Race, Socioeconomic Status, and the Subjective Well-Being of Older Americans

1987 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad McKenzie ◽  
James Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Older Americans ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Self Assessed Health ◽  
Intervening Variables

Causal examination of factors influencing life satisfaction among older Americans can provide knowledge important to social policy development. Using rotated factor analysis, this study isolates two dimensions of life satisfaction, labeled happiness and morale, using data from the 1981 Harris survey on aging. Race, SES characteristics, and the two intervening variables of self-assessed health status and problems experienced are tested through path analysis on the two attributes of life satisfaction. Most of the effects of race and SES are mediated by self-assessed health status and problems experienced, and these two intervening variables are the strongest direct predictors of happiness and morale. Of particular significance are results which demonstrate that racial background has a strong influence on problems experienced, and that education is more influential than income on the life satisfaction factors tested in this study.

scholarly journals What are the determinants of subjective well-being of healthy adults in rural communities in and around forests?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ike Aggraeni ◽  
Saidatul Adnin ◽  
Yuli Astria ◽  
Muhammad Firmansyah ◽  
Yessika Canigia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Ecosystem Degradation ◽  
Rural Villages ◽  
Working Adults ◽  
East Kalimantan ◽  
Self Assessed Health

Sustainability goals are seeking to jointly improve environmental conditions and the well-being of society. Yet achieving both environmental and human well-being goals remains challenging because improving the material well-being of people can often mean increasing the risk of environmental and ecosystem degradation. An alternative method that may help meet both goals is to target non-monetary determinants of subjective well-being. However. few studies have examined the determinants of subjective well-being in industrializing countries. Here, we report on an analysis examining the determinants of subjective well-being among health, working adults in rural villages in and around forests in the Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. We find there is no significant relationship between subjective well-being and measures of monetary well-being, such as income and assets. Instead, we find age, sex, self-assessed health status, and occupation are significantly associated with subjective well-being. Our results have implications for policies seeking to improve subjective well-being among these populations.

Relationships with Grandparents and Grandchildren’s Well-being after Parental Divorce

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 757-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike Jappens ◽  
Jan Van Bavel
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Parental Divorce ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Good Relationship ◽  
Family Crisis ◽  
Depressive Feelings ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Grandparents are often considered as providing important resources in times of family crisis. Little is known, however, about the influence of grandparents on the well-being of grandchildren after parental divorce. This article investigates the association between the quality of relationships with grandparents and grandchildren’s subjective well-being. Using data from the study ‘Divorce in Flanders’, the authors compare 567 grandchildren with divorced and 238 with married parents regarding four indicators of subjective well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem, mastery, and depressive feelings) and also examine variation within the group with divorced parents. Results show that the strength of grandchild–grandparent relationships is positively associated with grandchildren’s subjective well-being and that having a very good relationship with a grandparent matters even more for grandchildren whose parents have divorced. Moreover, grandchildren who experience frequent conflicts between divorced parents seem to benefit most from close grandparent relationships.

Economic and Cultural Correlates of Subjective Well-Being in Countries Using Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)

2010 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 949-963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esma Gaygisiz
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Unequal Income Distribution

The correlations among indicators of objective well-being, cultural dimensions, and subjective well-being were investigated using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 35 countries. The subjective well-being measures included life satisfaction as well as six positive and six negative indexes of experience. Positive and negative experience scores were subjected to principal component analysis, and two positive experience components (labeled as “positive experiences” and “time management”) and two negative experience components (labeled as “pain, worry, and sadness” and “anger and boredom”) were extracted. Objective well-being included economic indicators, education, and health. The cultural variables included Hofstede's and Schwartz's cultural dimensions, national Big Five personality scores, and national IQs. High life satisfaction was positively related to Gross Domestic Product, life expectancy, education, individualism, affective and intellectual autonomy, egalitarianism, and conscientiousness, whereas low life satisfaction was related to unemployment, unequal income distribution, power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, embeddedness, hierarchy, and neuroticism.

scholarly journals Singles in the city: happily ever after?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Riederer ◽  
Nina-Sophie Fritsch ◽  
Lena Seewann
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Financial Situation ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The City

More people than ever are living in cities, and in these cities, more and more people are living alone. Using the example of Vienna, this paper investigates the subjective well-being of single households in the city. Previous research has identified positive and negative aspects of living alone (e.g., increased freedom vs. missing social embeddedness). We compare single households with other household types using data from the Viennese Quality of Life Survey (1995–2018). In our analysis, we consider overall life satisfaction as well as selected dimensions of subjective wellbeing (i.e., housing, financial situation, main activity, family, social contacts, leisure time). Our findings show that the subjective well-being of single households in Vienna is high and quite stable over time. While single households are found to have lower life satisfaction than two-adult households, this result is mainly explained by singles reporting lower satisfaction with family life. Compared to households with children, singles are more satisfied with their financial situation, leisure time and housing, which helps to offset the negative consequences of missing family ties (in particular with regard to single parents).

scholarly journals Association Between Personal Values in Adolescence and Subjective Well-Being and Subjective Health Status in Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Study with Retrospective Recall

