shortcomings and policy/practice implications for health/care provision. Journal of Aging Studies, 55, 100880. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2020.100880
Whitehead, J., Shaver, J., & Stephenson, R. (2016). Outness, stigma, and primary health care utilization among rural LGBT populations. PLoS One, 11(1), e0146139. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146139
World Health Organization (WHO). (2002). Active ageing: A policy framework [Online]. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/67215
Yodlorchai, R., Suttiwan, P., Walch, S. E., & Ngamake, S. (2024). Interpersonal and environmental microaggressions & depression: Thai LGBQ+ perspectives. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Studies, 24(2), 353–363. https://doi.org/10.69598/hasss.24.2.266035
