Quality of life of Malaysian men and women retirees: A case study in Besut, Terengganu

Quality of life during retirement may be influenced by changes in social roles, social relationships, daily routines, decline of income and health conditions. Given that the quality of life for both genders during retirement is a new subject in Malaysia, this study examined the retirees’ quality of life from the perspectives of economic ability, health, social support, living conditons and social relationships. Besut’s primary data were gathered from in-depth interviews of seven male and seven female retirees who had undergone retirement periods of between three to 23 years. The findings revealed that women retirees had better quality of life compared to their male counterparts. Although retirees might differ in their perception and interpretation of their own quality of life upon retirement they did indicate, conclusively, the imperative of preparation, in particular, financial preparations before entering the retirement phase.