Domains Of Life Satisfaction Research Articles

Measuring subjective wellbeing in patients with heart disease: relationship and comparison between health-related quality of life instruments.

This study aimed to validate the use of subjective wellbeing (SWB) in patients with heart disease, to explore the complementary vs substitute relationship between SWB and health status utility (HSU), and to reveal which life domains matter for patients with heart disease compared to healthy persons. Data were obtained from a large multi-national, multi-instrument comparison survey. Subjective wellbeing instruments (ONS4, PWI, SWLS), health status utility instruments (15D, AQoL-8D, EQ-5D-5L, HUI3 and SF-6D) and a disease-specific quality of life instrument (MacNew) were administered among patients with heart disease (N = 943). Validity and sensitivity of SWBs were studied. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to examine the difference in descriptive systems between the SWB, HSU and MacNew. The importance of life domain satisfaction in explaining overall life satisfaction was investigated using regression analysis. The known-group analysis showed that both SWB and HSU scores differed according to changes in the severity of heart disease. EFA showed that SWB and HSU were generally complementary instruments. The life domains that were significantly important to patients with heart disease were standard of living, followed by achieving in life, personal relationships, personal health, and future security. Compared to the healthy public, personal health and future security were significantly more important life domains. Assessing SWB provides complementary information on understanding heart patients' subjective outcome over the use of quality of life instruments alone. Given the adverse psychological impact of heart disease, addressing the important domain revealed by SWB assessment in management planning should be considered.

Impacts of Leisure and Tourism on the Elderly’s Quality of Life in Intimacy: A Comparative Study in Japan

Highly social activities like leisure and tourism are considered to have positive effects on the elderly’s mental health. Taking Japan as a case study, this research aims to clarify how leisure and tourism contribute to the elderly’s quality of life (QOL) in the domains of leisure and intimacy by comparing populated and depopulated areas. Such research has strong implications for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through healthy aging, but relevant efforts are quite limited. In this study, leisure and tourism behaviors are captured by visit frequency, travel party and expenditure. Quality of life is measured by happiness and life satisfaction in different life domains, in line with the life-oriented approach. Data were collected in 2014 via a nationwide online survey in Japan. Applying a structural equation model (SEM) approach, it is found that leisure behavior contributes to maintaining the elderly’s QOL in leisure life and intimacy domains. Tourism behavior only contributes to QOL in populated areas. Leisure activities strongly enhance QOL in terms of intimacy and improve the neighborhood relationship of the elderly in depopulated areas and family life in populated areas. Enriching daily leisure activities for the elderly would improve their intimate relationships in depopulated areas.

The effects of economic benefits on place affect: the mediating role of perceived values and non-material life satisfaction

ABSTRACTThis research aims to test the impacts of personal economic benefits from tourism, perceived values, non-material life domain satisfaction on place affect to rural community. Data were collected from rural community, Ningde, China, and a structural equation modeling approach was used. The findings show that personal economic benefits from tourism is positively associated with perceived values and non-material life domain satisfaction, but not positively related to place affect. Perceived values and non-material life domain satisfaction mediate the relationship between personal economic benefits from tourism and place affect. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed for the rural community.

The moderating effect of love of money on relationship between socioeconomic status and happiness

The objective of this research is to determine the moderating effects of Love of Money (LOM) on the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and happiness. This study explores not only the direct relationship between SES and happiness, but also indirect relationships that may exist through life domain satisfaction, such as through job, income and family satisfaction. Additionally, it further studies the moderating roles of LOM on those indirect or mediated relationships. Purposive sampling method was used to collect data from 433 samples drawn from four different target groups with the mix of level of income and LOM. For analysis of data, the structural equation modeling technique was employed. The findings reveal no direct relationship between SES and happiness, but findings did show an indirect, positive relationship between SES and happiness through job, family and income satisfaction. This suggests a multiple mediated relationship between SES and happiness. LOM has a negative effect on happiness as well as on job satisfaction and income satisfaction. In addition, LOM revealed moderating roles on SES-income satisfaction (strengthening) and job satisfaction-happiness (weakening) relationships. The results suggest that low LOM people have a sense of contentment because they are more satisfied with their income, no matter how much they earn, compared with the satisfaction of high LOM people. Also, high LOM people undermine job satisfaction as a source of happiness, therefore lowering their overall happiness or life satisfaction.

