Private Religious or Spiritual Activities and its Impact on Life Satisfaction: A Population-based Study

Population Level ◽

Well Being ◽

Canadian Community Health Survey ◽

Population Based ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Individual Level ◽

High Satisfaction ◽

Background: Life satisfaction is considered a valid population-based indicator of health and well-being. Recently, many advances in life satisfaction and well-being have been made by improving social and health policies. However, several countries continue to report low levels of life satisfaction, even among many modern industrialized nations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of private religious or spiritual activities (PRS) as a possible modifiable, individual-level factor to increase life satisfaction, with population-level health implications.Methods: The analytic sample included 9,627 respondents to the 2011-2012 Canadian Community Health Survey. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between self-reported PRS activities and life satisfaction, adjusted for confounders.Results: After adjusting for the confounders, daily PRS activities was associated with an increased odds of high satisfaction (AOR=1.22, 95% CI: 0.84, 1.78) compared to low satisfaction. Engaging in weekly PRS activities was also associated with an increased odds of high satisfaction (AOR = AOR=1.33, 95% CI: 0.87, 2.02) compared to low satisfaction. Monthly engagement in PRS activities was not associated with increases in life satisfaction. Conclusions: There is a moderate association between the odds of high satisfaction and engaging in PRS activities on a daily or weekly basis. The variability in the CIs of the AORs indicates imprecision in the data; however, the majority of the possible range of effects are beneficial. Countries and other relevant organizations should be cognizant of the possible role that religious and spiritual values may have on life satisfaction, as another factor to explore further for population-level health benefits.

How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10578-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Takashi Oshio ◽

Hiromi Kimura ◽

Toshimi Nishizaki ◽

Takashi Omori

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Individual Level ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Level Data ◽

Abstract Background Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019 and 2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N = 12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p < 0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications. Conclusion Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

10.21203/rs.3.rs-46049/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Takashi Oshio ◽

Hiromi Kimura ◽

Toshimi Nishizaki ◽

Takashi Omori

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Individual Level ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Level Data ◽

Abstract Background: Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied.Methods: We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019–2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a database provided by the Japanese government (N=12 461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS.Results: Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p<0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 % and 33.1 % of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications.Conclusion: This study showed that area-level deprivation modestly depressed an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being. The results underscore the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions and to promote healthy lifestyles to alleviate the negative impact of area-level deprivation.

How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

10.21203/rs.3.rs-46049/v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Takashi Oshio ◽

Hiromi Kimura ◽

Toshimi Nishizaki ◽

Takashi Omori

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Individual Level ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Level Data ◽

Abstract Background: Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods: We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019–2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N=12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results. Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p<0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6% and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications.Conclusion. Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

Lifestyle behaviours of children and adolescents during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and their relation to well-being: a population-based study

10.1101/2021.11.29.21267019 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriela P Peralta ◽

Anne-Linda Camerini ◽

Sarah R Haile ◽

Christian R Kahlert ◽

Elsa Lorthe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Partial Recovery ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Lifestyle Behaviours ◽

Excellent Health ◽

Background: Previous studies assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's and adolescent's lifestyle focused mainly on the first wave in early 2020. We aimed to describe changes in adherence to recommendations for physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep duration over the first two waves of the pandemic (March-May 2020 and October 2020-January 2021) in Switzerland, and to assess the associations of these lifestyle behaviours with life satisfaction and overall health, as indicators of well-being. Methods: We included 3168 participants aged 5 to 18 years from four Swiss cantons. Participants or their parents completed repeated questionnaires and reported on their (child's) PA, ST, sleep, life satisfaction, and overall health. We analysed lifestyle behaviours in terms of adherence to international recommendations. We used linear and logistic regression models to assess the associations of number of recommendations met and adherence patterns with well-being indicators. Findings: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the percentage of participants meeting the recommendations for PA and ST decreased strikingly during March-May 2020, while there was a slight increase in those meeting recommendations for sleep. During October 2020-January 2021, the percentage of compliant children for PA and ST increased but remained lower than before the pandemic. Participants meeting all three recommendations were more likely to report excellent health (OR: 1.87 [1.15-3.08]) and a higher life satisfaction score (β: 0.59 [0.30-0.88]) than participants not meeting any recommendation. Adherence to recommendations for PA and sleep, PA and ST, and sleep and ST was similarly associated with both well-being indicators. Interpretation: We show a substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's and adolescents' lifestyle behaviours with a partial recovery over time, and an association between lifestyle and well-being. Public health policies to promote children's and adolescents' well-being should target PA, ST, and sleep simultaneously. Funding: Corona Immunitas.

