Higher Levels Of Happiness Research Articles

Evaluation of selected psychological parameters: Perception of happiness and hope of success in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract Introduction Happiness and hope are important elements of mental health. One of the main goals of medical care, including diabetes care, is to achieve psychological wellbeing in patients, including a sense of happiness and purpose in life. Materials and Methods During educational workshops, a study of the level of happiness and hope for success was carried out in a group of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). 96 patients with T1DM filled out an anonymous questionnaire about subjective happiness (SHS) and a questionnaire about hope for success (KNS). Results People older than 50 years of age were characterized by a higher level of happiness than patients aged 18–26. No gender differences were observed for this parameter. In terms of hope for success, patients with T1DM did not differ from the general population in the general result or the two subscales. Men had a higher conviction about the ability to find solutions than women. Patients aged 18 to 26 years were characterized by a significantly lower overall result in the KNS test than older age groups. Patients aged 18 to 26 also had a significantly lower conviction about the ability to find solutions compared to other age groups. Conclusions Young adults aged 18 to 26 years are a group particularly vulnerable to lower feelings of happiness, lower hope for success, and lower belief in the ability to find solutions, compared to older age groups. Elderly patients over 50 years have good coping mechanisms and believe that their actions can bring good results.

The effect of participation in sports on happiness and loneliness: an analysis of university students during the pandemic

This study aimed to assess whether students who were involved in sports felt happier and less lonely than their peers who were not involved. The sample comprised 549 students who were enrolled in a provincial state university in Turkey, and who volunteered to take part in the study. The survey was comprised of two parts. The first part contained questions to identify gender and the extent of the student’s active and passive participation in sport. Active participation was defined by the status of licensed athlete. The second part comprised the Oxford Happiness questionnaire compact version and the UCLA Loneliness Scale-III. Before the analysis, the Levene test was conducted to confirm the homogeneity of the variances. After determining that the variances were homogeneous, four two-way ANOVAs were carried out to test the hypotheses that students’ active and passive involvement in sport was associated with lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of happiness and that this effect was significantly different for males and females. The results confirmed that both licensed athletes and those who had greater levels of passive involvement in sport reported less loneliness and higher levels of happiness. However, this outcome applied irrespective of the student’s gender.

Machine-learning approaches to identify determining factors of happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic: retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveTo investigate determining factors of happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignObservational study.SettingLarge online surveys in Japan before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.ParticipantsA random sample of 25 482 individuals who are representatives...

Welfare impacts of public works in fragile and conflict affected economies: The Londö public works in the Central African Republic

Workfare programs are a widely used but costly means through which many developing countries provide income generating opportunities for the poor and mitigate adverse impacts from shocks, including conflict and violence. We evaluate the Londö public works program in the Central African Republic, where more than 70 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line and armed groups control large parts of the territory. Our evaluation design leverages the random assignment of eligibility to participate in the program through publicly held lotteries. Comparing those who are eligible with those who are not 2 to 18 months after the intervention using cross-sectional data from more than 6,000 respondents, we find that the program led to a lasting increase of around 10 percent in post-intervention monthly earnings and a small increase on number of days worked. The response to the program was highly gendered. Female beneficiaries diversified income sources and engaged more often in trading whereas men intensified agricultural production. We also document an increase in certain asset categories that mirror the gendered impacts on economic activity, as well as higher levels of happiness and satisfaction among beneficiaries. We do not find a strong link between program participation and variables that are proxies for social cohesion.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF THE FORMATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL’S STATE OF HAPPINESS DURING MARTIAL LAW

Abstract: this article examines the main approaches in domestic and foreign literature related to the problem of forming the state of individual happiness. Peculiarities of the psychological factors of individual happiness depending on its level during martial law have been revealed. It was established that respondents with a high level of happiness compared to respondents with a low level of happiness feel the ability to influence important events in their lives, the ability to manage them, and have goals for the future. They feel joy; warm feelings, affection and involvement towards others. It has been empirically proven that with the help of the training program there is a possibility of a positive influence on the target sphere of the personality, which contributes to the improvement of the state of happiness of the respondents, awareness of life and professional goals.