Domain Specific Life Satisfaction in the Dual Careers of Junior Elite Football Players: The Impact of Role Strain

Using a holistic perspective on athlete talent development, this study examines the impact of role strain on the life satisfaction in various life domains of junior elite Australian Rules Football players. One hundred and twelve talent-identified male Australian Rules Football players (Mage = 16.8; SD = .71) completed measures of role strain and multidimensional life satisfaction. The results indicated that role strain explained twelve to twenty-four percent of the variance in life satisfaction in the players’ life domains. Experiences of role strain related to the players’ dual careers were associated with decreased life satisfaction in sport, friendships, family, yourself, and global life satisfaction domains. Situations in which the players perceived that their abilities were underutilized were also negatively associated with life satisfaction across various life domains. This study thus evidences the importance of a domain specific, holistic approach to investigate the life satisfaction in junior athletes’ dual careers.

Investigating the Domains of Life Satisfaction in Middle-Aged, Late Middle-Aged, and Older Adults with a Physical Disability

Little research exists that explores which domains of life satisfaction contributed to life satisfaction among Korean older adults with a physical disability. The purpose of this study was to investigate which domains of life satisfaction predicted life satisfaction by the identified different age groups among Korean older adults with a physical disability. This study analyzed the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (PSED) collected in 2015 in Korea. A total of 2331 participants were used and examined their socio-demographic status, the satisfaction of life domains (social, health, finance, leisure, work and marital), and the overall life satisfaction. The results show that marital and employment statuses play an important role in promoting the overall life satisfaction for adults and older adults with a physical disability. In addition, this study suggests that the social and leisure satisfaction of an individual are the major contribution to life satisfaction among older adults (aged 55 and over) who have a physical disability.

Economic Shocks on Subjective Well-Being: Re-assessing the Determinants of Life-Satisfaction After the 2008 Financial Crisis

The paper investigates the extent to which life-satisfaction is biased by peer-comparison by looking at the relative value attached to the different domains of life-satisfaction, as suggested by Easterlin (Economics and happiness: framing the analysis, Oxford University Press, New York, 2005), by social group. We postulate that group membership influences the ranking of the satisfaction domains affecting subjective well-being which allows individuals to go back to their individual threshold over time. Using ordered probit models with random effects, the evidence for professional (self-employed vs. employee) and social (male vs. female) groups using the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society—UK Household Longitudinal Study from 1996 to 2014 shows that the ranking of the satisfaction domains is group-based suggesting a “keeping up with the Joneses” effect linked to the housing bubble.

A Study of Subjective Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Italy: how are Children doing at 8 years of Age?

The paper presents a portion of the first findings of the International Survey of Children’s Well-being (ISCWeB) study, which was performed in Italy. The primary purpose of the ISCWeB project was to consider the subjective well-being of children and to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their lives, focusing on their own perceptions and evaluations. This work aimed to learn more about the subjective well-being of 8-year-old Italian children. A total of 1145 children participated in the study and completed the ISCWeB questionnaire. Several psychometric scales were used: the single-item Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS) scale, the five-item Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS-5), the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS), and the Personal Well-being Index - School Children (PWI4). In addition, the satisfaction in different life domains was measured and several group comparisons were performed to analyze gender and contextual differences. Adopting gender comparisons, family and school contexts were explored more in deep through selected items of the ISCWeB questionnaire. It was also considered the role of gender as individual variable capable of influencing the relations between family and school satisfaction and subjective well-being. Overall, a high degree of children’s subjective well-being emerged. No differences were found between males and females on overall subjective well-being, while gender statistically significant differences were found in the life domains of family and school. Moreover, the results revealed the contribute of gender in moderating the relation between school satisfaction and subjective well-being, finding that higher satisfaction with school life leads to higher subjective well-being for males but not for females. Theoretical, practical and policy implications were discussed.

Domain-Based and Overall Life Satisfaction for Youth with Chronic Conditions: The Role of Personal, Interpersonal, and Environmental Factors Over a One-Year Period