Mass homeownership policy and economic well-being of the elderly: empirical evidence from the Polish household survey

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy ◽

10.1108/ijssp-09-2021-0232 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Edyta Marcinkiewicz ◽

Filip Chybalski

Keyword(s):

Great Majority ◽

Household Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

The Elderly ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Content Type ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Impact ◽

Economic Well Being

PurposeThe authors’ empirical investigation attempts to identify the nexus between the economic well-being of Polish elderly households and their housing situation, which can be related to the impact of the mass privatization policy implemented in Poland in the early 1990s. The generation who benefited from the process at that time currently includes great majority of people at retirement age who are homeowners.Design/methodology/approachIn the study, the authors employ micro data from the Polish Social Diagnosis household survey and analyze them in a multinomial logistic regression framework. They explore the nexus between both subjective and objective measures of income and housing circumstances.FindingsThe results imply that housing arrangements do not significantly differentiate Polish households in terms of their economic well-being when controlling for other sociodemographic factors. This may result from two independent, but possibly overlapping, reasons. The first is that housing circumstances are quite evenly distributed across elderly population as compared to income. This may be a direct effect of the “(socialist) state legacy,” as in the socialist era there was a strong focus on diminishing income and wealth inequalities in society. The second explanation is that better housing circumstances are not a sufficient means to improve the welfare of the elderly.Originality/valueThe study’s analysis is associated with little investigated area of the welfare effects of homeownership in the old age at the individual level. It explores this issue on the example of Poland, which is a typical representative of the group of post-socialist countries that share a common feature of “state legacy welfare” that is characterized by extensive mortgage-free homeownership.

Association of allergic diseases with children’s life satisfaction: population-based study in Finland

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019281 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. e019281 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Leena Haanpää ◽

Piia af Ursin ◽

Merja Nermes ◽

Anne Kaljonen ◽

Erika Isolauri

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

School Children ◽

Allergic Diseases ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Student Life ◽

Satisfaction Scale ◽

The Impact ◽

Life Satisfaction Scale

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of allergic diseases on the subjective well-being and life satisfaction of primary-school children.DesignPopulation-based cohort.SettingFinnish sample of children ages 10 and 12 from the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being.ParticipantsNationally representative sample of 1947 school children.Main outcome measureTwo different instruments to assess the child’s own perception of well-being, the short version of the Student Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS).ResultsAltogether, 51.4% of children reported having at least one allergic condition (10.1% asthma, 23.8% eczema and 40.3% seasonal allergic rhinitis). A statistically significant distinction in life satisfaction emerged between non-allergic and allergic children (inferior in the latter). In particular, children with eczema were more likely to report a reduction in life satisfaction compared with non-allergic children (SLSS β=−128.220; BMSLSS β=−90.694; p<0.01). Apart from freedom from eczema, good life satisfaction was associated with a physically active lifestyle.ConclusionsActive allergic disease reduces the child’s own perception of well-being. During clinical visits, more attention should be paid to the child’s psychosocial status and impairments, which may differ substantially from those of parents or medical authorities.

How commuting affects subjective wellbeing

Transportation ◽

10.1007/s11116-019-09983-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 47 (6) ◽

pp. 2777-2805 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ben Clark ◽

Kiron Chatterjee ◽

Adam Martin ◽

Adrian Davis

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Job Satisfaction ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Leisure Time ◽

Satisfaction With Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Individual Level ◽

Abstract Commuting between home and work is routinely performed by workers and any wellbeing impacts of commuting will consequently affect a large proportion of the population. This paper presents findings from analyses of the impact of commuting (time and mode) on multiple aspects of Subjective Well-Being (SWB), including: satisfaction with life overall and the SWB sub-domains of job satisfaction, satisfaction with leisure time availability and self-reported health. Measures of strain and mental health (GHQ-12) are also examined. Six waves of individual-level panel data from Understanding Society (2009/10 to 2014/15) are analysed, providing a sample of over 26,000 workers living in England. Associations between commuting and SWB are identified, paying particular attention to those arising from individual changes in commuting circumstances over the six waves. It is found that longer commute times are associated with lower job and leisure time satisfaction, increased strain and poorer mental health. The strongest association is found for leisure time satisfaction. Despite these negative associations with the SWB sub-domains, longer commute times were not associated with lower overall life satisfaction (except where individuals persisted with them over all six waves). Workers in England appear to be successful in balancing the negative aspects of commuting against the wider benefits, e.g. access to employment, earnings and housing. Differences amongst selected population sub-groups are also examined. The job satisfaction of younger adults and lower income groups are not found to be negatively associated with longer commute times; longer commute times are more strongly negatively associated with the job satisfaction of women compared to men. With respect to mode of transport, walking to work is associated with increased leisure time satisfaction and reduced strain. The absence of the commute, via working from home, is associated with increased job satisfaction and leisure time satisfaction. Overall, the study indicates that shorter commute times and walkable commutes can contribute to improved SWB—particularly through the release of leisure time. But life satisfaction overall will only be maintained if the benefits of undertaking the commute (earnings and satisfactory housing/employment) are not compromised.

