Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being Among Old People: Evidence from a Transitional Country

  • Published:
Applied Research in Quality of Life Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using data from the 2011 Vietnam National Aging Survey, we examined whether religion is associated with subjective well-being (i.e. happiness or life satisfaction) among old people in Vietnam. Our regression analysis provided the first evidence that some religious affiliations are negatively related to happiness. Buddhists and Caodaists are less happy than their non-religious counterparts, even after controlling for several household and individual attributes. However, this negative association does not hold for Christians. This finding is robust to the choice of key covariates and specification of econometric models. Our finding supports the hypothesis that religiosity tends to be linked with unhappiness in transitional countries possibly because in these countries those who are religious often consist disproportionately of new, relatively unhappy recruits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. As noted by Veenhoven (2002, p. 8): “Social policy makers need both objective and subjective indicators. Though subjective indicators have their limitations, objective indicators also labor under serious shortcomings. For some purposes objective indicators are best suited, for other uses subjective indicators are preferable”.

  2. If an individual’s level of life satisfaction reflects a balance between aspirations and attainments, one can enhance happiness either by increasing attainments, or by lowering one’s aspirations. Many religions tend to do the latter, encouraging people to reduce their aspirations (Inglehart 2010).

  3. The proportion of older population who were religious in the 2011 VNAS is higher than the proportion of people who are religious among Vietnam’s population (all age groups) (30%) in 2011. See more in the world-wide poll conducted by WIN-Gallup International (Gallup International 2012).

  4. Another possible explanation, is similar to that used by Gray et al. (2008), is that while many Vietnamese old people in rural areas do not live with their children or grandchildren, their home close to their children/grandchildren’s home. Furthermore, although the elderly do not co-reside with their children/grandchildren, their children/grandchildren still contribute positively to their material well-being and still maintain contact and visits.

References

  • Ball, R., & Chernova, K. (2008). Absolute income, relative income, and happiness. Social Indicators Research, 88(3), 497–529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchflower, D. G., & Oswald, A. J. (2005). Happiness and the Human development index: the paradox of Australia. Australian Economic Review, 38(3), 307–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blazer, D., & Palmore, E. (1976). Religion and aging in a longitudinal panel. The Gerontologist, 16(1 Part 1), 82–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P. H., & Tierney, B. (2009). Religion and subjective well-being among the elderly in China. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 38(2), 310–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheah, Y. K., & Tang, C. F. (2013). The socio-demographic determinants of self-rated happiness: the case of Penang, Malaysia. Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, 54(1), 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Childs, E. (2010). Religious attendance and happiness: examining gaps in the current literature-A research note. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 49(3), 550–560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chyi, H., & Mao, S. (2012). The determinants of happiness of China’s elderly population. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(1), 167–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, H., & Hammonds, A. (1989). Religiosity, aging, and life satisfaction. Journal of Religion and Aging, 5(1–2), 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolan, P., Peasgood, T., & White, M. (2008). Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being. Journal of Economic Psychology, 29(1), 94–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fehey, T., & Smyth, E. (2004). Do subjective indicators measurer welfare? European Societies, 6(1), 5–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreri Carbonell, A. (2005). Income and well-being: an empirical analysis of the comparison income effect. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5), 997–1019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrer-i- Carbonell, A., & Frijters, P. (2004). How important is methodology for the estimates of the determinants of Happiness? The Economic Journal, 114(497), 641–659.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreri Carbonell, A., & Ramos, X. (2014). Inequality and happiness. Journal of Economic Surveys, 28(5), 1016–1027.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallup International. (2012). Global Index of religiosity and atheism. Zurich: Gallup International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, A., Colley, K., & Roberts, D. (2016). Are rural residents happier? A quantitative analysis of subjective wellbeing in Scotland. Journal of Rural Studies, 44(1), 37–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, R. S., Rukumnuaykit, P., Kittisuksathit, S., & Thongthai, V. (2008). Inner happiness among Thai elderly. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 23(3), 211–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Headey, B., Schupp, J., Tucci, I., & Wagner, G. G. (2010). Authentic happiness theory supported by impact of religion on life satisfaction: a longitudinal analysis with data for Germany. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(1), 73–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hogg, M. A., Adelman, J. R., & Blagg, R. D. (2010). Religion in the face of uncertainty: an uncertainty-identity theory account of religiousness. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 14(1), 72–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoskins, J. A. (2011). What are Vietnam’s indigenous religions? Newletter of the Center for South East Asian Studies, 64, 3–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hung, D. Q. (2010). Nghiên cứu tôn giáo – nhân vật và sự kiện [Religious study: characteristics and facts]. Ho Chi Minh City: Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iannaccone, L. R. (1998). Introduction to the economics of religion. Journal of Economic Literature, 36(3), 1465–1495.

    Google Scholar 

  • IAOS. (2012). About Viet Nam - religion and beliefs, from https://iaos2014.gso.gov.vn/content.php?id=religionandbeliefsvn.

