Dimensions Of Well-being Research Articles

Does a community soccer program promote health-related quality of life in socially vulnerable Brazilian adolescents?

ABSTRACT Rationale: Understanding the impact of different sport initiatives on young people from socially vulnerable backgrounds is important. However, there remains a paucity of quantitative research on the quality of life of this group. Method: This study employed an ex post facto observational design to provide data on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) from socially vulnerable Brazilian adolescents enrolled in a community soccer program (“Union Project”). Male soccer players (n = 26, 2x/week for 6 months in the soccer program) and non-players (n = 26, no participation in sports program) were included in the study. Participants answered a form about sociodemographic data and health-related quality of life perception (KIDSCREEN-27). Differences in HRQoL between players and non-players were verified by the independent t test and the effect size was estimated (Cohen’s d). Findings: Except for the School Environment dimension, soccer players presented statistically higher scores of HRQoL in comparison to non-players (P < 0.05). The Physical Well-Being dimension (d = 1.9) and the total HRQoL (d = 1.4) showed large effects in favor of the soccer player group. Research contribution: The Union Project seems to have the potential to improve the HRQoL of socially vulnerable adolescents, in which soccer players showed better scores on almost all dimensions of HRQoL compared to their peers.

Strengthening the European Semester to Achieve Economies of Wellbeing.

The environmental crisis, growing levels of social inequalities and rising levels of noncommunicable diseases are all symptoms of economic systems that are failing to generate wellbeing. There is increasing support for the notion that addressing these crises requires shifting the focus from economic growth to a broader range of measures that reflect wellbeing, through more comprehensive, consistent and integrated policy approaches to deliver this. In 2019, the EU Finnish Council Presidency Council Conclusions called amongst other things for the development of a new long-term, post-2020 strategy to provide the framework for horizontal assessment and cross-sectoral collaboration, in particular through the European Semester process. This article contextualises this call and explores its follow-up. It draws from key policy documents to explore what Economies of Wellbeing are, why and how the concept has emerged and how they can be put in place. It then explores to what extent this concept is being applied at the EU level, by tracking changes in some of the EU's key policies and strategies over the past 10 years and in the Semester process, as a mechanism to implement them. It concludes that while progress towards more comprehensive, consistent and integrated policy approaches has been made in the context of the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy, underpinning the Semester processes, it is limited by the continuing emphasis on economic, over other policy, areas. It also argues that the process needs to be broadened even further, to include other dimensions of wellbeing, which intersect with the economy and impact wellbeing. To strengthen the European Semester process to achieve Economies of Wellbeing, it should be put at the service of an even more consistent and comprehensive EU Strategy that enables policy sectors to deliver wellbeing objectives in a more integrated and coordinated manner. This paper ends with recommendations for action.

Planning for Urban Sustainability through Residents’ Wellbeing: The Effects of Nature Interactions, Social Capital, and Socio-Demographic Factors

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to examine how varied environmental and social factors in urban environments affect human wellbeing, which is an important dimension of urban sustainability. Past research has focused on individual dimensions of health and isolated nature interactions, limiting knowledge about how different environmental and social factors affect distinct aspects of residents’ wellbeing. Through quantitative analyses of social survey and environmental data in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona (USA), we explored how distinct nature recreation activities—along with nature satisfaction and social capital—affected residents’ subjective, mental, and physical wellbeing across diverse neighborhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic, controlling for socio-demographics. Results reveal how distinct drivers shape different dimensions of wellbeing. Perceived social and environmental attributes of neighborhoods and proximity to nature preserves were associated with subjective wellbeing, while park visitation was linked to physical health. Nature interactions largely were unrelated to mental health. Changes in nature recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly impact any dimension of wellbeing. Our research suggests that multiple local environmental and social features should be considered when designing healthy communities for urban sustainability.