Anti-Corruption Protests and University Students: Evidence from Russian Cities

Government and Opposition ◽

10.1017/gov.2021.54 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-20

Author(s):

Olena Nikolayenko

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Well Being ◽

Political Regime ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Individual Level ◽

Level Data ◽

European Values Survey ◽

European Values ◽

The One

Abstract There are conflicting theoretical expectations regarding students' protest behaviour in contemporary autocracies. On the one hand, in line with a resource model of political participation, university students are more likely to protest than their peers without higher education. On the other hand, university students in autocracies might refrain from high-risk activism in exchange for their own financial well-being and career advancement. To address this debate, the article leverages data on anti-corruption protests organized by the opposition politician Alexei Navalny in March 2017. Results show that anti-corruption protests were larger in Russian cities with a larger university student population. Next, employing individual-level data from the fifth wave of the European Values Survey, multinomial logistic regression analysis demonstrates that university students participated in demonstrations at a higher rate than non-students of the same age. More broadly, these findings yield insights into subnational variation in mass mobilization in a repressive political regime.

Good governance matters for well-being: the case of Kazakhstan

Transforming Government People Process and Policy ◽

10.1108/tg-02-2021-0030 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Balzhan Serikbayeva ◽

Kanat Abdulla

Keyword(s):

Life Satisfaction ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Public Service ◽

Well Being ◽

Trust In Government ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Content Type ◽

Individual Level ◽

Government Institutions ◽

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of the perceived performance of the government on subjective well-being based on the individual-level survey data of Kazakhstan. Having implemented substantial economic and public administration reforms over nearly three decades since independence in 1991 Kazakhstan presents an interesting case to explore how people perceive the outcomes of the reforms. Design/methodology/approach This paper estimates the relationship between life satisfaction and its determinants with the ordered logit model making use of the ranking information in the response variable. Findings This paper establishes that satisfaction with public service delivery, living conditions and personal and economic factors that are subject to public policy, along with trust in government institutions contribute to life satisfaction. The more satisfied individuals are with the quality, affordability and accessibility of public services, the more satisfied they are with their lives as a whole. A higher level of trust in government institutions increases individual well-being. Originality/value There is still a lack of research on subjective well-being in the less developed world. This study will help reveal important determinants of subjective well-being in the context of a developing country. Also, this study is valuable in terms of examining the impact of citizen satisfaction with public service delivery on subjective wellbeing based on rich individual-level data of the national quality of life (QoL) survey.

Characteristics of those most vulnerable to employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationally representative cross-sectional study in Wales

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2020-216030 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jech-2020-216030

Author(s):

Benjamin J Gray ◽

Richard G Kyle ◽

Jiao Song ◽

Alisha R Davies

Keyword(s):

Household Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Employment Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Exact Test ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

BackgroundThe public health response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a detrimental impact on employment and there are concerns the impact may be greatest among the most vulnerable. We examined the characteristics of those who experienced changes in employment status during the early months of the pandemic.MethodsData were collected from a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey of the working age population (18–64 years) in Wales in May/June 2020 (n=1379). We looked at changes in employment and being placed on furlough since February 2020 across demographics, contract type, job skill level, health status and household factors. χ2 or Fisher’s exact test and multinomial logistic regression models examined associations between demographics, subgroups and employment outcomes.ResultsOf our respondents, 91.0% remained in the same job in May/June 2020 as they were in February 2020, 5.7% were now in a new job and 3.3% experienced unemployment. In addition, 24% of our respondents reported being placed on furlough. Non-permanent contract types, individuals who reported low mental well-being and household financial difficulties were all significant factors in experiencing unemployment. Being placed on ‘furlough’ was more likely in younger (18–29 years) and older (60–64 years) workers, those in lower skilled jobs and from households with less financial security.ConclusionA number of vulnerable population groups were observed to experience detrimental employment outcomes during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Targeted support is needed to mitigate against both the direct impacts on employment, and indirect impacts on financial insecurity and health.