Happiness research semiar presentation

School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure

What makes us happy! Evidence from a national sample

Professor Alan Nevill

Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing,

University of Wolverhampton


Introduction

! The World Health Organization estimates that millions of people experience mental health problems, with one in four experiencing a mental illness at some point in their lives (WHO, 2011).

! Perceived happiness has been associated with longevity, better physical health and protection from becoming ill (Bjørnskov, 2008; Pawlowski, Downward & Rasciute, 2011; Caporale, Georgellis, Tsitsianis & Yin, 2009; Stoll, Michaelson & Seaford, 2012; Veenhoven, 2008).


Introduction

! Some researchers suggest that the protective effect of happiness on longevity is similar in magnitude to the effect of not smoking (Veenhoven, 2008).

! Based on these views, public policy makers should consider prioritising lifestyle health interventions that promote happiness.


Aims

! Hence, the primary aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with happiness in a national sample of adults living in Northern Ireland.

! Secondly, to determine whether the associations identified differed according to self-reported health status (those in good or poor health) and,

! Finally to determine the extent to which modifiable lifestyle behaviours may influence self-reported happiness in this population.


Survey design

! The study is based on a cross-sectional survey of Northern Irish adults conducted in 2009/10 and known as SAPAS (Sport and Physical Activity Survey).

! It was commissioned by Sport Northern Ireland and carried out by an independent market-research agency.

!  A total of 4653 adults (aged 16+) completed face-to-face interviews in their homes using computer assisted personal interviewing.


Sample

! Participants completed a detailed interview (average time - 30 minutes) with a trained interviewer.

! A total 4,653 interviews were completed, representing a response rate of 54.6%.

! The dataset was weighted to control for the oversampling in the Belfast and Derry strata, differences in household size, and to ensure that the age/gender of participants closely matched that of the adult population of Northern Ireland.


Sample

! The survey instrument was designed in partnership with Sport Northern Ireland and was cognitively tested and piloted by the market research agency.

! The survey was based on the Active People Survey (Sport England) conducted annually by Sport England since 2005-06.


Sample

! The 30 minute interview collected data on participation in sport and physical activity, perceived health and happiness, diet, alcohol consumption and smoking habits as well as socio-demographic information.

! The list of physical activities was taken from the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and Sport England (Ipsos MORI, 2007)


How did we measure happiness?

! Happiness was assessed in response to the self-rated question “In general, how happy would you say you are?”

! Respondents answered on a 10 point scale (1 being the least happy and 10 being the most happy).

! Responses were then dichotomised by assigning 1 to those reporting above or equal to the median happiness score (found to be 7) and 0 to those reporting below the median happiness score.


How did we measure perceived health?

! Perceived health was obtained in response to the self-rated health question “Over the past 12 months would you say your health has been?” Respondents answered on a 5 point scale; 1=very good, 2=good, 3=average, 4=poor, 5=very poor.

! Responses to the self-rated health question were also dichotomised by assigning 1 to those reporting either average, poor, or very poor health; and 0 to those reporting very good or good health.


Statistical methods

! Pearson’s chi-squared tests of independence were used to investigate the association between the number of respondents reporting happiness (as a dichotomy) and their perceived health, also recorded as a dichotomy.

! Due to the likely influence of various confounding and/or mediating variables e.g. social class, marital status and age etc., binary logistic regression was used to further explore the differences and associations with happiness.


Results


! Respondents who report good health recorded above average happiness scores (2062/2871=71.8%), see Table 1 above.

! Those respondents who recorded below average happiness scores (1044/1770=59%) were also more likely to record poor health.


Results

! Since the association between happiness and health is likely to be influenced by a number of confounding or mediating variables, we explored a wide range of other associations with happiness using binary logistic regression

! a) for all respondents, ! b) for respondents reporting good health, and ! c) respondents reporting poor health. ! These associations are shown in Table 2.


Results

! The analysis identified that individuals who reported good or very good health were over three times more likely to report average or above average happiness scores, compared with those reporting below average health (baseline level) having controlled for a wide range of other confounding and modifiable/behavioral variables.

! Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.19 (95% CI 2.79 to 3.66),


Results

! Women and men reported similar levels of happiness, while, the logistic regression analysis identified a strong “U” shaped effect of age where the middle-aged respondents (41-50) were nearly 1/3 less likely to report being happy (OR=0.37, 0.26-0.53) compared with the 16-20 year-old baseline group and the oldest 71+ age group.


Results

! All social classes were more likely to report being happier than the baseline unskilled manual class, with the managerial OR=1.47 (1.16-1.85), skilled manual OR=1.30 (1.05-1.61) and semi-skilled manual OR=1.30 (1.05-1.61) being significantly more happy.


Results

! Marital status was identified as a very important source of happiness.

! Those respondents who were either married or living as married, were significantly happier OR= 1.53 (1.29-1.83) compared with single respondents.

! Those respondents who were either divorced or separated were more unhappy OR=0.78 (0.60 to 1.00) compared with their single counterparts.


