Background: The individual’s perception of life satisfaction (LS) is regarded as a key indicator of one’s overall experience of wellbeing, sensitive to the broad spectrum of functioning. Adolescence is particularly an important period for assessing LS and factors associating with LS. The present study investigated cross-sectional trends in adolescents’ LS levels across three time points over a 10-year period, as well as the role of stress experience and socio-demographic differences in association with LS. Methods: The study used cross-sectional data from three time points: 2011 (n = 1239), 2016 (n = 1233), and 2022 (n =311), including adolescents from lower and upper secondary public schools, with an age range of 13–20 years. Results: There were relatively high and stable mean scores on LS across all time points; however, significant differences were found between 2011 and 2016. Results from the multivariate linear regression analysis showed that sex and age were moreover weakly associated with LS, where LS decreased slightly between the ages of 13 and 18 years and increased from 19 to 20 years. Of the stress domains, interpersonal and school-related stressors showed the strongest negative and significant association with LS; significant interaction effects of sex by stress domains were found, but not with sex by time. Conclusion: This study supports the relatively high and stable level of LS in adolescents across the investigated time points. Demographic factors were moreover weakly associated with LS. The findings also contribute by showing the significant role of interpersonal and school-related stressors in association with LS. Full article

The present study examined if Emotional Intelligence (EI), resilience, and self-esteem predicted life satisfaction in university students. We computed correlations between the study variables, then, we compared the differences between men and women. Finally, a simultaneous multiple regression was performed. The sample was composed of 2574 university students (715 were men and 1859 were women), whose age ranged from 18 to 30 years with a mean (M) of 20.83 and a standard deviation (SD) of 2.45. The instruments used were the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (ER-25), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The results indicated that EI, self-esteem, and resilience correlated significantly and directly with satisfaction with life. Regarding sex differences, it was found that men had greater resilience, appraisal and recognition of emotion in others, and self-regulation of emotion. Women had greater appraisal and expression of emotion in self and self-esteem. The results showed that self-esteem, self-regulation of emotion, the use of emotion to facilitate performance, and acceptance of self and life as resilience factors predicted satisfaction with life. accounting for 48% of the variance. The variable that best predicted satisfaction with life was self-esteem. Full article

(1) Background: Kindness interventions assist individuals in the pursuit of greater well-being. However, little is known about whether these interventions can decrease materialism. The current study tested how kindness interventions decrease materialism and external aspirations. Furthermore, we tested whether these interventions influence impulsive shopping. (2) Method: We randomly assigned 122 females to a three-week intervention of practicing acts of kindness or a neutral intervention (practicing acts related to studying). Before and after the interventions, all participants reported their life satisfaction, level of materialism, and internal and external aspirations. (3) Results: Among women practicing acts of kindness, materialism and life satisfaction did not change compared to the control group, but in both conditions, life satisfaction increased, and materialism decreased. However, we found that practicing kindness was associated with (a) an increase in aspiration affiliation, (b) a reduction in the intention to shop impulsively, (c) less focus on external aspirations, and (d) more focus on internal aspirations. (4) Conclusions: Although our results show that practicing kindness does not lead to a decrease in materialism, they suggest that focusing on increasing personal happiness might lead to such a decrease. Furthermore, our research contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating that kind women are less oriented toward materialistic values. Full article

Population aging has become a major challenge for the Chinese government. Based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) in 2018, this study adopts the propensity score matching (PSM) method to assess the effect of community home-based elderly care services (CHECS) on the life satisfaction of the elderly in China. The results demonstrate that CHECS can improve their life satisfaction. Compared with life care services (LCS) and medical care services (MCS), the positive effect of spiritual and cultural services (SCS) and reconciliation and legal services (RLS) is more obvious. Moreover, the heterogeneity test demonstrates that the effect is more significant for the elderly who live with their families, whose activities of daily living are unrestricted, and whose depression levels are lower. The results obtained indicate that CHECS need precise policies for different elderly groups, attention to the positive impact of SCS and RLS on the life satisfaction of the elderly, and the substantive effectiveness of LCS and MCS. Full article

A significant number of individuals experience post-COVID-19 symptoms, but knowledge of perceived consequences and life satisfaction is lacking. Here, we investigate perceived consequences regarding everyday life, health, physical activity and work post-COVID-19 and factors associated with low life satisfaction. A total of 766 people (mean age 48; 672 women) experiencing post-COVID-19 symptoms at least two months after infection (mean 13 months) responded to an online survey. A majority (≥77%) perceived physical fatigue, mental fatigue, dizziness, reduced work ability, low life satisfaction and a reduced level of aerobic capacity. In the final logistic regression model (Nagelkerke R Square 0.296, p < 0.001), poor work ability was the most important factor for perceiving low satisfaction with life (Odds ratio 3.369, 95% CI 2.040–5.565, p < 0.001, Nagelkerke R Square 0.177). Reduced aerobic capacity, fatigue and living in a city also increased the odds of low life satisfaction. As people with post-COVID-19 report several long-term consequences, this suggests that there is a need for targeted care for this group. The results of this study can serve as guidance for healthcare authorities regarding important long-term consequences that should be considered in rehabilitation programs directed toward post-COVID-19. Full article