Examining the Intersection of Sociopolitical Development and Transformative Social and Emotional Learning Outcomes: An Integrated Approach in Youth Participatory Action Research

Young people need opportunities that support their well-being while enabling them to take meaningful action. There has been strong interest in youth participatory action research (YPAR) as a form of sociopolitical action for marginalized youth seeking to address inequities that undermine individual and community well-being. The rapid growth of the YPAR literature in the last decade has involved studies analyzing the impact of YPAR on dimensions of youth empowerment, sociopolitical development (SPD), and well-being. The relatively new framework of Transformative Social Emotional Learning (tSEL) is potentially fruitful in identifying relevant constructs, skills, and strategies to support well-being during the YPAR process. This article seeks to advance our integrative conceptualization and analysis of the impact of YPAR by (1) considering the overlapping and unique dimensions of SPD and tSEL: agency, belonging, collaborative problem solving, curiosity, identity, societal involvement, and worldview and social analysis; and (2) applying this integrative lens to the analysis of novel data from an updated systematic review of U.S. and international YPAR studies (2015–2022). We summarize youth outcomes reported in 25 studies to assess the evidence for YPAR as an approach for promoting youth SPD and tSEL outcomes, identifying limitations and next steps for advancing our understanding of these impacts.

Well-Being and Perfectionism: Assessing the Mediational Role of Self-Compassion in Emerging Adults.

The study explores how different dimensions of perfectionism influence psychological well-being (PWB) in emerging adults. Literature has deepened the relationships between maladaptive perfectionism (e.g., excessive self-criticism, perceived discrepancy from the standards) and low PWB. Less is known about whether and how adaptive perfectionism (e.g., pursuing personal standards) relates to PWB. Secondly, the study has investigated whether self-compassion (i.e., self-benevolence, seeing personal imperfections as a common condition) may mediate the relationships between adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism and PWB. Participants (N = 217, 18-35 y. o.) completed self-report questionnaires measuring: adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism (Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, APS-R: high standards and order/discrepancy, respectively), PWB, and self-compassion (SCS). Adaptive perfectionism was associated with PWB, particularly a higher presence of purpose in life, environmental mastery, self-acceptance, and personal growth. Conversely, discrepancy resulted in the most robust predictor of low PWB (β = -0.68), followed by high standards with a positive direction (β = 0.23; Rc2 = 0.514, p < 0.001). A strong negative association emerged between discrepancy and SCS (r = -0.67, p < 0.001). A mediation analysis shows that self-compassion has an indirect effect, reducing the strength of the relationship between discrepancy and low PWB. Results suggest focusing on self-compassion as a buffer factor that reduces the negative impact of maladaptive perfectionism on psychological well-being. Implications for education and health psychology are discussed.

Physical and mental wellbeing, teaching efficacy and school connectedness—A study with preschool teachers in Portugal

This article aims to investigate correlations between physical and mental wellbeing, teaching efficacy and school connectedness and to explore the relationship between those dimensions and sociodemographic variables such as age, teaching experience, academic qualifications, education sector, and geographical regions. For this purpose, an online questionnaire was applied to 450 preschool teachers. To assess physical and mental wellbeing the PISA 2020 teacher questionnaire was used, and to evaluate teaching efficacy and school connectedness the Subjective Teacher Wellbeing Questionnaire was applied. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables. The reliability, internal consistency and suitability of the data for factor analysis. were assessed for each of the questionnaires. The ANOVA test and Kruskal–Wallis’s test were used to identify significant differences between the dimensions under analysis and sociodemographic variables. The results show that school connectedness is positively related to teaching efficacy and the same positive association occurs between physical and mental wellbeing. A negative association is observed between school connectedness and physical and mental wellbeing and teaching efficacy and physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing. The results also indicate that older preschool teachers and those with more years of experience had a significantly higher score in teaching efficacy than their younger and less experienced counterparts. The preschool teachers from the Porto and North Regions of Portugal had significantly higher scores in the mental wellbeing dimension when compared with their colleagues from other regions of the country.