This paper examined the differential influences of personal, interpersonal, and environmental level factors on domain-based and overall life satisfaction over one year for youth with chronic health conditions. Baseline and Time 2 follow-up data were used from a study examining quality of life for a sample of 439 youth with chronic conditions, aged 11 to 17 years. The Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale measured youths’ life satisfaction in five domains (i.e., satisfaction with self, family life, friendships, school experiences, where one lives) and in overall life. Six multivariate linear regression analyses were performed, each exploring relations of the hypothesized correlates at baseline with one aspect of life satisfaction at follow-up controlling for youth gender, age, household income, and the corresponding aspect of life satisfaction at baseline. Factors at all three levels were found to be important to some aspect of life satisfaction. Emotional well-being played a notable role in life satisfaction across multiple domains and in overall life satisfaction. Family-related factors were also significantly related to life satisfaction across several domains. Social support from close friends and teachers and the school environment were important to specific domains of life satisfaction. Classmate social support emerged as a key factor related to overall life satisfaction. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Which Life Domains Impact Most on Self-Rated Health? A Cross-Cultural Study of Switzerland and its Neighbors

General life satisfaction (GLS) is a strong health correlate and can be conceptualized as an aggregate of satisfactions in different life domains and as a proxy for quality of life. Little is known about which life domains—measured as domain satisfactions—contribute most to GLS and are the best predictors of self-rated health (SRH) and whether these associations differ between countries and/or language areas. We used stepwise logistic regression models to investigate how domain satisfactions, GLS and SRH are interrelated and compared German-speaking and French/Italian-speaking Switzerland with the corresponding neighboring countries of Germany, Austria, France and Italy. The associations of domain satisfactions with GLS and SRH varied significantly in magnitude and between countries and language areas. GLS was strongly related to self-rated health in all populations, but more so in the German-speaking than the French/Italian-speaking regions. Adjusted for all domain satisfactions, satisfaction with one’s financial situation and job satisfaction showed independent effects on SRH and were the most important predictors of GLS, although no clear geographical pattern emerged. Domain-specific satisfactions were similarly associated with GLS and SRH, but the strength of the association varied between German-, French- and Italian-speaking populations. Any similarity between Swiss language areas and neighboring countries was limited to German-speaking populations. Country- and language-specific life domain satisfactions may provide useful pointers for targeting policies in the respective domains.

A longitudinal study of the profiles of psychological thriving, resilience, and loss in people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Despite the toll of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on adjustment, many patients are resilient to the challenges associated with living with IBD, and successfully cope with their illness and thrive. Yet there is little research on why some individuals with IBD enter a trajectory of growth, while others may struggle to adapt. The aim of this study was to investigate the adjustment-related factors that distinguished thriving, resilience, and loss in people with IBD across personal growth, life satisfaction, and relationship quality domains. Prospective cohort design with two data collection points, 6months apart. From a sample of 420 people with active IBD who completed an online survey, 152 participants completed the follow-up survey and were included in the analyses. Participants completed measures of thriving, and cognitive, affective, social, and disease-related variables known to predict adjustment. Time 1 ANCOVAs and pairwise comparisons controlling for demographics distinguished loss from resilience and thriving on the four outcomes - coping efficacy, illness acceptance, depressive symptoms, and perceived social support - for all three domains. Time 2 ANCOVAs and pairwise comparisons controlling for baseline outcomes revealed that the Time thriving categories predicted differences in Time 2 adjustment, mainly for the life satisfaction domain, with those experiencing loss reporting poorer adjustment than those experiencing resilience and thriving. Findings highlight the distinctions among profiles of thriving, resilience, and loss in adjustment to IBD, and suggest that strategies that enhance coping and address depressive symptoms may optimize thriving in the context of IBD. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with depression, poor coping, and stressful symptoms. Previous research has focused mainly on poor adjustment to IBD rather than on positive growth. There is little research on why some patients with IBD thrive or are resilient, while others struggle to adapt. What does this study add? This study is the first to longitudinally examine the profiles of thriving, resilience, and loss in individuals with IBD. The thriving profiles differed in coping efficacy, illness acceptance, depressive symptoms, and social support outcomes at Time 1, and predicted adjustment at T2 mainly for the life satisfaction domain. Strategies that enhance coping and social support may optimize thriving in the context of IBD.

Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in a sample of Chilean university students

The Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale is an instrument to assess life satisfaction in children and adolescents in five life domains. However, research on multidimensional life satisfaction in older students, such as those attending university, is still scarce. This paper undertook to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in a sample of university students from five state universities in Chile. The Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied to 369 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the expected correlated five-factor model of the long version (40 items) and the abbreviated version (30 items) of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale. The goodness-of-fit values obtained from confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the data fit better to the 30-items and five-factor structure than to the 40-item structure. The convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity of the 30-item version was demonstrated. The 30-item version of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale may be a promising alternative to measure satisfaction in different life domains in university students, and a valuable tool for differential assessments that guide research and intervention on this population.

