Are rural adults happy? An observational study of happiness and its determinants

Chythra R. Rao; Shashi J. Soans; Zari Anjum; Muthu Kumar; Asha Kamath; Avinash Shetty

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20173328

Authors

Chythra R. Rao Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4016-2683
Shashi J. Soans Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Zari Anjum Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Muthu Kumar Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Asha Kamath Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India
Avinash Shetty Department of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20173328

Keywords:

Happiness, Determinants, Rural, Adults, Community

Abstract

Background: Happiness has been defined as the degree to which an individual judges the overall quality of his or her life as favourable. The happiness of a society, depends on its individual members. So, the study was designed to assess happiness among rural adults and to identify various socio- demographic, family and health determinants affecting happiness.

Methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted in the field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, KMC Manipal. The study included 403 permanent residents of field practice area, aged ≥20 years, of both gender and willing to participate in the study. Information pertaining to socio-demographic characteristics, details pertaining to co-morbidities, habits and family particulars were collected by personal interviews using a pre-designed questionnaire. Happiness was assessed using the Oxford happiness questionnaire.

Results: A total of 403 subjects participated in the study and among them 82% of the respondents were happy and 17.6% were unhappy, as per the Oxford happiness questionnaire. Over half of the participants belonged to 30-60 years and two-thirds were females (66.5%). There was no gender difference in reported happiness. Almost all the people who had cordial relationship with family members (99.1%) and neighbourhood (97.9%), owning a house (94%) and being without co-morbidities (56%) were happy. Past hospitalization, concerns about child marriage and employment made people less happy.

Conclusions: Good relationship with family members and neighbourhood, absence of co-morbidities was positive determinants of happiness, while hospitalization, concerns about employment and marriage of their children contributed to unhappiness.

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