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Factors Affecting Happiness Among Rural Residents: A Cross Sectional Survey

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Abstract

This cross-sectional and descriptive study aimed to investigate factors that affected the happiness of rural residents. The study used a convenience sample consisting of 1029 Korean rural residents from the Gyeong-gi Province collected between November and December 2014. The results found that people aged 60 and over were happier than those between 15 and 19 years old. Happiness was correlated with age, income, violence, social support, subjective health, depression, and suicidal ideation. Factors affecting the happiness of rural residents were depression, social support, suicidal ideation, and age, and these factors explained 48.0% of the variance in happiness. The results demonstrate that the happiness of rural residents was affected by various psychological factors and supportive intervention should be developed to enhance the happiness of people living in rural areas.

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Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the research grant of the Kongju National University in 2019. The authors have confirmed that all authors meet the ICMJE criteria for authorship credit.

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Jo, Kim, & Jeong drafted the first version of the manuscript. Jo and Kim collected and analyzed the data collaboratively. Kim participated in interpreting the data, and revised the manuscirpt.

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Correspondence to Hyun Kyoung Kim.

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Neither author has any actual or potential of interest including any financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organization that could inappropriately influence or be perceived to influence this work. The authors declared no conflict of interest.

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Jo, H.K., Kim, H.K. & Jeong, J.N. Factors Affecting Happiness Among Rural Residents: A Cross Sectional Survey. Community Ment Health J 56, 915–924 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00555-1

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