Life Satisfaction Among High School Students With Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Problems

Over the last decade, there has been increased interest in measuring life satisfaction among children and adolescents as an indicator of broad well-being and happiness. Although limited, existing research with students with social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) problems indicates they experience lower life satisfaction compared with their nondisabled peers. We evaluated life satisfaction ratings by 553 high school students with SEB problems and examined those ratings relative to their academic, mental health, and behavioral outcomes as well as demographic characteristics. In addition, we examined stability of life satisfaction reports over time. Overall, students reported “medium” satisfaction with life, except in the School domain, which was rated least favorably. Higher life satisfaction reports significantly correlated with lower anxiety, depression, and behavior problems, as well as higher reading and math achievement. Differences were found based on gender and ethnicity, with female and Hispanic/Latino students reporting lower satisfaction in certain life domains compared with their counterparts. Finally, self-reported life satisfaction showed variability across time.

Life Satisfaction of Downtown High-Rise vs. Suburban Low-Rise Living: A Chicago Case Study

There has been a long-standing debate about whether urban living is more or less sustainable than suburban living, and quality of life (QoL) is one of several key measures of the social sustainability of residential living. However, to our knowledge, no study to date has examined life satisfaction among residents of downtown high-rise living compared to residents living in suburban low-rise housing. Further, very few studies have utilized building or neighborhood-scale data sets to evaluate residents’ life satisfaction, and even fewer have controlled for both individual and household-level variables such as gender, age, household size, annual income, and length of residence, to evaluate residents’ life satisfaction across different living scenarios. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate residents’ satisfaction with their place of residence as well as overall life in general via surveys of individuals living in existing high-rise residential buildings in downtown Chicago, IL, and in existing low-rise residential buildings in suburban Oak Park, IL. Over 1500 individuals were contacted directly, resulting in over 500 responses. The number of fully completed responses for this study was 177, including 94 from residents of four downtown high-rise buildings and 83 from residents in suburban low-rise homes. Residents living in downtown high-rise buildings had significantly higher life satisfaction scores than residents living in suburban low-rise homes when controlling for demographic differences; however, the differences were small, as housing type explained less than 5% of the observed variance in life satisfaction outcomes. The research also evaluated five life satisfaction domains including travel, accessibility, social interaction, safety, and overall residential environment (ORE). In all cases, residents of the downtown high-rises reported higher satisfaction levels, although the scores on all these five satisfaction domains reported from both urban scenarios were very high. Moreover, all five satisfaction domains were highly associated with each other, and accessibility and safety were found as the strongest predictors of ORE for individuals.

Leisure travel outcomes and life satisfaction: An integrative look

The goal of this study is to investigate the integral relationships among leisure travel outcomes, life satisfaction domains, and overall life satisfaction. Based on qualitative and quantitative analyses of young Chinese leisure travel outcomes, this study grounded its conceptual framework in the theory of social production function as providing heuristics. Young Chinese overall life satisfaction was found to be enhanced through three universal goals – physical satisfaction improved by leisure-travel-based comfort, novelty and escape stimulations, social satisfaction boosted by improved social recognition and affection through travel, and satisfaction in career development which proved to be the people’s unique universal goal resulting from travel. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed, providing suggestions to researchers, policymakers and tourism product developers.

Neighborhood Predictors of Life Domain Satisfaction and Subjective Wellbeing in Rural and Urban Groups: Implications for Health Policy and Practice

Neighborhood Predictors of Life Domain Satisfaction and Subjective Wellbeing in Rural and Urban Groups: Implications for Health Policy and Practice

Quality of Life and Awareness of Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in People With Cardiovascular Diseases.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), life satisfaction, and their present awareness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in people with cardiovascular diseases.MethodsA questionnaire survey was completed by 53 patients (mean age, 65.7±11.6 years; 33 men and 20 women) with unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or heart failure. The questionnaire included the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS SF-36), life domain satisfaction measure (LDSM), and the awareness and degree of using CR program.ResultsThe average scores of physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) were 47.7±18.5 and 56.5±19.5, respectively. There were significant differences in physical role (F=4.2, p=0.02), vitality (F=10.7, p<0.001), mental health (F=15.9, p<0.001), PCS (F=3.6, p=0.034), and MCS (F=11.9, p<0.001) between disease types. The average LDSM score was 4.7±1.5. Age and disease duration were negatively correlated with multiple HRQoL areas (p<0.05). Monthly income, ejection fraction, and LDSM were positively correlated with several MOS SF-36 factors (p<0.05). However, the number of modifiable risk factors had no significant correlation with medication. Thirty-seven subjects (69.8%) answered that they had not previously heard about CR program. Seventeen patients (32.1%) reported that they were actively participating in CR program. Most people said that a reasonable cost of CR was less than 100,000 Korean won per month.ConclusionCR should focus on improving the physical components of quality of life. In addition, physicians should actively promote CR to cardiovascular disease patients to expand the reach of CR program.