Inheritors’ Happiness and Its Relevant Factors in Intangible Cultural Heritage

In recent years, more and more ICH (intangible cultural heritage) has been introduced into scenic areas. As the creators and disseminators of ICH, inheritors are invited to teach ICH skills in these areas. According to the PERMA model (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement), we conducted several interviews with the inheritors of ICH in scenic areas to explore their authentic happiness in terms of the modes by which they inherited and propagated ICH (as individuals, in studios or in companies) and the factors influencing authentic happiness. The findings show that: (1) in general, ICH inheritors reported high levels of authentic happiness in all five dimensions of the PERMA model; (2), for engagement with work, interpersonal relationships, perception of meaning and sense of achievement, the ways in which the inheritors experienced these four dimensions differed greatly depending on the inheritance mode; (3) the main factors affecting the authentic happiness of the inheritors were personal feelings, social attention, policy benefits and economic benefits. (4) inheritors, intangible culture heritage and tourism form an inseparable system, they promote and interact with each other. This paper provides a new perspective for the further development of both ICH inheritors and cultural heritage tourism.

The Ecological Footprint of Happiness: A Case Study of a Low-Income Community in the City of São Paulo, Brazil

An ecological footprint is an accounting tool that reports the balance between resource supply and demand to assess environmental sustainability. Among the many available indicators of social progress, happiness reflects how a person feels about their quality of life. We combined these two approaches to assess the ecological efficiency of social performance in the low-income community of Felicidade, in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2019. We assessed the ecological footprint and gross domestic happiness (GDH) through questionnaires. We found that the community has a lower environmental footprint than higher-income communities in Brazil. However, the per capita ecological footprint in the community is still above what is available per person globally. We found that the community has a high level of life satisfaction (GDH = 0.86) and that the main contributor to happiness is health, time use, psychological wellbeing, education, good governance, and community vitality. The results suggest that other contributors unrelated to income are more robust determinants of happiness. In Brazil, despite higher footprints characterizing higher-income communities, further efforts in low-income communities are needed to reduce environmental footprints, ensure dignified income, and nurture the underlying conditions for high levels of happiness and social capital.

Earning Too Little And Worrying Too Much: The Role Of Income And Financial Worries On Parents' Well-Being In Hong Kong And Bangkok.

Research has shown that financial worries are key determinants of parents’ well-being. However, less is known about the relative role of income and financial worries on parents’ well-being; especially from a cross-cultural perspective. Guided by need and aspiration theories, we examined the roles of income and financial worries on happiness and distress among parents from Hong Kong (N = 258) and Bangkok (N = 190). Bayesian structural equation modelling revealed that greater income and lower financial worries were correlated, on a bivariate level, with higher levels of happiness and lower levels of distress in both societies. However, regressing happiness on both income and financial worries shows that income is uniquely associated with happiness in Bangkok, but not in Hong Kong. Financial worries uniquely explained variance in distress in both societies. These findings suggest that income and financial worries play different roles in parents’ psychological well-being in the two cities. To promote parents’ well-being, future policy or intervention programs should target financial worries in Hong Kong. Targeting income and financial worries are more likely to be efficacious in Bangkok.

The roles of caregivers and friends in adolescent daily emotion dynamics.

Daily emotion dynamics provide valuable information about individuals' emotion processes as they go about their lives. Emotion dynamics such as emotion levels (mean), emotion variability (degree of fluctuation), and emotion network density (strength of temporal connections among emotions) are associated with risks for various psychopathology in youth and adults. Prior work has shown that caregivers and friends play crucial socializing roles in adolescent emotional well-being, but less is known about their roles in daily emotion dynamics. This study examined whether caregiver emotion coaching, caregiver-adolescent closeness, and friendship quality were associated with adolescents' emotion levels, emotion variability, and emotion network density. Further, we examined whether caregiver-adolescent closeness moderated the associations between coaching and emotion dynamics. Participants were 150 adolescents (61% girls; Mage = 14.75) and one of their caregivers (95% female; Mage = 43.35) who completed a baseline survey and 21 daily surveys. Results showed that caregiver emotion coaching interacted with caregiver-adolescent closeness in predicting emotion levels and variability. Specifically, when closeness was higher, emotion coaching was significantly associated with lower sadness and anger levels, higher happiness levels, and lower happiness variability. Caregiver emotion coaching, independent of closeness, was also associated with lower anxiety levels, lower sadness variability, and lower emotion network density. Friendship quality was significantly associated with lower levels of sadness, anxiety, and anger, higher levels of happiness, and lower variability in anxiety and anger. These findings suggest that caregivers and friends are central to everyday emotion levels and variability and a more flexible emotion system in adolescents.

Happiness Levels and Leisure Life Satisfaction for Sports Leisure Activities Participation: Implication for Physical Education in Korea.

The study aimed to analyze happiness levels and leisure life satisfaction related to participation in sports leisure activities, and the differences in satisfaction levels by the type of participation events and participants' demographic backgrounds. This study was based on the 2020 Korea National Leisure Activities Survey using stratified multistage cluster sampling with a population over the age of 15 years and a nationwide survey. Moreover, a household visit interview survey was conducted from September 7 to November 16, 2020. A total of 10,088 people (5,003 males and 5,085 females) responded to the survey. Frequency analysis, chi-square test, independent t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were performed. The analysis of the distribution of participants and the happiness level and overall leisure life satisfaction between participants in sports and non-sports leisure activities showed significant differences (P<0.05). Participants in sports leisure activities had higher levels of happiness and satisfaction with leisure activities than those in non-sports leisure activities. There were significant differences in satisfaction with participation in sports leisure activities by type of sports, age, educational level, marital status, and household income level (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in participation in sports leisure activities by type of sports, age, educational level, marital status, and household income level, and the satisfaction level of participants in sports leisure activities differed according to these factors. This suggests that various educational efforts are required to combine physical education with sports leisure activities in school.

Populations in slums are happier than rural populations: The case of Mumbai

In developing countries, research found that rural populations express levels of well-being lower than that of urban populations. However, previous investigations do not compare subjective well-being (SWB) between informal urban settlements, also known as slums, and rural areas despite the large migrations occurring between these two areas. The absence of surveys on SWB targeting slum areas impedes this type of investigation. Thus, this study aims to understand whether rural populations in developing countries have SWB different from those in urban areas’ informal settlements. We use the results of an original questionnaire-based survey focusing on Greater Mumbai’s slums and rural areas for this purpose. We also investigate whether the characteristics of respondents determined by their socioeconomic profiles, social capital, and economic situations in their area of residence explain the difference in SWB between areas. Our results show that populations in slums have, on average, happiness and life satisfaction higher than that of rural populations. Higher levels of happiness are linked to higher social trust and satisfaction with one’s community, while higher satisfaction with life is linked to higher socioeconomic profiles in slums. Issues related to this difference in SWB and policy implications are discussed.

Personal wellbeing among adolescents and youth in India

This study sought to explore the level of personal wellbeing and identified the determinants of happiness among Indian adolescents and youth. Data were collected from a sample of 495 participants (aged 11–23 years) residing in the National Capital Region of Delhi (Delhi-NCR), using the bilingual version (Hindi and English) of the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI). Their PWI score was 80.06, indicating high happiness levels in the nonwestern normative PWI range. Domains of personal relationships, community connectedness, and safety represented high overall wellbeing with the highest mean scores. Multivariate analysis showed that the least happy group on life as a whole domain was students aged 19–23 years as compared with the 11–14 and 15–18 years age group. Furthermore, men had higher happiness levels on personal safety, while women had higher scores on life achievement. The qualitative analysis illustrated the socio-cultural basis of these wellbeing determinants as rooted in the hierarchical social structures and collectivistic cultural orientation.

Shedding light on the impact of financial literacy for corporate social responsibility during the COVID-19 crisis: managerial and financial perspectives

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to help management scholars and executives learn from the COVID-19 global crisis by analyzing if and how the level of financial literacy affected stakeholders' sensitivity to corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues during the pandemic, as well as identifying whether financial literacy is an important variable to account for in the postpandemic period. The authors test the relationship between objective (measurable) and subjective (self-assessed) financial literacy, as well as financial happiness (i.e. satisfaction with one's current financial situation) with CSR during the pandemic. High levels of financial literacy cause individuals to reward companies that implement CSR strategies and processes.Design/methodology/approachThe authors designed an online survey and obtained data on objective and subjective financial literacy, financial happiness and COVID-19 infections, as well as on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of a representative sample of 1,334 Italian respondents. From a methodological point of view, the authors perform a factor analysis on the CSR-related questions to extract the principal components (PCs) that were used as dependent variables in the regression models to analyze the effects of explanatory variables (financial literacy, financial happiness and COVID-19 infections) and consider the control variables (demographic and socioeconomic characteristics). The authors follow a theoretical approach merging stakeholder theory with CSR.FindingsRespondents with a high level of financial literacy and financial happiness are highly sensitive to all CSR components (ethical, philanthropic, economic and legal social responsibilities). Being infected by COVID-19 increased participants' sensitivity to ethical and philanthropic social responsibility (SR), but not to economic and legal SR. The more educated and employed respondents were, the more sensitive they were to CSR, especially compared to their less educated and unemployed counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the sample used is large and representative of the Italian population, Italy is an interesting and useful case to analyze, given that it was the first Western country to be severely hit by COVID-19; since the paper only refers to a specific country scenario, the results cannot be generalized to other countries. A cross-country comparison relating financial literacy and financial happiness to CSR during the COVID-19 pandemic period would be desirable. The research study has theoretical implications for management scholars since the authors show that, during the pandemic period, financial education and financial happiness are relevant in explaining stakeholders' greater sensitivity to CSR issues. The findings may thus help scholars to learn from the COVID-19 period, with the aim of further developing and enhancing stakeholders' theory.Practical implicationsThe research also has practical implications, both for corporate executives and for policymakers, helping them to learn from the COVID-19 global crisis concerning the role of financial literacy and financial happiness on CSR sensitivity and, consequently, how they may consider these important variables in the postpandemic era. On the one hand, executives may improve stakeholders' segmentation and eventually modify CSR policies, considering the higher sensitivity of their stakeholders' due to a higher degree of financial literacy. On the other hand, the findings suggest that policymakers should have a stronger role in supporting employment and education in general and in promoting programs to improve financial literacy to increase stakeholders' sensitivity to CSR, thus further stimulating the inclusion of CSR factors in companies' strategies. Increasing stakeholders' sensitivity to CSR will, in turn, increase the propensity of companies to include SR in their strategies. Thus, increasing financial literacy will have tangible positive effects of increasing CSR. Given the greater role played by companies during the COVID-19 period with respect to societal risk, the findings seem particularly useful.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first that links financial literacy and financial happiness with CSR during the COVID-19 crisis. The large and representative dataset, as well as the use of specific variables related to financial literacy, financial happiness and COVID-19 infections in the CSR assessment model, makes our analysis original, robust and significant by contributing to the CSR literature and to the financial literacy literature from a methodological point of view, as well as by informing corporate executives and policymakers about the role of financial literacy with regard to CSR during the pandemic, which may help them in learning how to improve their decisions and actions in the postpandemic era.

Gender, Sexual Orientation and Manifestations of Happiness of the Students of the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano

The study identifies the happiness manifestations according to gender and sexual orientation of the students of the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano. A mixed methodology with an exploratory-descriptive non￾experimental design was used, and a semi-structured interview and a survey were applied to 2779 university students. The influence of family, friends, colleagues, and teachers on students’ happiness was examined. The results show that gender devices have an influence on subjective well-being; in addition, they reveal the existence of a population with a sexual orientation different from those socially institutionalized as feminine and masculine and which needs to be made visible in university life, especially in the Andean region. The finding, finally, recognizes the needs of students, who, in view of the structures and power relations of a traditional, patriarchal, discriminatory, and homophobic culture in the university space, it is urgent that the institutional management attend to their situation in order to assume inclusive policies and achieve high levels of happiness.

The Predicting effect of Self-Esteem and Gender on Youth’s Happiness

Happiness has been researched over time and still is the subject of many studies; in this case, youth’s happiness is more important because in higher education at present youths are covered with complex issues more than at any other time. The main objective of the study is to predict the effect of self-esteem and gender on youth’s happiness. Data were collected from 100 youths (age range 17-26 years) studying in various colleges in Raipur, Chhattisgarh by using the Happiness Scale, and Self-esteem Scale. 50 subjects were male and the remaining 50 were female. SPSS version 22.0 was used for prediction analyses. The majority of youths (87%) had a high level of happiness; while above average (59%) had a moderate level of self-esteem. Findings revealed thatself-esteem has been discovered to be a strong predictor of happiness, while gender does not. Self-esteem improvement will help in the reduction of mental health problems in youth. Limitations, future directions, and implications were discussed.

The Role of Interpersonal Toxicity on Healthcare Students' Well-Being.

Nearly half of all medical students suffer from burnout, which not only has detrimental effects on the students themselves but can transfer into the clinical realm. Yet, studies exploring burnout and interpersonal toxicity in physician assistant (PA) students are rare. This study examined the role that interpersonal toxicity and abuse play in PA student burnout. Nearly 2500 PA students in the United States responded to a survey about well-being, stress, and experiences with interpersonal toxicity in PA school as part of a larger cross-sectional study on PA student experiences in their didactic and clinical years. The present research focuses on overall measures among all PA students, as well as differences between didactic and clinical students, including the extent to which experiences of interpersonal toxicity predict symptoms associated with burnout. Overall, PA students reported high levels of satisfaction and happiness in school and life, but enthusiasm for school decreased for clinical students. More than two-thirds of students reported moderate to high levels of life stress, and more than 9 in 10 reported moderate to high levels of school stress. Symptoms of burnout were reported by many students, with clinical students reporting interpersonal toxicity exposure more often than didactic students. Experiencing interpersonal toxicity or abuse predicted symptoms of burnout. While PA students report high levels of life and school satisfaction, given the high levels of stress also reported, burnout metrics and well-being programs are needed. PA programs should work to create a supportive and engaging educational environment to ensure students' long-term career success.

The effect of framing on attitudes towards Alzheimer's disease. A comparative study between younger and older adults.

The stigma and negative attitudes surrounding Alzheimer's disease (AD) are reinforced by the prevalence of their negative representations. This study aimed to determine how AD framing influences attitudes towards AD and whether this influence differs between younger and older people. Additionally, the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) was used to examine the mediating role that emotions induced by different frames may have in bringing about attitude change. Posters with framed messages on AD (dualism and unity) were designed and shown to 136 participants (68 younger and 68 older adults). Both the younger and older participants were randomly divided into two sub-groups. Each sub-group was shown posters of a campaign with different AD frames: one group viewed posters with messages of the dualism frame and the other group viewed posters with messages of the unity frame. To analyse the effect of the different frames, a mixed design of repeated measures (ANOVA) was used in which attitudes towards AD were measured on two occasions. Both the impact and the emotions produced by exposure to the messages were recorded after the presentation of the posters and a MANOVA test was performed on them. Attitudes, impact and emotions experienced by the younger and older participants were compared. Older adults displayed positive attitudes towards AD but less than younger people. Unity-framed messages produced a positive change in attitudes regardless of the audience's age and led to higher levels of happiness, whereas dualism-framed messages had a greater impact and produced feelings of sadness, anger and fear but did not change attitudes. These findings suggest that reframing of AD may be essential to achieve a positive attitudinal change in both younger and older populations and foster positive emotions. The use of unity-framed messages should be considered when developing and implementing policies targeted at communication and awareness of AD in order to reduce the stigma associated with this form of dementia.

Low Carb Diet-Related Quality of Life (QOL) and Health Outcomes

To develop a questionnaire to measure the influence of Low Carb Diet Therapy on patients’ Quality of Life, and also assess the effect of Low Carb Diet on biochemical, anthropometric and dietary intake parameters reflecting on the evaluation of care, health status and thus the efficacy of online consultation and review methods during COVID-19 Pandemic. Thirty five patients visiting the Diabetologist / Endocrinologist through online methods prescribed Low Carb Diets were administered the QOL questionnaire in Google Form through WhatsApp at online visit to the doctor and the subsequent visit. Other demographic, biochemical, anthropometric parameters, and diet recall were gathered at baseline and the subsequent review. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Reliability Analysis (RA) using Cronbach’s alpha, test-retest reliability were done. The questionnaire assessed 15 aspects or questions in the QOL. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor solution with eigen values &gt;1 and factor loadings &gt;0.3. The first factor contained 5 reliable items, the second factor contained 4 items, third factor with 6 items (with Cronbach’s Alpha= 0.669, 0.884, 0.775 respectively) As hypothesized, the QOL was better among patients following Low Carb Diets with higher levels of happiness, more satisfaction with their life and health and also, their biochemical, anthropometric and intake improved. These findings indicate the efficacy of the Low Carb Diet education on QOL and the influence on biochemical, anthropometric and dietary intake parameters was noted. This also shows the efficacy of online consultation and review methods during Pandemic.

Happiness and life satisfaction level in recovered drug addicts

Happiness is a subjective feeling marked by emotions of joy, fullness, satisfaction, and contentment. With a hedonistic approach, it can be explained as an actual, momentary experience which is both delightful and transitory whilst avoiding painful adventures. Life satisfaction, then again, is surprisingly confounded; the terms are usually viewed as equivalent; however, they are two particular ideas. The assessment of one's life in general and not exclusively one's present level of pleasure, is called life fulfilment. This research is aimed at studying the affective and cognitive components of the subjective well-being i.e., Perceived happiness and Life satisfaction respectively, in recovered drug addicts. Happiness measures by M.W. Fordyce and Satisfaction with life scale (1985) were used among 96 selected samples of recovered drug addicts of age 19 years and above with a drug free period of minimum 2 years. High levels of happiness and life satisfaction were recorded among the recovered drug addicts.

Clustering of health behaviors among Japanese adults and their association with socio-demographics and happiness.

Scholars have associated happiness with health behaviors, which co-occur and exert synergistic effects. Therefore, identifying clusters of health behaviors and their effect on happiness can contribute to the development of strategies for promoting happiness and improving health behaviors. This study aimed to examine clusters of health behaviors and their associations with socio-demographics and with happiness among Japanese adults. This study used data from the Japanese Household Panel Survey and the Keio Household Panel Survey. Questionnaires were distributed to 4,993 households out of which 1,554 responses were analyzed (participants aged 27-65 years). The survey included health behaviors (alcohol consumption, smoking, vegetable and fruit consumption, breakfast-eating habits, and physical activities), happiness, and socio-demographics. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify the clusters, whereas latent regression was employed to investigate socio-demographics related to the clusters. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relation between happiness and the clusters. Two health behavior clusters were identified: Cluster 1 (low substance use and good dietary habit; n = 817; 52.3%) and Cluster 2 (high alcohol, poor nutrition, and inactive; n = 737; 47.7%). Latent regression analysis indicated that all socio-demographics, barring socioeconomic status, were significantly associated with the clusters. The "low substance use and good dietary habit" cluster was significantly related with higher odds of happiness (odds ratio = 1.425, 95% confidence interval = 1.146-1.772, p = 0.001). This study identified health behavior clusters among Japanese adults and established the association between the "low substance use and good dietary habit" cluster and high levels of happiness. However, the causality of the relationship between health behavior and happiness remains unclear, which highlights the need for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.