Wellbeing in Two Nova Scotia Communities

HalifaxJune 2008Mike PennockMartha PennockRon Colman

GPI Community Surveys 2002/2003 Glace Bay (1,708) Kings County (1,898) Wellbeing in two contrasting

communities in same political jurisdiction

Wide range of variables

Contrasting Communities

Glace Bay Older industrial

area Mining and

primary industries History of

economic instability

Kings County Diversified

economy Agriculture Manufacturing Government Economic Stability

Samples Glace Bay respondents had higher rate

of unemployment and lower incomes Kings had higher proportion married

Economic SecurityGlace-Bay Kings

Unemployment 26.4 12.7

Part-time 16.6 15.4

Discouraged 40.9 16.3

Long-term 62.3 52.5

Multiple Jobs 5.1 11.0

% Households <$20,000

28 14

Life-Satisfaction

GB Kings Chi-Square

Very Satisfied

40.3 39.4 2.24df=2P<.32Somewhat

Satisfied50.3 53.4

Dissatisfied 9.3 8.2

Potential for Improved Satisfaction

% who would be more satisfied if:

Glace Bay Kings p

More time with family and friends

29.1 23.2 P<.001

Less stress 39.0 31.2 P<.001

Make a difference to community

11.7 8.7 P<.001

More money 24.7 14.5 P<.001

More Possessions 8.7 3.3 P<.001

Financially secure 38.8 25.5 P<.001

Percent Reporting They Are Very Satisfied With Life

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Glace Bay Kings

Glace Bay 25.5 43 35.4 50.2 57.8

Kings 33.2 36.5 34.4 39.3 49.3

-20,00020-

34,99935-

49,99950-

69,99970,000

Importance of Own Values

% rating 8 to 10 GB Kings p

Family 95.2 94.4 NS

Responsibility 93.2 93.2 NS

Freedom 87.5 89.1 NS

Friendship 88.4 86.4 NS

Financial Security 80.6 72.4 P<.000

Generosity 78.4 73.4 P<.000

Pleasure 70.8 68.6 NS

Spiritual 67.2 52.5 P<.000

Career Success 68 58.3 P<.000

Material Wealth 32.4 22.8 P<.000

Importance of Core Values

% Rating 8-10 Self Others

Family 94.9 55.9

Responsibility 93.3 50.8

Freedom 88.4 80.6

Friendship 87.3 54.2

Financial Security 76.3 76.9

Generosity 75.8 36.6

Pleasure 69.6 76.1

Spiritual 59.5 29.4

Career Success 62.8 92.4

Material Wealth 27.4 67.8

Factor Analysis of Values Scales Social factor (family life, friendship,

generosity, spiritual) Materialistic factor (material wealth,

financial security, career, pleasure) Factor scores

Values and Life Satisfaction% Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life

Quartile Value Score

Low on Value Factor

2 3 High on Value Factor

Social Values

30.1 36.2 45.4 46.5 P<.000

Material Values

38.6 37.4 38.7 43.4 ns

Distribution of Material Value Scores

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

% respondents

Low 2 3 High

GBKings

Self-Reported Stress

05

101520253035404550

Very Somewhat Not very Not At All

GBKings

Stress by Activity

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80Em

plo

yed

Unem

plo

yed

Stu

dents

Hom

em

akers

Reti

red

GBKings

Sources of Stress

Kings Too many

demands Too many hours Insufficient

autonomy Interpersonal

conflict

Glace Bay Too few hours Risk Fear of layoffs

Stress and Employment More two-income families in Kings Two-income families much more

highly stressed than one income families

Two income families on Kings more highly stressed than in Glace Bay

No differences between one-income families

Stress and Household Income

010203040506070

-20

20

-3

4,9

99

35

-4

9,9

99

50

-6

9,9

99

70

,00

0+

GBKings

Percentage of workers willing to trade all or part of a future pay increase for shorter work

hours

24.3

14.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Kings Glace Bay

Health Status No significant difference in self-

reported health status GB had higher rate of disabling pain May be attributable to higher rates

of arthritis/rheumatism and back problems

Strong relationship to income in both communities

Query If health status is income related

and Glace bay has a much higher proportion of low income respondents, why isn’t their overall health status lower than Kings?

Very good to excellent health

-20000 20-34999

35-49999

50-69999

70+

GB 33 46 55 58 73

Kings 30 41 52 60 67

Health Status and Income Higher rates across most income

groups in Glace Bay As a result, overall rates are

equivalent despite the higher rates of low-income in Glace Bay and relationship between health and income

Chronic Disease Glace Bay had higher rates on a number

of diseases after controlling for differences in age of the populations- high blood pressure (though not heart disease), bronchitis/emphysema, sinusitis, cancer, ulcers, diabetes and glaucoma.

