Importance Of Social Determinants Research Articles

The Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion: A difference-in-differences study of spillover participation in SNAP.

The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion to individuals with adults under 138 percent of the federal poverty level led to insurance coverage for millions of Americans in participating states. This study investigates Medicaid expansion’s potential spillover participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; formerly the Food Stamp Program). In addition to providing public insurance, the policy connects individuals to SNAP, affecting social determinants of health such as hunger. We use difference-in-differences regression to estimate the effect of the Medicaid expansion on SNAP participation among approximately 414,000 individuals from across the United States. The Current Population Survey is used to answer the main research question, and the SNAP Quality Control Database allows for supplemental analyses. Medicaid expansion produces a 2.9 percentage point increase (p = 0.002) in SNAP participation among individuals under 138 percent of federal poverty. Subgroup analyses find a larger 5.0 percentage point increase (p = 0.002) in households under 75 percent of federal poverty without children. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) are a category of individuals with limited access to SNAP. Although they are a subset of adults without children, we found no spillover effect for ABAWDs. We find an increase in SNAP households with $0 income, supporting the finding that spillover was strongest for very-low-income individuals. Joint processing of Medicaid and SNAP applications helps facilitate the connection between Medicaid expansion and SNAP. Our findings contribute to a growing body of evidence that Medicaid expansion does more than improve access to health care by connecting eligible individuals to supports like SNAP. SNAP recipients have increased access to food, an important social determinant of health. Our study supports reducing administrative burdens to help connect individuals to safety net programs. Finally, we note that ABAWDs are a vulnerable group that need targeted program outreach.

Examining Housing as a Determinant of Health: Closing the ‘Poverty Gap’ to Improve Outcomes for Women in Affordable Housing

Background: Access to housing is an important social determinant of health and has a positive influence on health outcomes. In one large municipal city in Western Canada, over 12,000 units of affordable housing are available to support low-income individuals. Objectives: However, little is known about resident experiences living in affordable housing, how affordable housing affects their movements through the housing continuum (i.e., from housing instability to stability), how affordable housing affects their lives and the lives of their families, and how gender factors into these questions. Methods: The current study, part of the larger quantitative project, involved a survey with 160 residents of affordable housing units in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Results: The results show that few gender differences exist in demographic factors such as age, income, and ethnicity. However, important differences exist in the experiences of women versus men, including employment status, barriers to employment, parenting, trajectory of affordable housing residency, and reasons for accessing affordable housing in the first place. Conclusion: We argue that gendered supports to reduce barriers to sustainable employment must be embedded in affordable housing programs and coupled with low or no cost childcare and supports to heal from trauma in order to break cycles of dependency for women and their children. This research builds on the scant Canadian literature that examines characteristics and experiences in affordable housing using a gender-lens.

Effect of interventions for non-emergent medical transportation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionTransportation is an important social determinant of health. We conducted a systematic review of the associations on health and health care utilization of interventions aimed at reducing barriers to non-emergency transportation and non-medical transportation.MethodsWe searched three databases and the gray literature through mid-January 2022. Included studies needed to assess an intervention targeted at non-emergency or non-medical transportation barriers, report missed (or kept) visits, health care utilization, costs, or health outcomes. Data extraction was performed in duplicate and included information about study design, results, and risk of bias. Primary outcomes were frequency of missed appointments, health care utilization, costs, and health outcomes. Synthesis was both narrative and meta-analytic using a random effects model.ResultsTwelve studies met inclusion criteria, three randomized trials, one controlled trial, and eight observational studies. All included studies had some element of risk of bias. Populations studied usually had chronic or serious health conditions or were poor. Interventions included van rides, bus or taxi vouchers, ride-sharing services, and others. Meta-analysis of seven studies (three trials, four observational studies) yielded a pooled estimate of missed appointments = 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48, 0.83) favoring interventions. Evidence on cost, utilization, and health outcomes were too sparse to support conclusions. Evidence on the effect of non-medical transportation is limited to a single study.Conclusions and relevanceInterventions aimed at non-emergency transportation barriers to access health care are associated with fewer missed appointments; the association with costs, utilization or health outcomes is insufficiently studied to reach conclusions.This review was registered in PROSPERO as ID CRD42020201875.