Chinese culture attaches great importance to the education and cultivation of youth conscientiousness, however in the context of Chinese culture, little is known about the relationship between conscientiousness and mental and physical health. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is a reciprocal relationship between conscientiousness and well-being (subjective and physical well-being) among Chinese undergraduate students. A series of self-reported questionnaires were administered to 365 undergraduate students in 2 waves, separated by 1 year. Cross-lagged regression analyses were applied to examine the reciprocal relationships. Results indicated that conscientiousness positively predicted subsequent levels of positive affect and life satisfaction, while negatively predicted subsequent levels of negative affect and physical symptoms, controlling for the effects of gender, age, body-mass index, socioeconomic status, and the prior level of conscientiousness. Whereas, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and physical symptoms did not significantly predict subsequent levels of conscientiousness. This study suggests that conscientiousness is a robust and prospective predictor of subjective and physical well-being. The reciprocal relationship between conscientiousness and well-being was not confirmed in the current sample of Chinese undergraduate students. Full article

This study examined whether age-related discrimination, negative age-related stereotypes about declining abilities due to age, job engagement (cognitive, physical, and emotional), and workplace intergenerational climate in terms of positive intergenerational affect (PIA) and workplace intergenerational inclusiveness (WIG) correlated with life satisfaction in a university setting. The analysis was based on 115–117 faculty and staff, 50 years or older. A Principal Axis factor analysis with Promax rotation on the job-related variable revealed three factors: Experiencing Ageism (discrimination and negative stereotypes), Work Climate (PIA and WIG), and Job Engagement (physical, emotional, and cognitive). The factor-based regression scores on the three-factor-based scores were correlated with life satisfaction and also subjected to hierarchical regression analyses with age, sex, and education entered on the first step and the three factors on the second step. The results of both the correlational and hierarchical regression analysis indicated that experiencing ageism was significantly predictive of life satisfaction, and that ageism may play a more primary role than job engagement and work climate-related variables in accounting for life satisfaction. Full article

In France, nurses work either in hospitals and care institutions or in private practice, following physicians’ prescriptions and taking care of patients at their homes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these populations of nurses were exposed to numerous sources of stress. The main objective of the present study was to identify the protective factors they mobilized to face the crisis and how these factors contributed to sustaining their quality of life (QoL). A cross-sectional study was conducted to answer these questions. Overall, 9898 French nurses participated in the study, providing demographic information and filling out QoL (WHOQOL-BREF), perceived stress (PSS-14), resilience (CD-RISC), social support (MSPSS), and coping style (BRIEF-COPE) questionnaires. The results revealed very few differences between the two groups of nurses, which is surprising given the drastically different contexts in which they practice. Social support and two coping strategies (positive reframing and acceptance) were associated with a high QoL, whereas perceived stress and four coping strategies (denial, blaming self, substance use, and behavioral disengagement) were associated with poor QoL. In the light of these results, we recommended promoting social support and coping strategies to help nurses cope during the pandemic. Full article

This study was designed to test if satisfaction with health and personal financial wellbeing mediates the relationship between prosocial motivations and exit intentions among social entrepreneurs. Using a sample of 317 social entrepreneurs, the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that prosocial motivation decreased the financial satisfaction of entrepreneurs, which increased their exit intentions. However, health satisfaction did not have a mediating effect on the relationship between prosocial motivation and exit intention. Moreover, adopting the multi-group analysis (MGA) technique, we found that the negative impact of prosocial motivation on financial satisfaction was stronger for males than for females, suggesting male entrepreneurs were more likely to experience lower financial satisfaction caused by prosocial motivation than female entrepreneurs. There was no evidence that gender moderated the relationship between prosocial motivation and health satisfaction. Full article

Several studies have found that trust in government is associated with social fairness, citizens’ satisfaction with public service, and life satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the serial mediation effects of social security satisfaction and life satisfaction on the association between social security fairness and trust in government. We analyzed the data from the Chinese Social Survey in 2019 (n = 7403) to examine the serial mediation effects. The findings showed that the higher the level of government, the greater the trust it enjoyed from its citizens. The direct prediction of trust by social security fairness was stronger at the county and township levels than at the central government level. Both social security satisfaction and life satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between social security fairness and overall trust in government. Social security fairness indirectly positively predicted trust in local government at the county and township levels through social security satisfaction, life satisfaction, and their serial mediation. While social security fairness could only indirectly predict trust in central government through social security satisfaction, the prediction of trust in central government via life satisfaction (mediator) was not significant. We observed a serial mediation model in which social security fairness positively predicted trust in government directly and indirectly through social security satisfaction and life satisfaction. The finding that social security satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between perceptions of fairness in the social security system and trust in government has implications for improving policies and the functioning of the system at all levels of the government. Full article