 Kings higher rate of allergies- food and non-food

Risk Factors No difference in obesity or sedentary

lifestyles although Kings more likely to be physically active in leisure

Glace Bay has significantly higher current smoke rate but lower ever-smoked rate

Quit rate much higher in Kings County

Preventive CareBlood Pressure

Paps Breast Exam

Mammogram

GB 76 45 35 40

Kings 74 47 45 64

Appear low Kings higher across all incomegrps

Kings very high

Benefits

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Pension Health Dental Sick Vacation

GBKings

Benefits Part-time workers were less than

half as likely to have most benefits Very strong relationship with income Particularly strong in Glace Bay- less

than 5% of lowest income (-$20,000) have benefits (12% to 30%

in Kings)

Mental Health

Glace Bay Kings

2+ symptoms 22% 21%

Depressed feelings

16% 13%

Childhood risk factors

33% 33%

Higher in females, young and lower incomes

Depressed feelings associated with child risk factors

05

10152025303540

0 1 2+

# factors

% w

ith

dep

ressio

n

GBKings

Decision Control

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

No or a few Most All

GBKings

Spirituality Glace Bay had higher rates of self-

reported spirituality and church attendance

Social Support

Glace Bay Kings Significant

Count on in crisis

95.5 94.4 No

Advice 94.6 91.6 Yes

Loved 96.8 94.7 Yes

Close relative 1/week

80.1 72.9 Yes

Neighbour 1/week

77.9 63.1 Yes

VoluntaryGlace Bay Kings Significance

Group or Organization

29.0 51.6 Yes

Not Group or Organization

52.1 59.3 Yes

Care-giving outside home

6.5 6.5 No

Strongly associated with life-satisfaction

Crime and Security

Glace Bay reported higher levels of fear and concerns about crime despite being half as likely to have been victimized or to know someone who has been victimized.

Understanding the ecological footprint

Nova Scotia Income Quintile

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

Footprint 6.2 6.6 7.0 8.1 10.7

Household income$/year

Average Number

of Vehicles

per Househ

old

Average Kms./ Vehicle/

Year

Household Kms

Per Year

Average Individual Commuting

Distance to Work for all commuting members of the

household-20,000 1.0 17,777 13,772 14.4

20,000 to 34,999

1.4 19,268 22,629 12.9

35,000 to 49,999

1.5 20,861 27,530 16.4

50,000 to 69,999

1.8 20,966 34,665 14.4

70,000+ 2.0 22,600 40,384 15.9

Total 1.6 20,853 28,916 15.1

Ecological Attitudes Large majority (80%+) believe their

way of life produces too much waste and “most of us” consume more than we need

Two-thirds believed they could consume less if they chose

Stronger in Kings and among high income (81% could consume less)

CONCLUSIONS

Levels of wellbeing similar? No significant difference in life-

satisfaction between GB and Kings But GB more likely to believe that

their life-satisfaction could be improved by improved material circumstances

Therefore- more materialistic values

Great expectations? Already have rates of life-

satisfaction that are similar to Kings Yet they expect a greater increase

from improved determinants Does GB expect more from income

gains than can be delivered?

Example of “focusing illusion”?

“When people consider the impact of any single factor on their wellbeing- not only income- they are prone to exaggerate its importance. We refer to this tendency as the focusing illusion… Despite the weak relation between income and global life satisfaction or experienced happiness, many people are highly motivated to increase their income.”

Daniel Kahneman- Economist, Princeton University

Daniel Gilbert: Stumbling on Happiness (2006)

“Economies thrive when individuals strive, but because individuals will only strive for their own happiness, it is essential that they mistakenly believe that producing and consuming are routes to personal wellbeing”

Stresses reflect local realities

KingsHigher stress• Too much work• Two-income families

(more of them and more highly stressed than GB)

• 25% would trade increases for less time

• Unemployment more stressful

Glace Bay• Too little work• Job insecurity• 14% would trade

increases for less time• Both employment and

unemployment are less stressful

Value Alienation?

Large majority of respondents in both communities believe they are socially motivated individuals living in a materialistic society.

Wellbeing and Values Positive social values intrinsically

related positive wellbeing while materialistic values were not

Consistent with growing research literature

Health Status Similar in self-rated health GB has more self-reported health

problems Similar in risk factors except GB

higher smoking rates Due to lower quit rates

Health Status and Income Higher levels of self-rated health in

Glace Bay after controlling for income differences

Overall ratings are similar, despite differences in income distribution

Mental Health Similar rates in GB and Kings Highest rates of problems among

females, young people and low income

Social Capital GB higher rates of spirituality and

social support GB less likely to volunteer (formally

or informally) GB higher rate of fear of crime

despite lower victimization

Glace Bay High levels of wellbeing in GB,

despite economic insecurities, probably due to strengths on other determinants- particularly spirituality and social support- and lower levels of stress and higher decision control

But greater expectations from improved economic conditions

Kings County Higher income and economic

security partially due to higher rate of two-income families- at the cost of higher rates of stress

Values and alienation Both see themselves as socially

motivated but living in a materialistic society

Positive social values associated with higher life-satisfaction

Conflict between consumption and ecological attitudes

Surprises Higher fear of crime and lower rates

of volunteerism in GB Both associated with community

connectiveness