The effectiveness of well-being-oriented human resource management in the context of telework

Organizations can support employee well-being through a wide variety of HRM practices, which can be summarized as well-being-oriented HRM (WBHRM). It is unclear, however, whether these practices can also foster the well-being of teleworkers. Indeed, due to reduced visibility and salience, it is likely that WBHRM is less or even not effective in the telework context. To prove this assumption, we analyze how strong specific domains of WBHRM are related to different dimensions of employee well-being (including happiness, health, and relational well-being) in a non-telework and telework context. In the telework context, we also analyze the moderating role of telework intensity. Our analyses are based on data from 1,980 German employees at two consecutive points in time. Our findings reveal that the overall relationship between WBHRM and employee well-being in terms of happiness (engagement, job satisfaction) and health (strain) is not weakened in the context of telework. Nevertheless, we found differences in the importance of specific domains to foster happiness and health well-being. In terms of relational well-being, we found that WBHRM is positively related to social isolation in the telework and non-telework context (which is counterintuitive). We did not find support for any moderating effect through telework intensity.

The Impact of the Great Recession on Well-Being across Europe Ten Years On: A Cluster Analysis

To evaluate variations in the well-being dimensions of European citizens, we rely upon Principal Component Analysis methodology, whereby a large set of interrelated indicators are reduced to a small number of aggregate synthetic variables. We find that the 2008 crisis impinged differently on the various dimensions of well-being. The evolution of the indicators has affected different clusters of countries in various ways. Most importantly, we observe that there has been a shift of the principal component from the poor in terms of material deprivation to the risk of poverty for the worsening conditions in the labor market.

Healthy Minds Index: A brief measure of the core dimensions of well-being.

We developed a self-report measure of psychological well-being for teens and adults, the Healthy Minds Index, based on a novel theory that four trainable pillars underlie well-being: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. Ninety-seven items were developed and revised by experts and guided by qualitative testing with teens (n = 32; average age = 16.0 years). After assessing the internal validity and factor structure in teens (n = 1607; average age = 16.7 years) and adults (n = 420; average age = 45.6 years), we reduced the survey to 17 items. We then validated the factor structure, internal and convergent and divergent validity, and retest reliability of the 17-item Healthy Minds Index in two new teen samples (study 1: n = 1492, average age = 15.7 years; study 2: n = 295, average age = 16.1 years), and one adult sample (n = 285; average age = 45.3 years). The Healthy Minds Index demonstrated adequate validity and provided a comprehensive measure of a novel theory of psychological well-being that includes two domains not found in other conceptualizations of this construct-awareness and insight. This measure will be invaluable for primary research on well-being and as a translational tool to assess the impact and efficacy of widely used behavioral training programs on these core dimensions of wellbeing.

Creating energy poverty by an anti-energy poverty policy? An analysis of the impact of the “coal-to-gas” policy in Northern China

The recent “coal-to-gas" (CTG) energy policy serves as an important measure to mitigate air pollution in northern China, and also carries out a mission of alleviating rural energy poverty. To unravel the impact of the CTG policy on rural energy poverty, this study examines the effect on economic and well-being dimensions of energy poverty based on data from five villages in northern China. The findings indicate that in general the CTG policy only limitedly alleviated rural energy poverty with effects varying significantly across different social groups. Economically, the policy has significantly increased recipients’ financial burden, and thereby exacerbated their energy poverty. In terms of well-being, the policy has improved the quality of life for villagers by reducing cooking time and raising indoor temperature, thus contributing to a reduction in energy poverty. The CTG recipients are distinguished into four categories based on varied experiences on economic and well-being aspects, with only one third experiencing overall positive impacts. The study suggests that energy policies intended to alleviate energy poverty may paradoxically perpetuate it. The differential impact across social groups calls for more nuanced and targeted approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of energy policies.

Perceptions of Animal Welfare on Livestock: Evidence from College Agronomy Students in Costa Rica.