How Big is the Gap in Wellbeing between Marginalised and Non-Marginalised Young People as They Approach Adolescence? Evidence from a National Survey of 9–14 Year Old Australians

While research shows that wellbeing among disadvantaged or marginalised young people is often low, few analyses compare wellbeing across different groups of young people recognised by policy as marginalised, and the non-marginalised. This paper examines the extent to which wellbeing varies across five marginalised groups (young people with disability, young carers, materially disadvantaged young people, young people from non-English speaking background, and Indigenous young people) and the non-marginalised. Analysis was conducted on data from a nationally representative sample of 9–14 year old Australians in school years 4, 6 and 8 (N = 5440), designed following extensive consultations with young people. Their perspectives shaped the construction of the wellbeing index, operationalised using 12 indicators within domains of family, peer relationships, health, school, and life satisfaction. Analysis found a significant gap in wellbeing between young people with disability, young carers and materially disadvantaged young people on the one hand, and the non-marginalised on the other. Analysis also found gaps between Indigenous young people and the non-marginalised but these were mostly not significant. However, there was little difference in wellbeing between young people from non-English speaking background and the non-marginalised. For four of the five groups, gaps were larger among 13–14 year olds than among 9–12 year olds. Young people from non-English speaking backgrounds were exceptions in this respect. Latent Class Analysis was used to identify different wellbeing clusters. Odds of three marginalised groups (with disability, carers and materially disadvantaged) being in the lowest wellbeing cluster were particularly high, after controlling for other factors. However, half of those in the lowest wellbeing cluster were not in any of the marginalised groups. The analysis concludes that young people’s wellbeing can best be enhanced through universalist policies that seek to include everyone rather than only through targeting specific groups.

Gratitude and Life Satisfaction in the United States and Japan

Being grateful has been associated with many positive outcomes, including greater happiness, positive affect, optimism, and self-esteem. There is limited research, however, on the associations between gratitude and different domains of life satisfaction across cultures. The current study examined the associations between gratitude and three domains of life satisfaction, including satisfaction in relationships, work, and health, and overall life satisfaction, in the United States and Japan. A total of 945 participants were drawn from two samples of middle aged and older adults, the Midlife Development in the United States and the Midlife Development in Japan. There were significant positive bivariate associations between gratitude and all four measures of life satisfaction. In addition, after adjusting for demographics, neuroticism, extraversion, and the other measures of satisfaction, gratitude was uniquely and positively associated with satisfaction with relationships and life overall but not with satisfaction with work or health. Furthermore, results indicated that women and individuals who were more extraverted and lived in the United States were more grateful and individuals with less than a high school degree were less grateful. The findings from this study suggest that gratitude is uniquely associated with specific domains of life satisfaction. Results are discussed with respect to future research and the design and implementation of gratitude interventions, particularly when including individuals from different cultures.

Event satisfaction, leisure involvement and life satisfaction at a walking event: the mediating role of life domain satisfaction

Given the rising popularity of mass-participant sport, such as walking and running events, research has started to address whether these types of events could promote life satisfaction for participants. Nevertheless, the theoretical link between event participation and life satisfaction has not been fully elaborated. Using bottom-up theory of life satisfaction, this study examined the role of event satisfaction and the three facets of leisure involvement – attraction, centrality and self-expression – in people’s life domain satisfaction and life satisfaction. Participants (N = 236) were recruited from a walking event held in western Japan. The results of the study revealed that event satisfaction had positive, indirect effects on life satisfaction through satisfaction with family life and personal achievement. Attraction in walking also had positive, indirect effects on life satisfaction through satisfaction with family life, personal achievement and social life. In contrast, centrality and self-expression in walking were not associated with satisfaction with any life domains and life satisfaction. Findings from this study highlight the importance of life domain satisfaction in the relationship between event satisfaction, leisure involvement and life satisfaction. These findings also suggest that walking events can promote life satisfaction by providing the enjoyment of walking as physically active leisure.