Well-being In India Research Articles

Adaptations and validation of Hindi happiness scale (HHS) among Indian adolescents and young adults

Culturally appropriate assessment tools to measure happiness among English speaking adolescents and young adults in India are required. The study establishes the reliability and validity of the adapted HHS among English speaking Indian adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 25. Translation and back-translation methods were used by language expert for the items of HHS. Results reveal that five-factor structure of the scale, demonstrating satisfactory internal consistency and concurrent validity with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The adapted and validated HHS in English emerges as a reliable instrument for assessing happiness, also contributing to a deeper understanding of subjective well-being in India.

Role of Recreational Facilities in Community Well-Being in India

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the role of recreational facilities in community well-being in India. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that, ranging from parks and playgrounds to community centers and sports complexes, serve as focal points for social interaction, physical activity, and cultural exchange within neighborhoods. Studies indicate that access to such amenities correlates with improved mental and physical health outcomes, reduced stress levels, and increased community cohesion. Furthermore, recreational facilities often contribute to crime prevention by providing safe spaces for leisure activities and fostering a sense of belonging among residents. Their presence can also enhance property values and attract businesses, thus contributing to overall community development. As vital components of urban planning and public infrastructure, investing in and maintaining recreational facilities is essential for fostering healthier, happier, and more connected communities. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social capital theory, place attachment theory and ecological systems theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the role of recreational facilities in community well-being in India. Design and implement community-driven initiatives to enhance the accessibility, inclusivity, and quality of recreational facilities, ensuring that they meet the diverse needs and preferences of residents across different demographic groups and geographic contexts. Advocate for policies and funding mechanisms that prioritize investments in recreational infrastructure as integral components of urban planning and development strategies, recognizing their essential role in promoting public health, social cohesion, and economic vitality.

Spatiotemporal Landsat-Sentinel-2 satellite imagery-based Hybrid Deep Neural network for paddy crop prediction using Google Earth engine

Rice is one of the predominant food sources to fulfill the dietary requirements of well-being in India. Therefore, accurate and timely paddy crop yield prediction is crucial to ensure the food security of the country. In this direction, the present study proposed a hybrid deep-learning method based on Conv-1D and LSTM layers using the classification-derived phenological with meteorological parameters for paddy crop yield prediction. The paddy crop classification has been conducted using high-resolution (10 m) multispectral imagery based on GPS coordinates collected during the paddy field visits to extract the phenological parameters for input to the prediction model. In this context, the efficiency of Random Forest, Naïve Bayes, SVM, and Gradient Tree boost classifiers was assessed. Furthermore, we have also analyzed the accuracy of Landsat-8, Sentinel-1 GRD, and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery in paddy crop classification based on area estimation. The Statistical Abstract of Haryana was utilized to validate the paddy crop area estimation and yield prediction. The classification outcomes showed that the Random Forest method attained the highest accuracy of 96.6 % compared to other GEE-based classifiers. The proposed Hybrid Deep learning approach achieved an RMSE value of 0.219 t/ha compared to CNN, LSTM, CNN-Bi-LSTM, and Regression techniques for crop yield prediction. The study conclusion highlighted that the sentinel-2 satellite imagery performed well and found that the proposed hybrid approach provided an alternative for paddy crop yield prediction.

Economic Growth and Human Well-being in India: Evidence through adjusted GDP measure

Economic Growth and Human Well-being in India: Evidence through adjusted GDP measure