The study aim was to determine prevalence and predictors of life satisfaction in New Zealand. In this observational cross-sectional study, a sample of 10,799 participants from NZ were drawn from the Gallup World Poll from 2006 to 2017. Data were analysed using regression analysis and ANOVA. Prevalence of life satisfaction across time varied little from a high of 7.61 (SD = 1.6) in 2007 to a low of 7.23 (SD = 1.73) in 2011 (range 0–10). Satisfaction with standards of living predicted life satisfaction regardless of age or gender. For males across all age groups and females up to age 40 years, positive experiences and satisfaction with household income were important predictors. Being married was an important predictor for males over 40 years and feeling satisfied with their current city was important for females across all ages and for men under 40. The levels of life satisfaction changed over time, possibly due to major national events. Satisfaction with standards of living was found to predict life satisfaction regardless of age or gender. These results provide a path for policy focus towards increased life satisfaction. Full article

Previous studies confirmed that leisure sport participation could contribute to people’s life satisfaction. However, little is known about the predictors of life satisfaction in the context of long-distance running. A model was proposed in this study to examine the relationship between recreation specialization, self-efficacy, flow experience, and life satisfaction. An online questionnaire was distributed to long-distance runners in China, and a total of 404 valid questionnaires were obtained for data analysis in this study. Results indicated that recreation specialization and self-efficacy had a direct and positive effect on runners’ flow experience; recreation specialization, self-efficacy, and flow experience were positively associated with runners’ life satisfaction. Furthermore, flow experience partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and life satisfaction, while it fully mediated the role of recreation specialization in life satisfaction. The findings shed some new insights for understanding the influence of leisure sport engagement on people’s life satisfaction. Full article

The link between post-migration stressors and mental ill health is well documented in refugees resettled in high-income host countries, but the consequences of these stressors on refugees’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are less known. This study examined the association between post-migration stressors and HRQoL among Syrian adult refugees resettled in Sweden using a preference-based value set obtained from the general Swedish population. A total of 1215 Syrian adults, ages 18–64 years, granted residency in Sweden, responded to a postal questionnaire in 2016 regarding various aspects of their resettlement. The European Quality of Life Five Dimensions Five Level (EQ–5D–5L) questionnaire was used to assess HRQoL through an EQ–5D–5L index score (range; 0=dead to 1=full health). The index score was preference weighted using a Swedish population value set. Predictors were four self-reported post-migration stressors related to daily living in the host country: financial strain, social strain, competency strain and perceived discrimination divided into low, medium and high levels of experienced stress. Multivariable linear regression models were employed to assess the association between post-migration stressors and HRQoL index score, adjusting for potentially traumatic events in the pre- and peri-migration phase as well as sociodemographic confounders/covariates (sex, age, education, civil status, immigration year). The Syrian refugees had a mean EQ–5D–5L index score of 0.863 (SD = 0.145). There was strong evidence of a negative dose-response association in both unadjusted and adjusted models between HRQoL and the post-migration stressors financial strain and social strain—i.e., there was a stepwise, and statistically significant, decrease in HRQoL when going from low to medium to high strain. Competency strain and discrimination were only associated with lower HRQoL when experienced at high levels in fully adjusted models. High exposure to potentially traumatic experiences before or during flight was also associated with lower HRQoL. Syrian refugees resettled in Sweden reported a lower HRQoL than the general Swedish population and lower than age-matched Swedish adults. The present study results point to the possible adverse effects of post-migration stressors on HRQoL. Full article

Background: the present research represents the first systematic review of the literature on the relation between happiness (i.e., subjective well-being, life satisfaction, positive affect) and family functioning in families with children aged 6–18 years. Method: relevant articles were systematically searched in three scientific databases (i.e., PsycInfo, Pubmed, and Web of Science) in June 2022. The databases were searched for original articles published after 1968 with the keywords “happiness” and “family functioning.” Results: of the 2683 records recovered, 124 original articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The articles were divided according to four emergent themes: (1) family dimensions and happiness; (2) global family functioning (i.e., family functioning, and family relationships), environmental variables, and happiness; (3) parental differences; (4) longitudinal studies. Conclusions: the results of the review provide evidence for a positive relation between happiness and family functioning, across different cultures and age groups: Family dimensions (e.g., cohesion, communication) were found to strongly predict children’s and adolescents’ happiness. Future studies should investigate the differences between fathers and mothers using multi-informant and mixed methods procedures and a longitudinal research approach. The implications of the findings for children’s positive development are discussed. Full article