Abstract
Public health research and policy in sub-Saharan Africa are generally disease-oriented, with the focus being largely confined within the biological determinants of health. So far, little attention has been given to developing a more health-oriented approach by emphasising the psychosocial dimensions of health, especially among the younger population. To this regard, we conducted the present study to assess the prevalence and sociocultural correlates of perceived happiness, health, and life satisfaction among the adolescent and young (15–24 years) population in Malawi. We analysed cross-sectional data on 12,610 men and women based on a Malawi multiple indicator cluster survey conducted in 2013–2014. Data were analysed using descriptive and multivariable regression methods. According to the findings, more than 80% of the men and women reported being satisfied about happiness, health, and life. Multivariate analysis showed an inverse relationship between being currently or formerly married and perceived happiness. Ethnic disparities in perceived health and happiness were more pronounced in men, whereas that of life satisfaction was more pronounced in women. Living in households of the highest wealth quintile was positively associated with health and life satisfaction, but not with happiness. These findings highlight the need for prioritising the psychosocial needs of the adolescent and youth populations in designing health and social policy in Malawi. The findings need to be interpreted in light of the factors specific to the sociocultural environment in Malawi.
Highlights
The concepts of the social determinants of health (SDH) and life outcomes have been gaining widespread attention in various disciplines, including sociology, environment, public health, and international development (Ngamaba and Soni 2018; Amit et al 2012; Becker et al 2009; Benjamin et al 2012; Mail Online 2010)
The relatively higher proportions of health and life satisfaction are quite remarkable given the level of human development in the country
The country performs low in terms of human development index, ranking 170 out of 188 countries and territories in 2017 (AfricaNews 2017)
Summary
The concepts of the social determinants of health (SDH) and life outcomes have been gaining widespread attention in various disciplines, including sociology, environment, public health, and international development (Ngamaba and Soni 2018; Amit et al 2012; Becker et al 2009; Benjamin et al 2012; Mail Online 2010). The importance of socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural factors on health outcomes are better understood in terms of their role in providing the necessary conditions required for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding risk factors, and being able to seek proper care when facing health issues (Zarini et al 2014; Bishwajit et al 2017; Gate et al 2016). These factors are broadly classified to encompass the social, cultural, behavioural, and environmental aspects of health, quality of. Self-rated health (SRH) is a widely used measure to capture the overall sociocultural condition of individual health and has been found to be a strong predictor of health condition and mortality among individuals living with and without disability and chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and functional ability (Zarini et al 2014; Idler and Kasl 1995; Idler and Benyamini 1997; DeSalvo et al 2006)
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