IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v15y2018i6p1271-d152801.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Road Construction on Subjective Well-Being in Communities in Madre de Dios, Peru

Author

Listed:
  • Amy R. Riley-Powell

    (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA)

  • Gwenyth O. Lee

    (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
    School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA)

  • Nehal S. Naik

    (School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1201 E Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23298, USA)

  • Kelly E. Jensen

    (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
    Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA)

  • Christina O’Neal

    (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
    Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA)

  • Gabriela Salmón-Mulanovich

    (U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Callao, Callao 2, Peru
    School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Ave Honorio Delgado 430, San Martín de Porres, Lima 31, Peru
    Biomedical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 32, Peru)

  • Stella M. Hartinger

    (School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Ave Honorio Delgado 430, San Martín de Porres, Lima 31, Peru
    Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
    Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Daniel G. Bausch

    (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
    U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6, Callao, Callao 2, Peru)

  • Valerie A. Paz-Soldan

    (Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
    School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Ave Honorio Delgado 430, San Martín de Porres, Lima 31, Peru)

Abstract

The interoceanic highway (IOH) in Madre de Dios, Peru has driven dramatic change in the Peruvian Amazon basin. We conducted a mixed methods study to examine the impact of these changes on the subjective well-being (SWB) of four communities on the IOH. Themes that emerged qualitatively included changing health threats, environmental degradation, and the impact of increased migration. To achieve a higher level of SWB, respondents emphasized the need for higher incomes, opportunities to learn new skills, and a better education for their children. Potential threats to SWB included marital problems and poorer health. Quantitative analyses suggested that social support and a sense of security impacted reported SWB scores based on life satisfaction, and the impact of income on life satisfaction was mediated by food security. Although long-term residents felt that specific determinants of SWB had both increased (food variety, transport and access to work) and decreased (access to natural resources and hunting), the majority reported that their lives had improved overall. Health had been affected by the IOH in both negative ways (increased dengue and road accidents) and positive ways (improved access to health services). Our results suggest that the rapidly-changing communities near the IOH link well-being to health, income, community, and the environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Amy R. Riley-Powell & Gwenyth O. Lee & Nehal S. Naik & Kelly E. Jensen & Christina O’Neal & Gabriela Salmón-Mulanovich & Stella M. Hartinger & Daniel G. Bausch & Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, 2018. "The Impact of Road Construction on Subjective Well-Being in Communities in Madre de Dios, Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-16, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:6:p:1271-:d:152801
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/6/1271/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/6/1271/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Duc, Le Thuc & Behrman, Jere R., 2017. "Heterogeneity in predictive power of early childhood nutritional indicators for mid-childhood outcomes: Evidence from Vietnam," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 86-95.
    2. Norman Myers & Russell A. Mittermeier & Cristina G. Mittermeier & Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca & Jennifer Kent, 2000. "Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities," Nature, Nature, vol. 403(6772), pages 853-858, February.
    3. Egan, M. & Petticrew, M. & Ogilvie, D. & Hamilton, V., 2003. "New Roads Human Health: A Systematic Review," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1463-1471.
    4. Daniel Kahneman & Alan B. Krueger, 2006. "Developments in the Measurement of Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(1), pages 3-24, Winter.
    5. Laura Camfield & Gina Crivello & Martin Woodhead, 2009. "Wellbeing Research in Developing Countries: Reviewing the Role of Qualitative Methods," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 90(1), pages 5-31, January.
    6. Guardiola, Jorge & García-Quero, Fernando, 2014. "Buen Vivir (living well) in Ecuador: Community and environmental satisfaction without household material prosperity?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 177-184.
    7. Bebbington, Anthony, 1999. "Capitals and Capabilities: A Framework for Analyzing Peasant Viability, Rural Livelihoods and Poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(12), pages 2021-2044, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Megan King & Vivian Renó & Evlyn Novo, 2014. "The Concept, Dimensions and Methods of Assessment of Human Well-Being within a Socioecological Context: A Literature Review," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 681-698, May.
    2. Torres, Bolier & Günter, Sven & Acevedo-Cabra, Ricardo & Knoke, Thomas, 2018. "Livelihood strategies, ethnicity and rural income: The case of migrant settlers and indigenous populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 22-34.
    3. Shaffer, Paul, 2013. "Ten Years of “Q-Squared”: Implications for Understanding and Explaining Poverty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 269-285.
    4. Fernando García-Quero & Jorge Guardiola, 2018. "Economic Poverty and Happiness in Rural Ecuador: the Importance of Buen Vivir (Living Well)," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(4), pages 909-926, December.
    5. Ivan D. Lobo & Maria Alejandra Vélez, 2020. "From strong leadership to active community engagement: effective resistance to illicit economies in Afro Colombian collective territories," Documentos CEDE 17908, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    6. Rongrong Zhuo & Mark Rosenberg & Bin Yu & Xinwei Guo & Mingjie Wang, 2021. "Accessibility of Rural Life Space on the Jianghan Plain, China: The Role of Livelihood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-17, February.
    7. Vasco, Cristian & Torres, Bolier & Pacheco, Pablo & Griess, Verena, 2017. "The socioeconomic determinants of legal and illegal smallholder logging: Evidence from the Ecuadorian Amazon," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 133-140.
    8. Wu Yang & Thomas Dietz & Daniel Boyd Kramer & Xiaodong Chen & Jianguo Liu, 2013. "Going Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: An Index System of Human Well-Being," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(5), pages 1-7, May.
    9. Fluhrer, Svenja & Kraehnert, Kati, 2022. "Sitting in the same boat: Subjective well-being and social comparison after an extreme weather event," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    10. Abel Brodeur, 2012. "Smoking, Income and Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Smoking Bans," Working Papers halshs-00664269, HAL.
    11. Senik, Claudia, 2009. "Direct evidence on income comparisons and their welfare effects," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 408-424, October.
    12. Rao, Nitya, 2017. "Assets, Agency and Legitimacy: Towards a Relational Understanding of Gender Equality Policy and Practice," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 43-54.
    13. Laxmi D. Bhatta & Sunita Chaudhary & Anju Pandit & Himlal Baral & Partha J. Das & Nigel E. Stork, 2016. "Ecosystem Service Changes and Livelihood Impacts in the Maguri-Motapung Wetlands of Assam, India," Land, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-14, June.
    14. Foliano, Francesca & Tonei, Valentina & Sevilla, Almudena, 2024. "Social restrictions, leisure and well-being," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    15. Yamada, Katsunori & Sato, Masayuki, 2013. "Another avenue for anatomy of income comparisons: Evidence from hypothetical choice experiments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 35-57.
    16. Debelo Bedada Yadeta & Fetene Bogale Hunegnaw, 2022. "Effect of International Remittance on Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 383-402, June.
    17. Kedi Liu & Ranran Wang & Inge Schrijver & Rutger Hoekstra, 2024. "Can we project well-being? Towards integral well-being projections in climate models and beyond," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Guven, Cahit & Senik, Claudia & Stichnoth, Holger, 2012. "You can’t be happier than your wife. Happiness gaps and divorce," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 110-130.
    19. Gordon John Anderson & Teng Wah Leo, 2021. "On Extending Stochastic Dominance Comparisons to Ordinal Variables and Generalising Hammond Dominance," Working Papers tecipa-705, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    20. Simona Šarotar Žižek & Matjaž Mulej & Sonja Treven, 2010. "Requisite Holism Of Individuals As A Precondition For The Humankind’S Way Out From The 2008- Crisis," Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi - Stiinte Economice (1954-2015), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 57, pages 399-419, november.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:6:p:1271-:d:152801. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.