Striving for Health Equity: The Importance of Social Determinants of Health and Ethical Considerations in Pandemic Preparedness Planning.

Since the WHO’s “Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan” in 1999, pandemic preparedness plans at the international and national level have been constantly adapted with the common goal to respond early to outbreaks, identify risks, and outline promising interventions for pandemic containment. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, public health experts have started to reflect on the extent to which previous preparations have been helpful as well as on the gaps in pandemic preparedness planning. In the present commentary, we advocate for the inclusion of social and ethical factors in future pandemic planning—factors that have been insufficiently considered so far, although social determinants of infection risk and infectious disease severity contribute to aggravated social inequalities in health.

Arterial hypertension and Diabetes: Coexistence of two medical conditions (aspects of pathophysiology and management)

Hypertension and diabetes are two cardiovascular diseases which frequently coexistence, are high prevalence is likely to continue increasing considerably, influences on increasing of global cardiovascular risk and results with important clinical and social determinants. Treatment goals can be individualized in a stepwise approach, including lifestyle modification, psychosocial factors, risk factor treatment, and social determinants, targets and goals for LDL-C, BP, and glycaemic control.

Diversity and Health Equity Track Emphasizes Importance of Social Determinants in Psychiatric Care

Diversity and Health Equity Track Emphasizes Importance of Social Determinants in Psychiatric Care

Development of an Instrument to Measure Dietary Supplement Health Literacy

Background:Health literacy is one of the important social determinants of health.Objective:The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure Dietary Supplement Health Literacy (DSHL) of Iranian women.Methods:In this psychometrics study, an initial nine-factor instrument was developed. Face validity and content validity of the instrument were evaluated. The factor structure of the instrument was explored by the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) among 400 women taking Dietary supplement. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was done to determine the underlying factor structure of the instrument in this population. The internal and external reliability of the instrument was evaluated.Key Results:According to expert panel opinions, 16 items were deleted. The results of the EFA showed that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett's test of sphericity were significant. EFA showed that 30 items could be grouped into nine factors that accounted for 60.84% of the variance. Since two items in the ability to actively engage with health care providers factor were loaded in factor 1, this factor was labeled Engaging in receiving informational supports from health care providers. In addition, one item of the dimension was loaded in factor 3. Given that the one item of factor 5 and 1 item of factor 6 were loaded in a new factor 9, this factor was labeled Applying information to decision-making. The CFA indicated that the nine-factor structure of the DSHL instrument had a poor fit. To modify indices, factor 9 with 2 items and 1 item of factor 6 were deleted. The Cronbach's alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient of the instrument were acceptable. Finally, a 27-item instrument with 8 dimensions was confirmed.Conclusions:The results of the study showed that the instrument developed was a valid tool for identifying the DSHL of Iranian women. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2022;6(2):e159–e166.]Plain Language Summary:This study sought to develop and validate a multidimensional instrument to measure the health literacy of Iranian women about dietary supplements that was performed from July 2019 to May 2020 in Iran. Findings showed that the 30-item instrument developed in this study is a valid instrument to be used for identifying the health literacy of Iranian women about dietary supplements.

125 Community Socioeconomic Status Is Associated with Social Participation Outcomes

IntroductionSocioeconomic factors are recognized as important social determinants of health. Data however are sparse describing the relationship between socioeconomic status and long term burn outcomes. This study aims to examine associations between community-level socioeconomic status and social participation outcomes in burn survivors.MethodsData was obtained from the Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation (LIBRE) Journey study that assesses longitudinal social participation outcomes of community dwelling burn survivors. Subjects were linked to the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), which combines seven indicators into a metric that depicts community economic well-being. Participants were categorized by time since burn (< 5, 5-15, ≥15 years). Linear regression models examined associations between DCI (zip code and county levels) and LIBRE domain scores (Family & Friends, Social Interactions, Social Activities, Work & Employment).ResultsThe study included 314 burn survivors, (mean age 44.1 years; 61.0% female; 48.6% married; 82.8% white). The population was distributed among the time since injury categories (< 5: 35.8%, 5-15: 27.5%, ≥15: 36.7%). Approximately 18% of subjects were categorized in the “at risk” or “distressed” DCI categories. For survivors less than five years from burn, a DCI score increase of 1 standard deviation (worse socioeconomic status) at the zip code level was associated with decreased Family & Friends and Social Activity scores of 2.6 (p=.01) and 2.0 points (p=0.04), respectively (small effect sizes). This relationship was even stronger when controlling for sociodemographic factors. In regression analysis, survivors within the first five years from injury living in “at risk” or “distressed” communities showed worse Family & Friend scores by 6.5 points compared to those living in “prosperous” communities, even after adjusting for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and marital status (p=0.04; moderate effect size). There were no significant associations between DCI and LIBRE domain scores for survivors assessed beyond 5 years from injury.ConclusionsSocial participation outcomes were worse in burn survivors who lived in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Burn survivors who face socioeconomic challenges may need additional support to address social disparities to improve outcomes.

The association between food insecurity and gun violence in a major metropolitan city.

Food insecurity (FI) is an important social determinant of health that is associated with many forms of violence. We hypothesized that FI would be associated with gun violence. Firearm injury data was collected from 2016 to 2020 (n = 3115) at a single institution that serves as the only Level I trauma center in a major southern US city. The data were linked with Map the Meal Gap data, a publicly available data set, which estimates rates of county-level FI based on state-level FI and social determinants, including unemployment, poverty, disability, and other factors. Regression analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between FI with rates of overall gun trauma and odds of gun-related violence. Food insecurity by county of patient residence was categorized by rates less than the national average of 11.5% (low), between the national and state average (16.5%) (moderate), and greater than the state average (high). Out of state residents were excluded from the analyses. Of the 3,115 patients with firearm injuries identified, 138 (4.4%) resided in counties with low FI rates, 1048 (33.6%) in moderate FI, and 1929 (62.0%) in counties with high FI. Patients in regions of high FI were more likely to be a Level I trauma activation, a victim of assault, and have Medicaid or be self-pay. There was no significant difference in mortality by levels of FI. Food insecurity was significantly associated with firearm injury, with each percent increase in FI being related to approximately 56 additional gun-related injuries per 100,000 people (95% confidence interval, 54-59) and increased odds of the injury classified as assault (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.19). Violence prevention initiatives targeting food insecure communities may help alleviate the US gun violence epidemic. Further, trauma center screening for household FI and in-hospital interventions addressing FI may help reduce gun violence recidivism. Prognostic and Epidemiologic; Level IV.

Telehealth Literacy as a Social Determinant of Health: A Novel Screening Tool to Support Vulnerable Patient Equity.

Background:Telehealth has evolved as a solution to COVID-19 isolation precautions and remote care with well-established health, socioeconomic, and practical benefits. However, there are many gaps in the current literature regarding telehealth use among older, low health literate, and resource-limited populations. There are ethical considerations that warrant understanding this digital divide.Objective:The objective of this review is to propose the Telehealth Literacy Screening Tool (TLST) for use in older adults and support the future inclusion of telehealth literacy as an important social determinant of health (SDOH).Methods:Initially a four-week outreach was performed that targeted older adults and low-health literate patients at the MedVantage Clinic (MVC) within Ochsner Health (OH) to identify common barriers to patient engagement with the OH Epic MyChart telehealth platform. Themes from those barriers directed a meta-synthetic review of the methods and ethical considerations of current, validated technological and telehealth literacy screening tools. Those findings were reported based on the standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement.Results:Based on the barriers identified during our MVC patient outreach, PRISMA-reported review of telehealth literacy screening research, and evaluation of the MyChart platform and the technological resources required for its use; we developed a multidimensional questionnaire for telehealth literacy screening of older adults.Conclusion:The TLST is designed to identify patients in need of additional interventions for successful connection to telehealth services. This is an important step towards addressing the ethical obligation to decrease disparities in telehealth literacy for vulnerable populations and identifying telehealth literacy as a SDOH.

Documentation Status and Self-Rated Physical Health Among Latinx Young Adult Immigrants: the Mediating Roles of Immigration and Healthcare Stress.