THE CONCEPT OF “COMING OUT” OR SELF-DISCLOSURE OF LGBTQ IN WESTERN COUNTRIES, AND ITS IMPACT ON THE INDIAN COMMUNITY

Coming out is the process of accepting one's sexual orientation or gender identity and sharing it openly with other people. It's like a ritual for Westerners to come out after reaching puberty. When someone is ready to come out, their family, friends, and peer group support them. In some states, it is also considered a celebration. The mindset and attitude of people towards LGBTQIA are Different based on Education, Culture, attitudes of people, etc. It is a phenomenon that is necessitated by the prevalence of societal heteronormativity with the recent legal decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relationships in India, there is renewed interest in and emergent necessity to expand upon the existing academic discourse on the lives, rights, health, and well-being of same-sex attracted individuals in India. This article focus on the importance of coming out or self-disclosure of gender orientation of LGBTQIA in India. India is the most populated nation in the world but the acceptance of the LGBTQIA community is still a hard topic from the mindset of parents and society. The Western culture is very much impacted on the Indian community so the coming out of LGBTQIA can be more complicated for teens who depend on parents or other adults for care and well-being in India. In this paper, The author tries to indicate the impact of Western culture on gender disclosure in India.

Feminization of hunger in climate change: linking rural women’s health and wellbeing in India

ABSTRACT The links between climate change, food security and women’s wellbeing remain an under-investigated area. This paper contributes to this area through a thorough examination of how women experience food insecurity in farming households in rural India. The households are located in four agro-climatic regions in India. These regions experience varied climatic pressures, and this diversity allows us to explore a wider variety of women’s experiences in their attempts to maintain household food security as the climate changes. The study finds that women, even in comparatively more food-secure households, suffer from food insecurity. One of the reasons for this is that women’s food habits and mealtimes have altered in recent years due to the increase in their work pressures. The worst effects are to be found in drought-prone areas, and there are greater vulnerabilities among women-headed households, indicating that the impacts of climate change are exacerbated by cultural norms that further hinder the role of women in farm activities.

Crop-insurance adoption and impact on farm households’ well-being in India: evidence from a panel study

Despite several benefits, the crop insurance adoption rate is observed as low in India. Numerous studies have, therefore, enquired about the reason behind low adoption, and further, a few cross-section studies have estimated its impact on farmers’ well-being, and the findings are mixed in nature. Using data from both rounds of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS), i.e. 2004–2005 and 2011–2012, this study aims to identify the major determinants of adoption and to evaluate its impact on farm households’ well-being. In the case of the former, we find the major determinants, namely, education of the household head, livestock ownership, outstanding debt, landholding, membership in credit groups, access to several government benefits, and previously experienced disasters. Employing a difference-in-difference (DID) model for the latter, we observe that crop insurance improves farmers’ well-being, i.e. per-capita consumption expenditure was 12–28% more for the insured farmers between 2004–2005 and 2011–2012. Hence, this study advocates for further scaling up crop insurance adoption in India as it supports the farmers to diversify risks and smoothening consumption.

Digital Transformation and Academicians’ Well-being: A Cross-National Study

This research aims to compare the influence of digital transformation on the academicians’ well-being of two developing nations. A conceptual model has been created where three exogenous (independent) constructs of digital transformation have been compared with two endogenous (dependent) constructs of academicians’ well-being in India and Mexico. The impact of ‘Digital Transformation and Innovation’; ‘Digital Transformation and Adversity’; and ‘Digital Transformation and Technological Issues’ has been assessed on ‘Workplace Well-being’ and ‘Adversity and Psychological Well-being’. Six hundred and seventy-seven responses, 375 from India and 302 from Mexico, have been received and used for data analysis. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been used to define exogenous and endogenous constructs. The Multigroup Analysis (MGA) tool of PLS-SEM was implemented to compare the results from both nations. The MGA results explain the significant difference for the impact of ‘Digital Transformation and Adversity (DTA)’ on academicians’ ‘Workplace Well-being (WW)’ and ‘Adversity and Psychological Well-being (APW)’.

Perception Towards Epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Virus or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Among Women of Reproductive Age: Analysis of Nationwide Surveys in India.