Results

! Smoking was also associated with a greater likelihood of being unhappy, with regular daily smokers and occasional smokers being more likely to report being unhappy compared with non-smokers (OR=0.75 (0.63 to 0.88) and OR=0.60 (0.44 to 0.83) respectively.

! However, regular daily smokers reported greater happiness than occasional smokers.


Results

! Other modifiable behaviours associated with health; ! meeting the recommended PA guidelines (150 minutes of

moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity per week; OR=1.33 (1.16-1.54) and

! eating five portions of fruit and vegetables or more per day (OR=1.25 (1.10-1.43) significantly increased respondents likelihood of reporting being happy.


Results

! Finally, those respondents having access to a car were also more likely to report being happy OR=1.25 (1.05-1.75).

! Note that when body mass index was entered into the analysis (either as a linear or quadratic effect) it was found not to have any significant association with happiness.


Results ! When the respondents were divided into two groups; those

reporting good and poor health, the factors affecting happiness remained similar for each group with the notable exceptions that social class and eating five portions of fruit and vegetables became unimportant to those who reported poor health in the previous 12 months.

! Similarly, access to a car appeared unimportant to those who reported good health. All the other sources of happiness: age, marital status, smoking, and meeting the PA guidelines appeared to have a similar effect in both good and poor health groups


Discussion/Conclusions (Health)

! This study provides an insight into the many variables that are associated with happiness in a post conflict population in Northern Ireland.

! We show that individuals in good health are three times more likely to be happy than those in poor health.


Discussion/Conclusions (Age)

! The U shaped relationship exists between happiness and age whereby those in the younger (16-20 years) and older age groups (71+ years) were more likely to be happier than those in the middle age groups.

! This association was present for all participants regardless of being in good or poor health.

! Findings suggest that interventions to improve happiness should be focused towards middle age people regardless of health status.


Discussion/Conclusions (Social class)

! For the full sample all social classes were more likely to report being happier than the baseline unskilled manual class (baseline OR=1).

! However, perhaps surprisingly the highest social class status group (professionals) were less happy than other groups and not statistically different from the unskilled manual group.

! The social class with the highest levels of happiness would appear to be the managerial group (1.47 (1.16-1.85)), a finding reinforced amongst the health respondents (1.56 (1.15-2.11)).


Discussion/Conclusions (Social class) ! When analysed by health status, good health appeared to

influence this ordering wherein the most happy social classes were the skilled manual group, closely followed by the managerial classes.

! For those in poor health, no differences in the levels of happiness were found between the different social class groups.

! Findings suggest that, provided you are in good health, being in a skilled occupation (manual and non-manual) or in a managerial position is associated with higher levels of happiness.


Discussion/Conclusions (Marital status)

! Those people who were married or living as married, were more likely to be happy than those who are single. Those who were divorced/separated or widowed were more likely to be less happy.

! For respondents in good health, a similar association emerged with those married/living as married and those in a civil partnership tended to be happier, suggesting that health and marriage combined is positive for predicting happiness.

! However, despite good health, being divorced or separated or widowed is associated with being less happy.


Discussion/Conclusions (Smoking status)

! The association between smoking behaviours and self-reported happiness is clear.

! Daily smokers, occasional smokers, ex-smokers and ex-occasional smokers are all less happy compared to those who have never smoked (in the case of daily and occasional smokers, P<0.05).

! The same association is present regardless of health status.


Discussion/Conclusions (Physical Activity) ! Achieving 150 minutes of physical activity per week was shown

to be associated with happiness, irrespective of whether participants were in good or poor health.

! It appears that even among those reporting poor health, meeting the 150 minutes of physical activity per week was associated with greater levels of happiness (Full sample OR= 1.33; poor health sample OR= 1.42).

! This supports previous work on the relationship between physical activity and psychological wellbeing (Department of Health, 2011) and extends findings to those in poor health.


Discussion/Conclusions (Diet)

! Similar to the findings for physical activity, adherence to the public health message to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables is associated with happiness.

! This is the case for all participants and those in good health. ! For those in poor health eating five fruit and vegetables a day

was not associated with happiness. ! An explanation for this finding is that health status appears to

over-ride an individual’s concerns regarding health eating/diet.


Discussion/Conclusions (Assess to a car) ! Finally access to a car was associated with happiness for

participants who reported poor health. ! This suggests that those in poor health value the mobility

provided by car access whereas this is viewed as less important for those who are in good health.


Conclusions

! Clearly these differences and associations in happiness are only true for the population of Northern Ireland.

! In light of the World Health Organization estimate that millions of people across the world experience mental health problems and governments are investing too little in mental health services (WHO, 2011), promoting happiness by targeting selected health behaviours should be considered.


Conclusions

! These findings have implications for policy makers in the promotion of wellbeing and happiness in a nation that recently has moved on from political and cultural violence known as the troubles.

! Promoting happiness in populations through a healthy lifestyle may have a positive effect on reducing the number of people who experience mental health problems as outlined by the WHO (2011).


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Happiness research semiar presentation

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