Ethical considerations regarding our treatment of animals have gained strength, leading to legislation and a societal focus across various disciplines. This is a subject of study within curricula related to agri-food sciences. The aim was to determine the perceptions of agronomy university students concerning animal welfare in livestock production systems. A survey was conducted to encompass various aspects, from participants' sociodemographic attributes to their attitudes and behaviors regarding animal welfare and the consumption of animal products. Statistical analysis, performed using R software, delved into the associations between participants' characteristics and their perspectives on the ethical, bioethical, and legal dimensions of animal welfare. Associations between demographic factors and ethical viewpoints among students were identified. Gender differences emerged in animal treatment perceptions, while rural and urban environments impacted perspectives on various animals. Bioethical considerations revealed distinctive disparities based on gender and education in concerns regarding animal welfare, value perceptions, evaluations of animal behaviors, and opinions on animal research. It is crucial to distinguish between animal welfare and the ethical considerations arising from coexisting with sentient beings capable of experiencing suffering. Ethical theories provide a lens through which we perceive our obligations toward animals. The responsibility to ensure animal welfare is firmly rooted in recognizing that animals, like humans, experience pain and physical suffering. Consequently, actions causing unjustified suffering or mistreatment, particularly for entertainment purposes, are considered morally unacceptable.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Unhealthy Lifestyle in Adolescence: Unforeseen Role of Allostatic Overload and Psychological Well-Being.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (ULBs) are common in early adolescence and could be worsened by Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as well as by specific psychosocial factors, such as stress and unbalanced (i.e., too high or low scores of) psychological well-being (PWB) dimensions. This multi-center study aimed to evaluate how interactions between ADHD symptoms and psychosocial factors associated with ULBs (i.e., Allostatic Overload and multidimensional Psychological Well-Being), considered as moderators, could affect the adoption of ULBs during adolescence. A total of 440 fourteen-year-old adolescents were recruited from six upper secondary schools in Bologna and Rome (Italy) and completed self-report questionnaires on ULBs, ADHD, and psychosocial factors. Relations between ADHD symptomatology and specific ULBs (i.e., impaired sleep, problematic Internet use) were moderated by variables deemed as "negative" (i.e., Allostatic Overload) or "positive" (i.e., PWB dimensions of Self-Acceptance, Personal Growth, Positive Relations, Purpose in Life, Environmental Mastery): when the "negative" moderator is absent and the levels of the "positive" moderators are higher, ULBs decrease among students with lower ADHD symptomatology but increase among students with more severe ADHD. Based on ADHD severity, interventions should aim at promoting a state of euthymia, which consists in balanced PWB dimensions and reflects the optimal level of well-being to fulfill one's own potential and self-realization.

Exploring the relationship between trout fishing and wellbeing: insights from Aotearoa New Zealand trout anglers

ABSTRACT Internationally, there is growing interest in understanding the potential for recreational fishing to enhance the wellbeing of participants. To date, no studies have investigated the potential for recreational trout fishing to influence wellbeing in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. To address this gap, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with anglers in the local community and explored their understanding of wellbeing and how they percieve trout fishing contributes to their wellbeing. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, analysed thematically, and examined using the Te Whare Tapa Whā model of holistic wellbeing. For trout anglers, wellbeing incorporated mental, physical, spiritual, and relational health. Trout fishing was perceived as enhancing these elements of wellbeing by fostering positive states of being; cultivating connection with self, others, place and nature; allowing for disconnection from stressors; and providing physical exercise. These exploratory findings highlight the potential for trout fishing to enhance all dimensions of holistic wellbeing within the Te Whare Tapa Whā model and a need for further research in this area.

The well-being equation: How inner fulfilment drives the impact of older persons on the Ghanaian society.

Understanding and managing the complex processes of ageing is a critical function of gerontological nursing, especially when it comes to older people's well-being and their contributions to society. Globally, older persons contribute in many ways to families and communities. However, the relationship between older person's overall well-being and their propensity to contribute to society remains an important gap in research. The study examined the association between well-being and the impact of older persons on Ghanaian society. A secondary analysis of longitudinal survey data of the 2014/15 Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE Wave 2) conducted by the World Health Organization was used. The multilevel logistic regression technique was used to examine four dimensions of well-being and their associations with high social contribution among older persons. The output was reported as odds ratios (OR). The results show that older persons who had high physical and psychological well-being were more likely to contribute to society (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.68), (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.32, 2.33). However, those with high levels of emotional and spiritual well-being were less likely to make social contributions (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49, 0.88), (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.66, 1.18). This study shows a positive association between well-being and older persons' societal impact. Good mental and physical health encourage societal involvement among older persons, while high emotional and spiritual well-being may lead to less societal contribution. These findings are important for nursing policies promoting social contribution and well-being among older persons 60 years and over in Ghana.

