Abstract
The interoceanic highway (IOH) in Madre de Dios, Peru has driven dramatic change in the Peruvian Amazon basin. We conducted a mixed methods study to examine the impact of these changes on the subjective well-being (SWB) of four communities on the IOH. Themes that emerged qualitatively included changing health threats, environmental degradation, and the impact of increased migration. To achieve a higher level of SWB, respondents emphasized the need for higher incomes, opportunities to learn new skills, and a better education for their children. Potential threats to SWB included marital problems and poorer health. Quantitative analyses suggested that social support and a sense of security impacted reported SWB scores based on life satisfaction, and the impact of income on life satisfaction was mediated by food security. Although long-term residents felt that specific determinants of SWB had both increased (food variety, transport and access to work) and decreased (access to natural resources and hunting), the majority reported that their lives had improved overall. Health had been affected by the IOH in both negative ways (increased dengue and road accidents) and positive ways (improved access to health services). Our results suggest that the rapidly-changing communities near the IOH link well-being to health, income, community, and the environment.
Highlights
New roads have important implications for the previously isolated communities affected by their construction
The first phase of research consisted of qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs), conducted in both 2014 and 2015; in 2014, the research took place in eight communities and in 2015 in four communities along the interoceanic highway (IOH)
A primary objective of this qualitative work was to identify and explore perceptions of subjective well-being (SWB) and to ensure that individuals had an opportunity to identify the range of aspects of well-being that were important to them, helping the research team define what topics related to their SWB were of priority to them and should be included in the survey
Summary
We conducted a mixed-methods study with an iterative process of qualitative and survey data collection and analysis to explore individual perceptions of well-being, as well as related topics including health, environmental change, and community dynamics. The first phase of research consisted of qualitative focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs), conducted in both 2014 and 2015; in 2014, the research took place in eight communities and in 2015 in four communities along the IOH. A primary objective of this qualitative work was to identify and explore perceptions of SWB and to ensure that individuals had an opportunity to identify the range of aspects of well-being that were important to them, helping the research team define what topics related to their SWB were of priority to them and should be included in the survey Following analysis of this data (described in detail below), a quantitative survey was developed to examine identified themes as well as a priori topics of interest. We started by interviewing the community leader and/or community health professional and asked for introductions to other key informants in the community
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