Background
Enhancing quality of life is the cornerstone of health promotion and plays an integral role in positive psychological wellbeing. Unfortunately, female adolescents and young adults have been overlooked in research on life satisfaction. According to data gathered from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica’s (STATIN), young women between the ages of 15-24 years old make up approximately 260,352 of the 2.7 million persons in the Jamaican population.
The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the association between socio- demographic characteristics and life satisfaction in Jamaican women ages 15-24 years old, using secondary data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Study.
Research objectives:
To determine the overall satisfaction level of women age 15-24 years old.
To determine if there is a relationship between socio-demographic characteristics (age, income, education etc.) and level of satisfaction of Jamaican women 15-24
Life satisfaction is considered a key component of positive psychological wellbeing as it serves to indicate a person’s overall state of happiness and serves as a cognitive assessment of life’s quality based on personal perception (Erdogan, Bauer, Truxillo, & Mansfield, 2012). Several factors including age, education, income, living conditions, family life and employment, impact the experience and perception of life satisfaction among women of all ages and categories
Methodology
This study is a secondary data analysis of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) carried out by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) in partnership with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2011. The sample size used in this secondary data analysis was a total of 1,668 women between the ages of 15-24 years old, randomly selected from urban and rural households in enumeration districts across the island of Jamaica. Data were collected from participants following informed consent, by trained data collectors, using the Women’s Questionnaire, a 19 -item self administered questionnaire which was Likert scaled with options ranging from 1 (most satisfied) to 5 (least satisfied).
Secondary data were analyzed using SPSS (V.22). Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized. All the variables were reversed coded and aggregated to create a total satisfaction variable. ANOVA, and t-test were used to determine the relationship between the sociodemographic variables and life satisfaction.
Results
Most (55%) of the females were 15-19 years old while 45% were 20-24 years old. The majority (83.5%) of females were never married at the time of the study, 11.3% were married, and 5.2% were divorced. Approximately, 77% of females had secondary level education as their highest level of education attained. The majority (61.5%) of respondents were residents in urban areas.
Most females (71%) expressed that they were satisfied with their life, and their friends (66%).
The females were satisfied with their jobs (46%); their income (41%); and their place of residence (52%). Overall, 62% of the females were very satisfied with their lives.
There was a statistically significant relationship between education level and overall life satisfaction, F p<0.001. The results indicated that as education level increased the level of satisfaction increased. Specifically, females with tertiary education were more satisfied with life when compared to females with secondary and primary level education.
The mean satisfaction level was slightly higher for females in urban areas in comparison to those living in rural areas. The difference observed was not statistically significant, p=0.804. Hence, there was no relationship between the place of residence and the level of satisfaction.
Females between 15 and 19 years old had a higher satisfaction score in comparison to females between 20 and 24 years old. The test confirmed that the difference observed was statistically significant, p<0.0001. Hence, females15-19 years old are generally more satisfied with life in compare to those 20-24 years old.
Females’ wealth status was ranked from the poorest to the richest. There was a statistically significant relationship between females’ wealth status and overall life satisfaction, p<0.001. As the wealth status of females increased so did their overall life satisfaction. Hence, females who were classified as being the wealthiest were the most satisfied with life overall.
There was a significant relationship between marital status and satisfaction level of females, p<0.001. Females who were never married were more satisfied with their life in comparison to those were married at the time of the study as well as those who were formerly married.
Discussion
Age and life satisfactionWomen between the 15 and 19 years old had a higher satisfaction score in comparison to females between 20 and 24 years old. The difference in life satisfaction between women 15-19 and 20-24 years old, could be a result of the fact that young women between 15-19 years old, are still in school and are in the care of their parents. They have little financial responsibilities and obligations. Women between the ages of 20-24 are making the transition into adulthood, and they now have the responsibility of seeking employment, paying bills and taking on other adult roles and responsibilities. The literature does suggest that age as a single variable is not a determinant of life satisfaction in and of itself, but is dependent upon other variables such as income and education, Melin & Fugl-Meyer, 2002).
Women who attained a higher level of education such as high school or college education were found to be more satisfied with their lives compared to women with secondary, primary or no education at all. Zhang, Braun et al. (2017) agrees with this finding, as their study suggests that the higher the level of education one attained, the higher the level of life satisfaction for both males and females, but especially for females. Upadyaya et al. (2016) concurs with this finding and states that young adults who pursue higher education are more satisfied with life. Females who tend to be more educated are usually high income earners, in comparison to females who are of a lesser educational background. Therefore, these higher income females are more likely to afford luxurious lifestyles. Being able to take care of food expenses, utilities and medical bills and still being able to save money brings comfort and tends to improve the overall quality of life. On the other hand, females with low educational background sometimes struggle to secure a job that to take care of monthly bills and are faced with greater barriers to overcome which in turns causes stress.
Marital status and Life satisfaction
This research also showed that there was a significant relationship between marital status and satisfaction level of females. Specifically, females who were never married at the time of the study were found to be more satisfied compared to both married and divorced women. The literature reviewed on this had mixed findings. Melin and Fugl-Myer (2002), found that women in stable romantic partnerships were found to be more satisfied with their lives when compared to women who were not in stable relationships.
Wealth/Income and life satisfactionThe pattern of correlation between a woman’s life satisfaction and income or wealth reflect a significant statistical difference. The results from our studies showed that as a woman’s wealth or income increased so did her life satisfaction level. Kreger et al, (2013) found that money gave women more bargaining power and allowed them freedom and independence. Jan and Masood (2008) agreed that income a woman’s socio- economic status can profoundly impact her life satisfaction.
Living environment and life satisfactionResults show that there is a slight difference in the satisfaction level of women who reside in the urban areas in comparison to those living in rural areas. According to Fugl-Meyer et al.,(2002) persons living in densely populated areas had a lower level of life satisfaction. Sorensen (2002) however found that the quality of an individual’s life was influenced by other variables such as income and education and not by domicile. The difference observed in this study was not statistically significant.
Conclusion
Life satisfaction is critical at all stages of the life span, as adolescents and young adults transition to middle adulthood and older adults. We recommend that student nurses conduct more studies into the relationship between life satisfaction for this population so as to better understand their challenges to and be better equipped to offer solutions, so that there can be a stronger stable society for the generations to come
The relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and quality of life is undeniable. It is therefore important that nurses take the opportunity to engage women when they encounter them in the clinical setting. Every opportunity should be an occasion to promote advanced quality of life in all domains, especially considering the benefits to the society when women are satisfied.
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