Has life satisfaction in Norway increased over a 20-year period? Exploring age and gender differences in a prospective longitudinal study, HUNT.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the change in overall life satisfaction for different age groups and between genders over a 20-year period. Methods: Data from 1984 to 2008 were extracted from a large prospective longitudinal health study of Nord-Trøndelag (HUNT), Norway. The study included more than 176,000 participants ranging from 20 to 70+ years of age. Data were analysed using logistic regression and adjusted for gender. Results: The analyses revealed an increase in life satisfaction for all age groups from 1984–1986 (HUNT 1) to 1995–1997 (HUNT 2), with the highest levels being reached at 2006–2008 (HUNT 3). For all age groups, the data showed an increase of about …