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Ecological, Relationship-Based Model of Children’s Subjective Well-Being: Perspectives of 10-Year-Old Children in the United States and 10 Other Countries

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to further assess the international relevance of an ecological, relationship-based model of children’s subjective well-being with samples of 10-year-old children from the United States (n = 502, M age = 10.66, SD = .55) and 10 other countries: Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel, Nepal, Romania, Rwanda, South Korea, and Uganda (n = 502, M age = 10.12, SD = .48). All children completed the Children’s Worlds survey, which includes individual factors, contextual factors of home and family, life and neighborhood, school, and peers, and subjective well-being measures for life satisfaction, mental health, and self-image. The strongest predictors of children’s subjective well-being were family and peer relationships, school, and neighborhood quality. Findings support the international relevance of an ecological, relationship-based model of children’s subjective well-being.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge contributions to the research project from Rita Humphrey and Tamara Olson.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Sciences, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA

    Michael J. Lawler

  2. Human Development and Educational Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA

    Lisa A. Newland

  3. College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Jarod T. Giger

  4. Department of Social Work, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA

    Soonhee Roh

  5. Department of Occupational Therapy, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA

    Barbara L. Brockevelt

Authors
  1. Michael J. Lawler
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  2. Lisa A. Newland
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  3. Jarod T. Giger
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  4. Soonhee Roh
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  5. Barbara L. Brockevelt
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Correspondence to Michael J. Lawler.

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Lawler, M.J., Newland, L.A., Giger, J.T. et al. Ecological, Relationship-Based Model of Children’s Subjective Well-Being: Perspectives of 10-Year-Old Children in the United States and 10 Other Countries. Child Ind Res 10, 1–18 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-016-9376-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-016-9376-0

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