Date
9-17-2026
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Reuben Newton Addison
Keywords
music engagement, quality of life, older adults, healthy aging, biopsychosocial-spiritual framework, chronic health conditions, gerontology, public health, Health and Retirement Study, secondary data analysis, perceived well-being, self-rated health
Disciplines
Music | Public Health
Recommended Citation
Nartey, Theophilus Eben, "Harmonies of Healing: A Secondary Data Analysis on Music Engagement and Quality of Life in Older Adults" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8946.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8946
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional secondary data analysis was to examine the relationship between music engagement and self-reported quality of life among adults aged 60 years and older, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Guided by the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) framework, the study explored whether music engagement significantly predicted perceived well-being in later adulthood while accounting for chronic health conditions. Secondary data from the HRS public-use dataset were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29. The final analytical sample consisted of 1,582 adults aged 60 years or older with complete data on all variables included in the analyses. Music engagement served as the primary independent variable, self-reported quality of life as the dependent variable, and chronic health conditions as a control variable. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between music engagement and self-reported quality of life among older adults. Chronic health conditions were significantly associated with lower levels of perceived quality of life. The findings support multidimensional perspectives on healthy aging, consistent with the Biopsychosocial-Spiritual framework, and suggest that emotionally meaningful experiences, such as music engagement, may be associated with perceived well-being among older adults. The findings contribute to interdisciplinary scholarship in gerontology, healthy aging, and public health by supporting continued exploration of person-centered and nonpharmacological dimensions of quality of life in later adulthood.
