The Effect of Individual Factors, Socioeconomic and Social Participation on Individual Happiness: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Happiness and exhilaration are the most essential demands of human innate psychological needs that affect both physical and mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of individual factors, socioeconomic and social participation on individual happiness. In this study, we evaluated 15 to 54-year-old individuals to find the effects of individual factors, socioeconomic and social partnership (formal or informal) on human happiness. A random sampling method was used in the present study. The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) was used. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics including; frequency, percentage, Mean±SD. Correlation coefficient, one way ANOVA and logistic regression were also used as analytical statistics. There was a significant relationship between gender (p=0.001, r=0.144), marital status (p=0.001, r=0.174), happy parents (p=0.001, r=0.194), educational grade (p=0.001, r=0.189), employment status (p=0.001, r=0.180), income (p=0.001, r=0.264), car ownership (p=0.001, r=0.173), informal social participation (p=0.001, r=0.3) and formal social participation (p=0.001, r=0.231) with happiness. However, the relationship between home ownership (p=0.346, r=-0.015), and happiness was not significant. It seems that good and cordial relations with others, including family, relatives and friends (informal social participation) are the main sources and the most important factors of life satisfaction and human happiness. Higher income can increase happiness by enhancing the possibility to access the needs, desires, problems solving, enhancing the social support and self esteem and opportunities to perform one's favourite activities.