The knowledge of HIV prevention, attitudes towards people living with HIV (PLHIV), and beliefs in myths related to HIV/AIDS among women of reproductive age group in India hold immense importance. As this group is particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, having accurate knowledge about prevention methods is crucial to protect themselves and their partners. Positive attitudes towards PLHIV foster support, reduce stigma and encourage early testing and treatment. Additionally, debunking myths and misconceptions surrounding HIV/AIDS can help dispel fear and promote informed decision-making. Empowering women with comprehensive knowledge, fostering positive attitudes, and debunking myths can contribute to effective HIV prevention strategies, reduce transmission rates, and improve women's overall well-being in India. Our objective was to create a regression model to show disparities in knowledge of the prevention of HIV/AIDS, attitude towards people living with HIV/AIDS, and belief in myths among women in India with adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for different socio-demographic factors, and to determine if there are any significant changes in the aOR during both surveys. A comparative study using secondary data analysis of two complex sample surveys. Individual Recode files from datasets obtained from Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) Program were exported to STATA v17.0 MP by STATA Corp LLC. Dependent and independent variables were chosen based on a literature review and computed. The design-adjusted chi-square test was used to assess the association between variables. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to derive a model. The model assessment was performed using the Wald test after estimation. The age group of 15-19 years had the highest odds of having sufficient knowledge of the prevention of HIV/AIDS during both National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) (aOR: 1.98 during NFHS-4 and aOR: 1.80 during NFHS-5). No education group had the highest odds of negative attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS during both surveys (aOR: 4.85 during NFHS-4 and aOR: 2.69 during NFHS-5). Rural areas had higher odds of believing in myths related to HIV/AIDS during both surveys (aOR: 1.07 during NFHS-4 and aOR: 1.13 during NFHS-5). This research study sheds light on the significant relationship between demographic factors and knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to HIV/AIDS among women. Specifically, women in the lower age group, lacking education, and residing in rural areas exhibited substantial levels of inadequate knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS prevention. Furthermore, this group was also associated with higher proportions of negative attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS and a greater tendency to believe in myths associated with HIV/AIDS.

What makes women happy in marriage: an examination of adaptive relationship attribution, marital satisfaction, and well-being in India using PLS-SEM

ABSTRACT This novel study specific to Assam in India, examines how practicing adaptive relationship attribution will result in marital satisfaction, which, in turn, will to lead to a positive sense of well-being in married women. The proposed model was built on the Lazarus appraisal theory of emotion – a theory well applicable in the Indian context. Data was collected through standardised questionnaires and analysed using Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) – a method that yields highly predictive accuracy in results. Results provided support for both hypotheses with highly acceptable goodness of fit. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the validity of the proposed model in the Assamese cultural context with important implications for family counsellors and mental health practitioners.

Impact of Escalating Heat Waves on Students’ Well-Being and Overall Health: A Survey of Primary School Teachers

Children in developing countries such as India will experience severe consequences of climate change. Primary school students, in particular, are the most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves intensifying due to climate change. This will adversely impair their development, well-being, and learning outcomes. However, significant research gaps exist in understanding and mitigating children’s vulnerabilities. There is an urgent need for a deeper understanding of the impact of heat waves on children’s health and well-being in India. Further, the discussion on the state of heat safety in Indian primary schools is limited. This study addresses these gaps by surveying 335 primary school teachers in seven Indian cities. The data gathered from the field survey offers a better understanding of classroom experiences and challenges encountered by children and teachers during heat waves. It underscores several aspects of students’ vulnerability to heat exposure and its adverse impact on their health, such as absence from school, physical symptoms of heat distress, etc. Furthermore, it highlights the pressing need for classroom heat risk management in light of climate change and makes several policy prescriptions in primary schools.

Changes in Subjective Well-Being in India

Despite the growing literature on subjective well-being (SWB), few studies have focused on developing countries. Applying robust OLS and ordered probit models to the India Human Development Survey panel data in 2005 and 2012, we empirically assess SWB changes in 2005–2012, based on a self-reported measure of changes in economic well-being, as a function of household and state covariates in 2005. This is in sharp contrast with earlier studies’ focus on the levels of SWB. Another point of departure of our study is to compare the covariates of SWB changes with those of objective well-being (OWB) changes, proxied by the relative growth in real per capita household consumption expenditure between 2005 and 2012, to identify specific micro-level correlates of SWB changes. Households with an older and educated head in a larger household, located in urban areas or affluent states in 2005 tend to experience improvement in both SWB and OWB between 2005 and 2012. In contrast, households with a female household head, with more male members in the labour market, with regular access to mass media, without members suffering from non-communicable diseases or disabilities are more likely to be better off subjectively without experiencing the corresponding improvement in OWB. The policy challenges raise serious concerns.