Previous research has demonstrated that undocumented Latinx immigrants in the USA report worse physical health outcomes than documented immigrants. Some studies suggest that immigration-related stress and healthcare related-stress may explain this relationship, but none have tested it empirically. The purpose of this study was to determine if immigration-related stress and healthcare-related stress in the USA explain the relationship between documentation status and physical health among Latinx immigrants in North Carolina. The conceptual model was tested utilizing baseline data from a longitudinal, observational, community-engaged research study of young adult (18–44 years) Latinx immigrants residing in North Carolina (N = 391). Structural equation modeling was used to determine relationships among documentation status, healthcare, and immigration stress in the past six months, and self-rated physical health. Goodness-of-fit measures indicated that data fit the model well (RMSEA = .008; CFI = 1.0; TLI = .999; SRMR = .02; CD = .157). Undocumented individuals were more likely to experience immigration stress than their documented counterparts (beta = − 0.37, p < 0.001). Both immigration stress (beta = − 0.22, p < 0.01) and healthcare stress (beta = − 0.14, p < 0.05) were negatively related to physical health. Additionally, immigration stress was positively related to healthcare stress (beta = 0.72, p < 0.001). Results demonstrate that documentation status is an important social determinant of health. Passage of inclusive immigration and healthcare policies may lessen the stress experienced by Latinx immigrants and subsequently improve physical health.

Inequality in the Experience of Stressful Psychological Events: Evidence from a Regional Survey in Tehran.

Background: Socioeconomic status is one of the most important social determinants of the formation of stressful events. The purpose of this study was to estimate the amount of inequality in experiencing stressful events among higher and lower socio-economic groups and zones of Tehran citizens. Methods: The study was descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional. Through a multistage sampling method, 5895 adult residents in Tehran were selected. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire designed to measure stressful events in Tehran, which includes 11 dimensions of stressful factors. Concentration index and concentration curves were used to analyze the data. Results: Among the 11 stressful life events, 6 of them were significant. Stress by the neighborhood problems (CI = -0.47, 95% CI: -0.66, -0.28) and living problems (CI = -0.50, 95% CI: -0.68, -0.32) was pro-rich, and these two dimensions formed the greatest inequality between the poor and the rich. The other 3 dimensions of stress caused by housing problems, political problems and fear of the future were also pro-rich. Only educational problem stressors were pro-poor. Stressful life event experience was concentrated on residents of low-development areas (zones 1 and 2). Conclusion: Residents of Tehran experience stressful events unequally, and this inequality exists both within and between social groups. Most stressful events were observed among the poor and less developed zones.

They Built My Soul: A Qualitative Analysis of the Impacts of Home Repairs in Rural Tennessee

BackgroundHousing is an important social determinant of health and substandard housing is linked to physical, mental, and social health problems.PurposeThe purpose of the study was to qualitatively assess the impacts of repairs to substandard housing in rural East Tennessee through twenty-eight interviews.MethodsZoom was utilized for recording phone interviews in January–February 2021 and NVivo software was used for thematic analysis in May–July 2021.ResultsThemes that emerged included environmental risk reduction, impacts on physical health, impacts on mental health, impacts on financial well-being, and willingness to receive future assistance from service organizations.ImplicationsFurther research is recommended to quantify impacts including effects on utilization of health care and community services, school and work attendance, and mental health impacts.

Gender Equity Perceptions Among School-Going Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Comparison Amongst Tribal and Non-Tribal Rural Areas of an Eastern State in India.

Introduction: Gender equity is an important social determinant of population health. There are very few studies in the Indian context in this regard, and even less regarding the diversity in tribal-dominated and non-tribal regions. The current study was conducted to assess and compare the perceptions of adolescents going to selected schools of tribal-dominated and non-tribal rural areas in West Bengal, India, regarding gender equity. It also explored the teacher’s perceptions on gender equity in an attempt to contextualize the students’ perceptions. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted with a convergent parallel design in two co-education schools, each from tribal-dominated and non-tribal rural areas. In the quantitative survey total of 828 adolescents aged 14—19 years participated. The qualitative component involved 26 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with the selected teachers. Results: Overall, the respondents from tribal area had a better perception regarding the equitable privilege of independence among genders, equity in decision roles, and especially financial decision roles of women. Perceptions related to girls access to education were better among the boys from non-tribal area than their counterparts from tribal area. The non-tribal respondents had a more inadequate perception regarding women’s limited role. In general, the respondents perceived favorably against gender dominance. The teacher’s perceptions in the context were mostly concordant, with some exceptions, e.g., regarding dominance and violence-related issues, the teachers perceived differently, contrasting the better perceptions exhibited by the students. Conclusion: The teachers’ perceptions showed strict reliance on the deep-rooted social norms that can be taken up for behavior change interventions. Better perceptions from the tribal areas are an opportunity to further enhance on gender equity. The boys’ perceptions can still be improved more in favor of gender equity.

