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Predictors of subjective well-being in Korean men and women: Analysis of nationwide panel survey data

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  • Inmyung Song
  • Hye-Jae Lee

Abstract

Subjective well-being has been associated with sociodemographic characteristics, health, and satisfaction with family life. There is evidence on gender difference in subjective well-being and differential relationships of predictors between men and women worldwide. However, little is known about the gender gaps in subjective well-being in Korean adults. Using nationwide panel survey data, this study aims to examine predictors of subjective well-being in the Korean population and to investigate if there is a difference in the impact of some predictors between men and women. Generalized estimating equations were used to measure the relationship between subjective well-being and explanatory variables, using individual-level data from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS) between 2017 and 2020. Model 1 investigated sociodemographic variables. Model 2 added three health-related variables (such as disability, chronic disease, and subjective health status) and satisfaction with family life. Additional models included a range of interaction terms. In the 2020 KOWEPS, 10,758 respondents rated their subjective well-being scores on the Cantril ladder. The mean score of all respondents was 6.74 (SD = 1.66). In the analysis of the pooled sample, subjective well-being was higher in women than in men (Models 1–2, p

Suggested Citation

  • Inmyung Song & Hye-Jae Lee, 2022. "Predictors of subjective well-being in Korean men and women: Analysis of nationwide panel survey data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(2), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0263170
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263170
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