Determinants and Effects of International Remittances: Evidence from Ratnagiri District of Rural Maharashtra.

International emigration and remittance inflow is not a novel phenomenon for India. The present study examines the factors influencing emigration and size of remittance inflow. It also examines the effect of remittances on the economic wellbeing in terms of expenditure of the recipient households. In India, the remittance inflows are important source of funding for the recipient households in rural India. However, the studies focusing on the impact of international remittances on rural household wellbeing in India are rarely found in the literature. The study is based on the primary data collected from the villages in Ratnagiri District, Maharashtra, India. It uses logit and probit models to analyse the data. The results show a positive association between inward remittances and economic welfare and subsistence of the recipient households. Findings of the study show a strong negative relationship between the education of the household members and emigration.

Exploring the association of urbanisation and subjective well-being in India

India is on route to becoming the largest population in the world, with around 50 % of its population estimated to be living in cities by 2050. However, for a country that is undergoing substantial changes on the economic and demographic front, India remains mostly understudied when it comes to subjective well-being (SWB). In light of a growing urban population and a consistently low rank on SWB indices, we investigate the association between urbanisation and SWB in India using ordinary least squares regression. We use the nationally representative 1995–2012 World Values Surveys and control for an extensive set of SWB predictors. We find that while Indians in cities (>500,000) report high SWB, those living in small towns (10,000–50,000) report the highest SWB. Contrary to the Western countries and China, Indians living in rural areas with small communities report low SWB, but the lowest SWB is reported by those living in areas with a population size of 50,000–100,000. • In light of the growing urban population in the global south, we explore the association between subjective well-being and urbanisation in India. Our motivation for this study is based on the substantial differences in objective living conditions between rural and urban India. • Using the World Values Survey (WVS) dataset for India (1995-2012), we find that the highest subjective well-being in India is reported by people living in smaller towns (with a population size of 10,000-50,000). Indians living in these towns report higher subjective well-being than those living in rural areas or large cities. • Our findings contradict studies conducted in the West, where higher subjective well-being is associated with a rural residence. Small towns in India integrate the best aspects of rural life while avoiding the negative aspects of life in megacities; in-situ urbanisation could therefore play an important role from a policymaker's point of view.

The Gendered Crisis: Livelihoods and Mental Well-Being in India During Covid-19

The Gendered Crisis: Livelihoods and Mental Well-Being in India During Covid-19

Scale and Sustainability: The Impact of a Women’s Self-Help Group Program on Household Economic Well-Being in India

Microfinance groups are a prominent source of small-scale rural credit in many developing countries. In India, evidence of the impact of the now ubiquitous women-only savings and credit self-help groups (SHGs) on household consumption and asset accumulation is inconclusive and based on small-scale interventions. Further, little is known about the sustainability of impacts at scale. We use panel data on close to 2500 households from five states in India to estimate the impact of SHG membership on household expenditure and asset ownership. Over four years, we find small but significant impacts of SHG membership on household expenditure and livestock ownership. Membership duration has a modest effect, suggesting that initial impacts may taper off as the program scales up, though small sample sizes limit our ability to draw inferences. Accompanying evidence on pathways is compelling; related work shows that SHG participation improves information, empowerment, and access to entitlements. While the direct impacts of SHG membership may not suffice to fill gaps in access to credit faced by the rural poor, impacts along these additional pathways could intensify the benefits of these groups.