  • Inglehart, R. (2010). Faith and freedom: Traditional and modern ways to happiness. In E. Diener, D. Kahneman, & J. Helliwell (Eds.), International differences in well-being (pp. 351–397). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, S., Lu, M., & Sato, H. (2012). Identity, inequality, and happiness: evidence from urban China. World Development, 40(6), 1190–1200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, A. R., & Tahir, I. (2014). Influence of social factors to the quality of life of the elderly in Malaysia. Open Medicine Journal, 1(1), 29–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kingdon, G. G., & Knight, J. (2007). Community, comparisons and subjective well-being in a divided society. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 64(1), 69–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, H., King, D., & Carson, V. B. (2001). Handbook of religion and health. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Konopack, J. F. (2007). Religiosity and physical activity as quality of life determinants in middle-aged to older adults. Ph.D, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States, Illinois.

  • Krause, N. (2003). Religious meaning and subjective well-being in late life. The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 58(3), S160–S170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long, G. T., & Pfau, W. D. (2009). Vulnerability of Vietnamese elderly to poverty: determinants and policy implications. Asian Economic Journal, 23(4), 419–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsushima, M., & Matsunaga, Y. (2015). Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being in Japan. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 26(4), 1016–1045.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morawetz, D., Atia, E., Bin-Nun, G., Felous, L., Gariplerden, Y., Harris, E., . . . Zarfaty, Y. (1977). Income distribution and self-rated happiness: some empirical evidence. The Economic Journal, 511–522.

  • Myers, D. G. (2000). The funds, friends, and faith of happy people. American Psychologist, 55(1), 56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, J. K., Fleming, C. M., & Su, J. J. (2015). Does income inequality make us less happy? Australian Economic Review, 48(1), 15–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2011). Sacred and secular: Religion and politics worldwide. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Okun, M. A., & Stock, W. A. (1987). Correlates and components of subjective well-being among the elderly. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 6(1), 95–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oshio, T., & Kobayashi, M. (2011). Area-level income inequality and individual happiness: evidence from Japan. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12(4), 633–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oshio, T., Nozaki, K., & Kobayashi, M. (2011). Relative income and happiness in Asia: evidence from nationwide surveys in China, Japan, and Korea. Social Indicators Research, 104(3), 351–367.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pargament, K. I. (2001). The psychology of religion and coping: Theory, research, practice. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfau, W. D., & Long, G. T. (2010). Remittances, living arrangements and the welfare of the elderly in Vietnam. Asian and Pacific Migration Journal, 19(4), 447–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, S. M. (2015). Income Inequality and Subjective Wellbeing: Trends, Challenges, and Research Directions. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1–21.

  • Sharp, S. (2010). How does prayer help manage emotions? Social Psychology Quarterly, 73(4), 417–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, R., & Qian, X. (2008). Inequality and happiness in urban China. Economics Bulletin, 4(23), 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stutzer, A. (2004). The role of income aspirations in individual happiness. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 54(1), 89–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sumngern, C., Azeredo, Z., Subgranon, R., Sungvorawongphana, N., & Matos, E. (2010). Happiness among the elderly in communities: a study in senior clubs of Chonburi Province, Thailand. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 7(1), 47–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Truong, S. A., Bui, T., Goodkind, D., & Knodel, J. (1997). Living arrangements patrilineality and sources of support among elderly Vietnamese. Asia-Pacific Population Journal, 12(4), 69–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vail, K. E., Rothschild, Z. K., Weise, D. R., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & Greenberg, J. (2010). A terror management analysis of the psychological functions of religion. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 14(1), 84–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veenhoven, R. (2002). Why social policy needs subjective indicators. Social Indicators Research, 58(1–3), 33–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • VNCA. (2012). Vietnamese 10 years of implementation of the Madrid international plan of action on aging. Hanoi: Vietnam National Commitee on Aging.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, P., Pan, J., & Luo, Z. (2015). The impact of income inequality on individual happiness: evidence from China. Social Indicators Research, 121(2), 413–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witter, R. A., Stock, W. A., Okun, M. A., Haring, M. J. (1985). Religion and subjective well-being in adulthood: A quantitative synthesis. Review of Religious Research, 332–342.

  • Wooldridge, J. M. (2013). Introductory econometrics: A modern approach (5th ed.). Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Room 100, Building E4, No. 144, Xuan Thuy Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Tuyen Quang Tran

  2. Institute for Education Quality Assurance, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Thanh Quy Nguyen

  3. Department of Economics, Academy of Finance, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Huong Van Vu

  4. University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Tinh Thanh Doan

Authors
  1. Tuyen Quang Tran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thanh Quy Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Huong Van Vu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tinh Thanh Doan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tuyen Quang Tran.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tran, T.Q., Nguyen, T.Q., Van Vu, H. et al. Religiosity and Subjective Well-Being Among Old People: Evidence from a Transitional Country. Applied Research Quality Life 12, 947–962 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-016-9500-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-016-9500-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation