Higher Levels Of Life Satisfaction Research Articles

The relationship between physical activity attitude and life satisfaction: A sample of university students in Turkey.

Physical activity is very important for a healthy life in the human existence, and regular physical activity and high attitudes towards physical activity can contribute to higher levels of life satisfaction of individuals. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between university students' attitudes towards physical activity and their life satisfaction levels. In the study, the Cognitive Behavioral Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to measure the participants' attitudes towards physical activity. In order to measure the participants' life satisfaction levels, The Satisfaction with Life Scale was used. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used in the analysis of the obtained data. According to gender, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference both in the result expectation and self-regulation sub-dimensions of physical activity attitude and the total score of physical activity attitude. When the correlation analysis results were analyzed, the statistically significant positive relationship between life satisfaction and outcome expectation, self-regulation sub-dimensions of physical activity attitude, and the total score of physical activity attitude was determined. Also, it was found that the attitude towards physical activity explained approximately 6%of life satisfaction. It was determined that as the attitudes of the participants towards physical activity increased, their life satisfaction increased.

Course of pregnancy, labor, and women’s satisfaction with life in the early postpartum period.

Background: The postpartum period, including hospitalization after a birth, requires the woman in puerperium to adjust to her new social role. The subject of satisfaction with life (SWL) in women in the early postpartum period has been rarely addressed in the literature and requires up-to-date, thorough research. Aim of the study: The present study aimed to evaluate the level of SWL among women after delivery according to selected characteristics concerning the course of pregnancy and labor. Material and methods: The study included 128 females who after delivery were hospitalized at maternity units in Lublin, Poland. The participants were administered the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and a questionnaire to collect data on the course of pregnancy and labor. Results: It was found that 88 (68.75%) women had a high level of life satisfaction after childbirth, 27 (21.09%) had an average level, and 13 (10.16%) had a low level. Among the analyzed variables, a marginally significant increase in SWL was found for women in the early postpartum period that experienced skin-to-skin contact with the newborn immediately after delivery (p=0.054). The strength of the observed effect, as measured by Cohen’s d coefficient, was low (0.37). Conclusion: The current research contributes to the identification of factors occurring during pregnancy and labor that determine postpartum SWL. These results may enable the early elimination of variables that negatively affect postpartum SWL and place a focus on factors with a positive impact. The use of preventive measures designed to improve SWL are likely to aid in reducing the risk of mood disorders in the later postpartum period.

Healthcare Stereotype Threat and Health Outcomes Among LGB Individuals.

Health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals are well documented and have been explained by differential access to healthcare as well as exposure to discrimination. The current research examines the role that healthcare stereotype threat, or the fear of being judged by healthcare providers based on negative group stereotypes, plays in the health of LGB individuals. LGB individuals (N = 1507) in three age cohorts were recruited via random digit dialing to participate in a larger study on sexual minority health. Participants completed measures assessing healthcare stereotype threat, lifetime health diagnoses, life satisfaction, and number of bad physical health days and personal distress in the past 30 days. Healthcare stereotype threat was associated with higher psychological distress and number of reported bad physical health days. Additionally, the Younger and Middle cohorts reported more stereotype threat than the Older cohort, but reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction in the face of this threat than those in the Older cohort. Healthcare stereotype threat was related to poorer mental and physical health among LGB individuals; this was true when these outcomes were assessed over the past 30 days but not when they were assessed in general. Cohort differences in healthcare stereotype threat suggest potential important within group variation that needs further investigating. The research broadens the contexts to which stereotype threat is relevant and establishes a stressor related to LGB health.

Teachers' Mental Health and Self-Reported Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ecuador: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PurposeThis study assessed the psychological distress, life satisfaction, and perceived stress of Ecuadorian teachers who adopted online learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also aimed to qualitatively report the coping strategies used to maintain their mental health and well-being.MethodsA web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to mid-August 2020.ResultsIn total, 394 teachers completed the questionnaire, and from those, 320 also completed an optional open-ended question included in the survey. More than half of the participants reported taking care of children under 11 years and/or adults over 65 years. At the time of the study, most of the participants were teaching in higher education settings. Age was significantly correlated with all the psychological variables, females presented higher levels of perceived stress, and teachers with home care responsibilities presented higher psychological distress as well as perceived stress. Teachers who had previous training and experience with online teaching presented lower levels of distress, perceived stress as well as higher levels of life satisfaction. The most used coping strategies included seeking social support, exercising, and engaging in leisure activities.ConclusionThe results provide useful information to help develop initiatives that promote teacher well-being. Future studies should consider using a more diverse sample and dedicate attention to work-family conflicts as well as social and structural inequalities that may have a toll on teachers’ mental health and performance.

Social Isolation and Its Impact on the Geriatric Community

Causes of social isolation and loneliness in older adults are multifactorial and can have significant effects on their health and quality of life. Older adults who have good social support exhibit lower levels of depression, higher levels of life satisfaction, lower stress levels, and lower health care costs. By assessing and addressing social isolation and loneliness in community-dwelling older adults, rehabilitation therapists can have a positive impact on their physical and mental health.

Profile Pictures in the Digital World: Self-Photographs Predict Better Life Satisfaction.

Profiles pictures as online identities represent an extension of the user’s self in the digital world. Changes in self-representation are responsible for reduced well-being in individuals in the offline world. However, whether profile picture selection predicts the well-being of internet users is unknown. To address this question, we tested the relationship between the type of profile picture (e.g., self-photographs or other pictures) used on social media and the life satisfaction of internet users, accounting for gender and personality traits that have been thought to relate to the selection of profile pictures. The results showed that individuals using self-photographs as profiles reported a higher level of life satisfaction compared to individuals using other pictures as profiles. This effect was influenced by gender, openness, and extraversion. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses revealed that openness and profile type interacted to predict life satisfaction in women, while openness and profile picture independently predicted life satisfaction in men. Furthermore, extraversion directly predicted life satisfaction in both men and women. These results indicate that the consistency between one’s online and offline self-representation may characterize internet users’ well-being, with potential implications for digital wellness.

Effects of Imbalance of Self‐ and Other‐Care on Counselors' Burnout

This study was aimed at identifying counselor profiles based on their balance between self‐care and caring for others, and examining how these profiles differ by levels of burnout and life satisfaction. We conducted a latent profile analysis of 292 Korean counselors and identified four groups: (a) low care, (b) typical care, (c) high care, and (d) low self‐care/high other‐care. Of these, the typical care and high care groups had lower levels of incompetence and deterioration in personal life and higher levels of life satisfaction compared with the low self‐care/high other‐care group. Counselor self‐awareness, education level, work experience, and number of handled cases were found to be differentiators among the four profiles. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Work-Family Balance among Dual-Earner Couples in South Korea: A Latent Profile Analysis.

The declining birth rate in South Korea is concerning and linked to stress in the work–family balance, which is known to affect family planning. Therefore, providing proper support to double-earner couples might help improve the fertility rate. Work–family balance refers to the ability of individuals to perform their roles at work and home with equal involvement. This study identifies two aspects: gains and strains. Latent profile analysis is employed to create a typology that can account for the diversity in work–family balance. This approach is person-centered rather than variable-centered, and it identifies clusters of individuals that differ qualitatively, thereby examining the strains and gains experienced by double-earner couples. We classify the types of work–family balance and identify the attributes of each profile. The findings showed that men were more likely to belong to the high-gain class when they had a temporary position, multiple children, good health, low depression, higher life satisfaction levels, and strong social support. Women were more likely to belong to the high-gain class when they experienced high happiness levels and strong social support. Based on these profiles, we provide recommendations to enhance work–family balance, thereby contributing to strategies to overcome low birth rates.

Multitasking and Work-Life Balance: Explicating Multitasking When Working from Home

ABSTRACT The present study explicates four types of multitasking when working from home according to their medium and social interactivity, and further explores the antecedent and consequences of different types of multitasking. A total of 429 U.S. employees who worked from home participated in an online survey in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that a balance between work and life identities was positively associated with technology-mediated and in-person high-interactive multitasking during work time, but not with low-interactive multitasking. In-person high-interactive multitasking, in turn, was related to greater interference with work but a higher level of life satisfaction. In addition, men and women experienced different levels of work-life identity balance and adopted different types of multitasking to achieve such a balance.

Serial Multiple Mediation Model of Depression, Anxiety and Sleep Quality Between Perceived Stress and Life Satisfaction

Life satisfaction can both affect and be affected by occupational factors in military personnel. Perceived stress is considered an important predictor of life satisfaction. The objective of this study is to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of perceived stress on life satisfaction and the mediating role of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality among Iranian military personnel. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 301 military personnel were investigated by using standard self-report questionnaires, consisting of the Revised Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90-R), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in our study. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, the Pearson correlation coefficient, ordinary least square regression, and the bootstrap method. The direct effect of perceived stress on life satisfaction was significant. Perceived stress also affects life satisfaction indirectly through single mediation of sleep quality; serial multiple mediations of anxiety as the first and sleep quality as the second mediator; and the serial multiple mediations of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality, as the first to the third mediator, respectively. Lower levels of perceived stress, depression, and anxiety, along with better sleep quality, are correlated to higher levels of life satisfaction in military personnel. There are several points of prevention and intervention in order to increase the life satisfaction of military personnel, which can improve their quality of life and occupational efficiency.

The Salience of Religion Under an Atheist State: Implications for Subjective Well-Being in Contemporary China

Abstract We examine the linkage between religious involvement and life satisfaction among adults in contemporary China, a largely nonreligious society. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (2012, 2014, and 2016), we conduct latent class analysis by using four indicators of religious involvement, including membership of religious groups, types of religion, frequency of participation, and evaluation of importance of religion in life. We classify the sample into four latent classes: (1) the pure nonreligious, (2) the nonreligious, but with some spirituality, (3) Chinese-religion adherent, and (4) organized religion adherent. Results from our fixed-effect models show that Chinese-religion and organized-religion adherents have higher levels of life satisfaction than those with no religious beliefs. Moreover, the disadvantaged groups benefit more from religious involvement in China, as evidenced by the stronger positive effect of religious adherence found among rural residents and individuals in the lowest income quartile. We discuss the benefits of religion both in terms of its public/social and private/intrinsic aspects and situate our findings in the larger social context of China.

A limit of the subjective age bias: Feeling younger to a certain degree, but no more, is beneficial for life satisfaction.

The majority of adults feel considerably younger than their chronological age. Numerous studies suggest that maintaining a younger subjective age is linked to greater life satisfaction. However, whether there is a limit beyond which feeling younger becomes detrimental is not well understood. Here, we use response surface analysis to examine the relationships between subjective age, chronological age, and life satisfaction in in a large sample spanning adulthood (N = 7,356; 36-89 years). We find that there is a limit to feeling younger: People who feel younger by a certain amount, but not more, have the highest levels of life satisfaction. In addition, our findings suggest that the discrepancy between subjective and chronological age at which life satisfaction is highest increases across the adult age span. Taken together, these findings reveal that beyond a certain point, feeling younger than one's chronological age may be psychologically harmful. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Does housing tenure matter? Owner-occupation and wellbeing in Britain and Austria

This article presents the case for the significance of two neglected domains of sociological enquiry: housing tenure and subjective wellbeing. Our empirical focus is on the relationship between housing tenure and subjective wellbeing in two case-study countries, Austria and the UK, using multivariate modelling of European SILC data to investigate potential associations between tenure and individual wellbeing survey items. Our case-studies are chosen for their distinctive welfare regime characteristics and contrasting housing tenure structures. This framework allows normative as well as empirical analysis. Our results show statistically significant relations between housing tenure and overall satisfaction with life (evaluative wellbeing) but are less significant for our hedonic wellbeing items. Compared to private renters, we find higher levels of life satisfaction amongst owner-occupiers in both Austria and the UK.

Reduced relationship desire is associated with better life satisfaction for singles in Germany: An analysis of pairfam data

This research estimates the extent to which life satisfaction of singles is influenced by their desire to be single. Regression analyses on data from the Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics (pairfam) studies are used to investigate this question, paying particular attention to longitudinal differences between never-married and divorced/separated men and women. Panel data analyses between different waves of the pairfam data indicate that decreases in desires for a relationship are significantly associated with greater life satisfaction. These patterns hold for all but one of the demographic groups investigated (divorced/separated men). The results are used to suggest how many singles may be able to maintain high levels of life satisfaction in the face of social stigmata.

When Will the Lockdown End? Confinement Duration Forecasts and Self-Reported Life Satisfaction in Spain: A Longitudinal Study.

This paper reports results from a longitudinal study on the impact of the lockdown on daily self-reported life satisfaction levels during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. A stable panel (N = 1,131) of adult subjects were surveyed during 84 consecutive days (March 29–June 20, 2020). They were asked to report daily life satisfaction and health state levels. Interestingly, daily life satisfaction increased during the lockdown. At the beginning of the experiment, subjects were asked to guess the end-week of the lockdown, against a possible monetary reward for accurate forecasts. Subjects predicting a longer lockdown period reported a higher average level of daily life satisfaction. Females reported on average lower levels of daily life satisfaction, but exhibited a stronger tendency to report higher levels of life satisfaction, the longer their lockdown forecast. Individual heterogeneity in life satisfaction levels can be partly attributed to personality traits, with neuroticism having a negative effect, while extraversion and agreeableness having a positive effect on daily life satisfaction.

Intergenerational Support and Life Satisfaction of Older Parents in China: A Rural–Urban Divide

In the past few decades, Chinese families have experienced unprecedented economic growth. In addition to growth, public policies have changed and developed, internal migration has rapidly increased, and social conditions have generally evolved. Living arrangements in particular have transformed, which likely affects the expectations and preferences of older parents to rely on their children. We use the first two waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), a nationally representative sample of older adults in China, to examine the relationship between intergenerational support and life satisfaction in both rural and urban China. In rural villages, we find that living with grandchildren is associated with a higher level of life satisfaction; this is true even in households without parents (i.e., skip-generation households). Higher life satisfaction is also attributable to receiving instrumental support (i.e., help with self-care and household tasks) from children and exchanging financial and emotional support with them. In urban neighborhoods, in contrast, living in a skip-generation household is associated with a lower level of life satisfaction, and only one type of functional support from children is beneficial for older parents’ life satisfaction—instrumental support. Our findings indicate that there is a rural–urban divide in the relationships between life satisfaction and intergenerational support in contemporary China and suggest that development has weakened historical relationships in both rural and urban areas.

Smart homes for the older population: particularly important during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Osteoporosis, one of the leading causes of disability in older adults, significantly reduces the quality of life and leads to loss of independence. Dynamic development of “smart” solutions based on artificial intelligence more and more commonly applied in older people’s houses may be an answer to the above issues.The aim of this study is to present selected “smart home” solutions for the diagnosis and prevention of falls in the older population through a literature review. The conducted meta-analysis based on a review of the scientific literature available in English and Polish in the Medline/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and GBL databases was undertaken from 01.01.2015 to 01.10.2020 with the string search method using key words.According to the authors of this study, the development of new technology based on artificial intelligence allows older people to live independently, which contributes to a higher level of life satisfaction and quality.

Helping out or helping yourself? Volunteering and life satisfaction across the retirement transition.

It has been suggested that volunteering leads to increases in well-being, particularly in older and retiring adults, and that volunteering could be used as a public health intervention to increase well-being. However, the causal relationship has been questioned. We investigated the association between voluntary work and life satisfaction in a bivariate dual-change score model, using 4 years of longitudinal data from 1,123 participants from the Health, Aging and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study. Both the frequency of volunteering and the level of life satisfaction increased across the retirement transition. However, baseline life satisfaction and volunteering were only marginally associated. Further, the coupling parameters suggest that higher levels of volunteering were followed by decreases in life satisfaction and that higher levels of life satisfaction were followed by increases in volunteering. These findings suggest that increasing levels of volunteering might not be a fruitful strategy for improving life satisfaction for all older adults-if people engage too much in voluntary work, it might even be detrimental for their life satisfaction. More research is needed to better understand when and for whom increased levels of volunteering might have positive effects on life satisfaction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Occupation and life satisfaction among individuals with mental illness: the mediation role of self-reported psychophysiological health.

BackgroundUnemployment can diminish physical, psychological and social health. In this context, research shows that people with mental illness have even more difficulties finding occupation. Thus, some countries, such as Sweden, strive after creating job opportunities for this specific group. We investigated the effect of having an occupation on life satisfaction among individuals with mental illness and whether self-reported physical and psychological health mediated the relationship between being (un)employed and life satisfaction.MethodTwo-hundred eighty-seven individuals (148 males, 134 females, and 5 missing information) with mental illness, who received support and services from Swedish Municipalities in Blekinge, self-reported occupation, life satisfaction, and physical and psychological health.ResultsParticipants who reported having an occupation reported also significantly higher levels of life satisfaction, physical health, and psychological health compared to those without occupation. Nevertheless, these differences were rather small (Eta2 < 0.06). Moreover, the indirect effect of having an occupation on life satisfaction through physical and psychological health was significant. Finally, the total indirect effect of physical and psychological health (i.e., psychophysiological health) accounted for 53% of the total effect of having an occupation on life satisfaction.ConclusionFor individuals with mental illness there seems to be an almost equal importance of indirect and direct effects of having an occupation on their levels of life satisfaction. More specifically, while there are differences in life satisfaction within this population in relation to having an occupation, having an occupation leads to the sense of good psychophysiological health, which in turn helps individuals with mental illness to feel satisfied with their lives.

Gender Differences in Life Satisfaction: The Moderation Role of Social Support among Older Persons

Introduction: Life satisfaction among older persons is one significant component of quality of life. However,differences related to gender and moderation role of social support might affect life satisfaction. The purposeof this study was to examine the moderation effect of perceived social support on the relationship betweengender and life satisfaction among older persons.Method: A predictive-exploratory approach was used. Data collected from 966 persons at age of 60 yearsor older using a structured interview format.Results: In general, older persons had moderate to a high level of life satisfaction and perceived socialsupport. Perceived social support had a significant moderation effect on the relationship between gender andlife satisfaction (F 7,913= 52.37, p&lt;.001; R2= .152).Conclusion: Life satisfaction among older persons is influenced by social support indicating importance ofcreating and enhancing the supportive system available to older persons.