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mako Iida ◽  
Kazuhiro Watanabe ◽  
Naonori Yasuma ◽  
Daisuke Nishi ◽  
Norito Kawakami
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Subjective Health Status ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Backgrounds: Subjective well-being and subjective health status are significant indicators of healthy lives, and might be influenced by personal values shaped in adolescence. However, there are no studies that have examined the association between personal values in adolescence and subjective well-being in adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate this association in a large community adult sample in Japan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with retrospective recall, using data from a Japanese study on stratification, health, income, and neighborhood (J-SHINE) survey. We used data for demographic variables and outcome variables (i.e., meaning in life, life satisfaction, and subjective health status) in a Wave 1 survey, and data regarding personal values (i.e., value priorities based on Schwartz’s theory of basic values and commitment to values) at the age of 15 in a Wave 3 survey. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between personal values at the age of 15 and meaning in life, life satisfaction, and subjective health status in adulthood. Results: A total of 2,413 adults from the J-SHINE sample were included in the analysis. The adolescent values of “having influence on society,” “actively challenging,” “having and keeping a belief,” “exploring what you were interested in,” “graduating from a famous school,” and commitment to values were positively and significantly associated, while “being evaluated by others” in adolescence was negatively associated with meaning in life in adulthood. At the same time, commitment to values in adolescence was positively and significantly associated with life satisfaction in adulthood. With subjective health status in adulthood, the adolescent value of “graduating from a famous school” had a positive and significant correlation, while “maintain a stable life” had a negative and significant association. Conclusions: Personal values related to openness to change and self-enhancement, and commitment to values in adolescence might be associated with better subjective well-being and subjective health status in adulthood. The findings could be useful for programs that invest in adolescence, which can bring many benefits to adulthood.

scholarly journals Heritage Engagement and Subjective Well-Being in the European Union

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9623
Author(s):  
Victoria Ateca-Amestoy ◽  
Anna Villarroya ◽  
Andreas J. Wiesand
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Use Values ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

In this paper, we explore the relationship between different ways of getting engaged with cultural heritage and life satisfaction. Using data from a representative sample of the population of the 28 members of the European Union in 2017 collected in the Eurobarometer 88.1 (2017), we explore the relationship between use and non-use values and individual subjective well-being measured as life satisfaction. We present the results derived from the estimation of an ordered probit model where life satisfaction is a function of living near to heritage resources to represent non-use values, different ways of heritage participation (tangible, intangible, digital, and volunteering), and the usual explanatory variables that have been found to be predictors of life satisfaction. Our results indicate that the chances of being more satisfied with ones’ life increase with volunteering activities, with visits to heritage institutions, and with digital engagement. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the multifaceted values of heritage.

Think Positively and Feel Positively: Optimism and Life Satisfaction in Late Life

2005 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beeto Wai-Chung Leung ◽  
Giovanni B. Moneta ◽  
Catherine McBride-Chang
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Financial Status ◽  
Financial Conditions ◽  
Elderly Living

This study developed a dispositional path model of life satisfaction for community dwelling Chinese elderly living in Hong Kong. A sample of 117 elderly completed scales measuring life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, relationship harmony, self-construals, and perceived/expected health and financial status. Modeling revealed that life satisfaction was predicted by self-esteem and relationship harmony, which in turn were predicted by independent and interdependent self-construals, respectively. In addition, optimism predicted life satisfaction directly and indirectly through self-esteem and relationship harmony. Financial status mediated entirely the effect of optimism on life satisfaction. Health status was predicted by optimism but did not predict life satisfaction. Optimism is a key contributor to subjective well being because it fosters self-esteem, relationship harmony, and positive perceptions of financial conditions.

Democratic Institutions and Subjective Well-Being

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 685-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Altman ◽  
Patrick Flavin ◽  
Benjamin Radcliff
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Systematic Study ◽  
Real World ◽  
Electoral System ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Robust Evidence

We examine how differences in how democracy is institutionalized affect life satisfaction across nations. To our knowledge, this is the first rigorous, systematic study of this subject. Using data for 21 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1981 to 2008, we find robust evidence that citizens report living more satisfying lives in countries with a parliamentary (rather than presidential) executive, a proportional representation electoral system (as opposed to single member districts), and a unitary (rather than federal) governmental structure. Moreover, the findings suggest that the real-world consequences for these types of democratic institutions for human well-being are substantial, rivaling or exceeding other common predictors. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications of the results.

scholarly journals The health status and life satisfaction of caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer’s

1969 ◽  
Vol 42 (2 supl 1) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
Maria Helena Lenardt ◽  
Mariluci Hautsch Willig ◽  
Márcia Daniele Seima ◽  
Letice De Freitas Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Reference Center

Introduction: The health status of caregivers is associated with satisfaction with life and so in the way of delivering care to the elderly with Alzheimer’s. Objective: To evaluate the health status and life satisfaction of family caregivers of elderly with Alzheimer’s, users of a Reference Center for Care in Alzheimer’s disease in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study. The convenience sample consisted of 208 family caregivers and selected during the period December 2009 to February 2010, through the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study was conducted in the Reference Center. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and application of the scales: Zarit caregiver burden interview, Subjective Well-Being and Functional Staging. For statistical analysis, we applied the Chi-square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test, using Epi-Info 6.04. Results were considered statistically significant if their level was less than 5% (p

scholarly journals The Dynamics of Online Activities and Its Impact on Well-Being in Urban China

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinxuan Huang
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Rural Migrants ◽  
Online Activities ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Using data from the China Family Panel Studies, this study examines the socioeconomic characteristics of Internet users, as well as the relationships between the dynamics of different forms of online activities and the subjective well-being of urbanites and rural migrants in urban China. The study finds that online behaviour may clearly reflect differences in individuals’ personal traits and socioeconomic positions. Patterns of the association between online activities and subjective well-being tend to differ among rural migrants and urbanites, especially in terms of depression. A difference-in-differences model is employed to estimate the impact of intensified engagement in online activities on depression and life satisfaction from 2010 to 2016. The results show that increased frequency of online entertainment exhibits a comparatively positive effect on depression and life satisfaction. Spending more time on online social networking has a similar impact on rural migrants, but not on urbanites. These findings suggest that the rapid development of urban China’s online community has important implications for residents’ subjective well-being.

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