The Impact of Individual Capabilities on Ecosystem Services and Farmers’ Well-Being: A Case Study of the Loess Plateau, China

Exploring the impact of individual capabilities on ecosystem services and farmers’ well-being is conducive to discovering the complex relationship between ESs and human well-being, and has clear practical value for the sustainable management and improvement of farmers’ well-being in ecologically fragile areas in China. An importance–accessibility index of ESs was constructed and the objective well-being and subjective well-being of farmers were assessed. Subsequently, the relationship among capabilities, ESs, and well-being was elucidated based on a structural equation model. The results showed that fruits, pest control, fuelwood, water conservation, and wild food were the ES types that contributed most to farmers’ well-being. There were some similarities and differences between the dimensions of objective and subjective well-being. For example, farmers with adequate leisure time reported higher leisure satisfaction and farmers with relatively adequate income levels reported the lowest income satisfaction. The direct effect of capabilities on ESs and objective well-being was significant, and the direct effect of capabilities on their subjective well-being was not significant. Their capabilities had a significant indirect impact on their objective well-being by influencing ESs and did not have a significant indirect impact on their subjective well-being by influencing ESs; their capabilities had a significant indirect impact on their subjective well-being by influencing the ESs and objective well-being. Physical health, mental health, and agricultural skills were the key types of capabilities that influenced the farmers’ access to ESs and well-being. Improving these capabilities can enable local farmers to more fully access ESs and improve their well-being.

Assessing functional impairment in university students: psychometric study of the Portuguese Work and Social Adjustment Scale in a help-seeking sample

Background: It has been advocated that higher education settings should promote a supporting environment devoted to improving several dimensions of well-being of their communities. Particularly in clinical services, the assessment of functional impairment is of outmost importance. Goals: The present study aimed at analysing factor structure and psychometric properties of the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), a 5-item scale developed to assess the patients’ perceived functional impairment resulting from a health problem in five dimensions: work, social leisure activities, private leisure activities, and relationships with others. Methods: A sample of 207 university students that sought mental health support (22 years old of mean age; majority female and undergraduate) answered a set of self-report questionnaires including the WSAS and measures of anxiety, depression and quality of life. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an adequate fit to the single-factor structure, and the scale presented very good reliability. Concurrent, convergent and incremental validity were also found, and the WSAS differentiated groups with different levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Discussion: Overall, our results corroborate that WSAS is a brief, reliable and valid measure, useful in research and clinical settings. Further research is needed particularly regarding temporal stability, discriminative power between clinical and nonclinical populations, and within clinical samples between different diagnosis.

Unravelling the Interplay of Servant Leadership, Cognitive Trust, and Employee Wellbeing: A Cae of An Emerging Economy

This study examines the relationship between servant leadership, cognitive-based trust, and employee wellbeing in Pakistan's healthcare sector. Grounded in existing research, our study explains the theoretical underpinnings of servant leadership, cognitive-based trust, and employee wellbeing. Servant leadership prioritizes followers' needs, fostering positive outcomes such as organizational citizenship behavior and job engagement. Cognitive-based trust, rooted in transparent communication and shared values, is fundamental to healthy leader-follower relationships and organizational commitment. Employee wellbeing, encompassing physical and psychological dimensions, is crucial for organizational success. In Pakistan's healthcare sector, marked by its complexity and the need for positive work environments, this study investigates how servant leadership and cognitive-based trust impact employee wellbeing. Four hypotheses are formulated: (1) Servant leadership positively correlates with overall employee wellbeing, (2) Servant leadership positively influences cognitive-based trust development, (3) Higher levels of cognitive-based trust correlate with enhanced wellbeing, and (4) Servant leadership's positive influence on wellbeing is mediated by cognitive-based trust. Through empirical testing, this research aims to deepen understanding of leadership, trust, and wellbeing dynamics in healthcare, providing insights for organizational practices. By elucidating these relationships, the study seeks to contribute to the creation of flourishing and sustainable workplaces in Pakistan's healthcare sector.