Addressing Food Insecurity and Improving Food Allergy Management among Pediatric Patient/Caregiver Dyads During the COVID Pandemic

Food insecurity (FI) is an important social determinant of health associated with greater physical and psychosocial disease burden. During the COVID pandemic, FI has increased substantially, adversely impacting many families managing food allergy and already experiencing challenges accessing safe food. In collaboration with a non-profit food pantry, Food Equality Initiative, we are piloting a 6-month program that provides free monthly direct shipments of self-selected allergen-safe foods to food-allergic children at risk of food insecurity.

Effect of care environment on educational attainment among orphaned and separated children and adolescents in Western Kenya

BackgroundThere are approximately 140 million orphaned and separated children (OSCA) around the world. In Kenya, many of these children live with extended family while others live in institutions. Despite evidence that orphans are less likely to be enrolled in school than non-orphans, there is little evidence regarding the role of care environment. This evidence is vital for designing programs and policies that promote access to education for orphans, which is not only their human right but also an important social determinant of health. The purpose of this study was to compare educational attainment among OSCA living in Charitable Children’s Institutions and family-based settings in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya.MethodsThis study analyses follow up data from a cohort of OSCA living in 300 randomly selected households and 17 institutions. We used Poisson regression to estimate the effect of care environment on primary school completion among participants age ≥ 14 as well as full and partial secondary school completion among participants age ≥ 18. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using a bootstrap method with 1000 replications.ResultsThe analysis included 1406 participants (495 from institutions, 911 from family-based settings). At baseline, 50% were female, the average age was 9.5 years, 54% were double orphans, and 3% were HIV-positive. At follow-up, 76% of participants age ≥ 14 had completed primary school and 32% of participants age ≥ 18 had completed secondary school. Children living in institutions were significantly more likely to complete primary school (aRR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10–1.28) and at least 1 year of secondary school (aRR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.18–1.39) than children in family-based settings. Children living in institutions were less likely to have completed all 4 years secondary school (aRR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.43–1.18) than children in family-based settings.ConclusionChildren living in institutional environments were more likely to complete primary school and some secondary school than children living in family-based care. Further support is needed for all orphans to improve primary and secondary school completion. Policies that require orphans to leave institution environments upon their eighteenth birthday may be preventing these youth from completing secondary school.

Nativity Status is an Important Social Determinant of Health for Hispanic Patients with Gastric Cancer in Texas.

The U.S. foreign-born population is rapidly increasing, and cancer incidence/mortality rates have been shown to differ by nativity status. Our study aimed to characterize differences in gastric cancer presentation and survival among Hispanic patients in Texas by nativity status. We conducted a retrospective review of the Texas Cancer Registry to identify Hispanic patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma between 2004 and 2017. Existing indices applied to 2010 census tract-level data were utilized to measure neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) and Hispanic enclaves. Nativity status was imputed for patients with missing data. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were fit for overall survival adjusted for age, insurance status, diagnosis year, tumor location, stage, grade, reporting source, nativity status, nSES, and Hispanic enclave. Our study cohort consisted of 6186 patients and 39% were foreign-born. A greater proportion of foreign-born patients were diagnosed at < 45years old (16% vs. 11%, p < 0.0001) and had metastatic disease at presentation (47% vs. 34%, p < 0.0001). Foreign-born patients were more often uninsured, in the lowest nSES quintile, and the highest (most ethnically distinct) quintile for Hispanic enclave. Stage-specific overall survival was significantly higher among foreign-born patients. In our multivariate model, foreign-born Hispanic patients had improved survival versus US-born (hazard ratio [HR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-0.99). The clinical presentation of gastric cancer differs significantly between foreign-born and U.S.-born Hispanic patients. Foreign-born Hispanic patients have improved survival after adjusting for socioeconomic, neighborhood, and clinical factors. Further studies are needed to identify specific causal mechanisms driving the observed survival difference by nativity status.

VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND JOB-SEEKING FOR ETHNIC YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES: KEY SOCIAL DETERMINANTS

Objectives. Ethnic minority youth with disabilities have been experiencing multi-challenges in maintaining their wellbeing and social integration. This study was designed to capture the status of ethnic minority youth with disabilities’ vocational training and job placement. Importantly, it analyzed different social influential factors this group has to encounter in the process of being included in the community. Materials and methods. This study employed a mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A triangulation data collection strategy was used to generate a broad range of information. It included a survey of 76 ethnic youth with disabilities, qualitative in-depth interviews of six ethnic youth with disabilities and six local officers, and two group discussions among the youth with disabilities and support staff. Results. The key findings show the challenging status of this vulnerable group and their limited involvement in vocational training and fewer opportunities in job seeking. Important social determinants, such as psychosocial problems, limited support from family, lack of accessibility to information, and social support system limitation, including local social services, have been identified as main obstacles for ethnic minority youth with disabilities. Conclusions. Ethnic minority youth with disabilities in Vietnam have experienced multi-social challenges that hinder their personal development and often are excluded from many social activities, including vocational training and job placement. In order to support them, it is vital to provide an appropriate support service system in solving their psychosocial challenges as well as the development of policies that support the families’ livelihood and sustainable development. Keywords: ethnic minority youth with disabilities, vocational training, job-seeking, social determinants.

Affective Neuroscience of Loneliness: Potential Mechanisms underlying the Association between Perceived Social Isolation, Health, and Well-Being.

Loneliness, or the subjective feeling of social isolation, is an important social determinant of health. Loneliness is associated with poor physical health, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and dementia, faster cognitive decline, and increased risk of mortality, as well as disruptions in mental health, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Theoretical accounts suggest loneliness is a complex cognitive and emotional state characterized by increased levels of inflammation and affective disruptions. This review examines affective neuroscience research on social isolation in animals and loneliness in humans to better understand the relationship between perceptions of social isolation and the brain. Loneliness associated increases in inflammation and neural changes consistent with increased sensitivity to social threat and disrupted emotion regulation suggest interventions targeting maladaptive social cognitions may be especially effective. Work in animal models suggests the neural changes associated with social isolation may be reversible. Therefore, ameliorating loneliness may be an actionable social determinant of health target. However, more research is needed to understand how loneliness impacts healthy aging, explore the role of inflammation as a potential mechanism in humans, and determine the best time to deliver interventions to improve physical health, mental health, and well-being across a diverse array of populations.

Psychological well-being among college students: A study from Central India

Background: Psychological well-being (PWB) is affected by age, physical health, personality, life experiences, socioeconomic status, and culture. Age is an important social determinant of health and age-based analysis is necessary to rectify one’s health and health care. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to assess the PWB of college students and to determine the correlation between age and PWB aspects. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 college students selected by simple random sampling. Ryff’s PWB scale, a 42-item version used for the assessment of PWB, and data were collected by self-administering questionnaires. Statistical Analysis: Internal consistency of the scale was estimated and descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and regression analysis were applied. Results: The mean age of the participants was 19.41±1.69 years and 61% were male. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for internal consistency of Ryff’s PWB scale was 0.814 in this study. The mean of PWB was 205.42±11.04 and ≥20 years scored higher in all the parameters of PWB than &lt;20 years, differences were (t=3.62, P=0.001) significant. Simple linear regression showed that age was a highly significant (P=0.002) predictor of PWB. Conclusion: The study illustrated that students of 20 years or more had better PWB in terms of all dimensions than &lt;20 years-, and also suggested the need for future research, like, to deepen on the conceptual and relations between age and PWB, and to analyze the impact that social changes have toward age group on PWB.