Relationships between organic food experience and customers’ well-being: a cross-cultural study between America and India

ABSTRACT Although previous literature has examined customers’ organic product consumption behaviors, specific relationships between customers’ experiences with organic food and their well-being have not been examined, especially since the onset of COVID-19. Based on the theories of self-determination and congruence, a causal model of organic brand characteristics (i.e. warmth and competence), perceived congruence, and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being is developed. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to test five research hypotheses. Primary data are based on an online consumer survey conducted in America and India. The results of PLS-SEM show that in both the American and Indian samples, customers’ perceived warmth and competence from certain organic brands have a positive impact on customers’ well-being by increasing their sense of similarity (identity) with organic brands. The findings of this study suggest that perceived congruence is closely related to well-being in customers. Further, different impacts of organic food brand characteristics on customers’ well-being in India and America are identified.

Natural disasters and well-being in India: A household-level panel data analysis

We provide first estimates of the impact of cumulative natural disasters on well-being in India disaggregated by social and economic groups. We use a nationally representative panel data set in a difference in difference model with fixed effects at the household level and a continuous treatment. We use monthly consumption expenditure adjusted for health expenditure as an indicator of well-being. We find that natural disasters have a consistent and significant negative impact on consumption across all social and economic groups. We also find that assets, health insurance, membership in groups, and the number of married females in the household are positive and significant. On the other hand, conflict intensity, number of persons in the household, the proportion of children in the household and public project intensity have a negative and significant coefficient.In the disaggregated results some variables provide consistent results across all caste groups and economic quintiles among the covariates. Among them are Assets owned by households, membership intensity and health insurance which positively impact on consumption. At the same time, the number of persons in the household and the proportion of children in the household have a negative and significant impact.Social capital too influences consumption. We find that conflict intensity has a significant and negative impact on consumption for some caste and economic groups, but not all. Some variables provided mixed results like public project intensity, number of married females, among others.

Early childhood circumstances and educational wellbeing inequality among tribal and non-tribal children in India: evidence from a panel study

Despite efforts towards bridging the education gap between tribal (Scheduled Tribe) and non-tribal (Non-Scheduled Tribe) children, contrasting poor-quality education questioned the tribal children’s educational wellbeing in India. Early childhood circumstances render a remarkable impact on the educational wellbeing of children in later years. This study examined the influence of early childhood circumstances (child, household and community characteristics) during 2005 on the educational wellbeing inequality (among India’s tribal and non-tribal children) during 2012 using the India Human Development Survey panel dataset of 8611 children. The Educational wellbeing score was obtained from reading, mathematical and writing test scores using Principal Component Factor Analysis. We performed the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition of the educational wellbeing inequality among India’s tribal and non-tribal children. The ST children’s average educational wellbeing score (−0.41) was much lower than the Non-ST children (0.04). Findings from the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition show that the household economic condition in children’s early ages contributed to 24% of educational wellbeing inequality among tribal and non-tribal children. Further, the education status of males and female adults and the sanitation condition of families considerably impacted educational wellbeing. The present study concludes that caste antagonism has not reduced with time. The missing focus on the minority groups resulted in a deteriorated educational wellbeing.

Social Identity and Well-being: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Social Identity and Well-being in Light of the Accelerating Cultural Globalisation

In today’s globalised world, people are interacting with different cultural streams every day, which can challenge the individual’s rootedness in regard to their identity. The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between social identity and well-being in terms of satisfaction with life, and to examine whether the individual’s reaction to cultural globalisation mediates this relationship. The individual’s reaction to cultural globalisation was operationalised as a proactive (multicultural acquisition) or defensive (ethnic protection) reaction. The study examined students in India ( n = 147) and Denmark ( n = 223). The results showed that social identity was positively related to well-being in Denmark but negatively related to well-being in India. Moreover, it showed that social identity and well-being was mediated by a defensive reaction to cultural globalisation in both contexts. The results indicate that cultural differences affect how the individual reacts to cultural globalisation and, further, how social identity and well-being are related. Therefore, the relationship between social identity and well-being in globalised contexts is complex and it is relevant to include the individual’s reaction to cultural globalisation when comprehending the role of social identity in globalised societies.