Spiritual Needs and Life Satisfaction of Lithuanian Palliative Care Patients.

Life satisfaction remains a value-based orientation and an important positive dimension of human well-being. Little is known about the relationship of this construct with palliative care patients' spiritual needs. This study assesses spiritual needs of palliative care patients and their association with life satisfaction. An exploratory cross-sectional study design was employed. During structured face-to-face interviews, 110 hospitalized palliative care patients responded to the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire (SpNQ) regarding their spiritual needs and the Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale (BMLSS) regarding life satisfaction. The patients, generally satisfied with their health and future prospects, showed variations in life satisfaction based on education and family status. Stronger Existential and Inner Peace needs were expressed. Factors such as age, gender, education, family status, and religiosity make a difference in the expression of spiritual needs. Religiosity emerged as the key predictor for Religious, Inner Peace, and Existential needs. Life satisfaction had a very weak negative correlation (-0.207, p < 0.05) with Inner Peace needs. Recommendations include understanding and addressing the spiritual needs of palliative patients and preparing healthcare professionals to address them.

Relationships with teachers and sense of belonging in school: Inter- and intra-individual variations according to adolescent immigrant background

BackgroundSocial well-being arises from the fulfillment of the basic need for relatedness. In school, it largely hinges on teacher-student relationships (TSR) and sense of school belonging (SSB), two important levers for educational success, and especially for immigrant-background youths. AimsThis study aims to disentangle the stable and time-specific associations between the two dimensions of social well-being and test if these associations vary according to student immigrant status. SampleA cohort of 1070 students (51% female) from first- (22%), second- (29%), and third-plus generations (49%) attending 10 schools located in low-socioeconomic neighbourhoods was followed across three time points (grade 7, grade 9, grade 11). MethodMain objectives were tested using random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) using Mplus. RI-CLPM disaggregates observed scores into a time-invariant interindividual (stable) and intraindividual (time-specific) components. ResultsTeacher-student closeness was not associated with SSB at the interindividual level. However, autoregressive, cross-sectional, and longitudinally links were found at the intraindividual level for all students. Teacher-student conflict was associated with lower SSB at the interindividual level. These dimensions were also linked at the intraindividual level for third-plus-generation students only, while time-variant autoregressive associations for SSB were stronger for immigrant students. ConclusionsThe links between close TSR and SSB are cross-sectional and time-specific for all students. Conflictual TSR and SSB also showed time-specific and longitudinal associations for nonimmigrants only. For immigrants, we observed stronger time-specific carryover effects in terms of SSB. This research calls for yearly intervention efforts promoting social well-being among immigrants and nonimmigrants attending low-SES secondary schools.

Quoting and well-being: researching social media posts of two mental health campaigns in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Residents in Hong Kong have recently faced more severe mental health challenges due to the 2019 social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, among other social, economic and political issues. The situation has given rise to more local public mental health campaigns which mobilise different linguistic, cultural and discursive resources. This article critically examines a common type of social media discourse by two public mental health campaigns in Hong Kong which respectively adopt Chinese and English as the main language. Through a comprehensive, critical multimodal discourse analysis, it illustrates how this type of discourse (1) draws attention to multiple dimensions of mental well-being beyond mental illness/disorder, (2) strategically re-appropriates words and voices from different individuals, cultures and domains and (3) tacitly reinforces neoliberal and Confucianist ideologies through public mental health communication. The article ends with a discussion that can deepen our critical understanding of public mental health communication in contexts featuring digitalisation and linguistic and cultural diversity.