The effects of functional health status on socio‐psychological aspects of everyday life were analysed with data from 2,255 Japanese persons aged 55 years and over. The sample was randomly selected from the residents' registration (response rate was 75.2%). The socio‐psychological variables were self‐rated health, working status, frequency of going out, leisure activities, social networks, social supports, and subjective well‐being. Health status had significant and positive effects on these variables when the effects of age, gender and educational attainment were controlled. The results seem to confirm the notion that health status is the pivotal condition of quality of life in old age and