Subjective poverty, deprivation, and the subjective well-being of children and young people: A multilevel growth curve analysis in Taiwan

Subjective well-being is of increasing interest to researchers. However, the trend in child subjective well-being and the association between poverty and child subjective well-being is not well understood. This study examined the growth trajectories of the subjective well-being of children and young people from low-income families. Using panel survey data from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty, a multilevel growth curve model was used to examine how children and young people rate their subjective well-being, including life satisfaction and school satisfaction, and the effect of poverty dimensions, including subjective poverty and deprivation, on subjective well-being. The findings indicated that two subjective well-being outcomes varied over time. Specifically, subjective well-being declined with age but had different growth trajectory patterns. Furthermore, poverty dimensions had negative effects on subjective well-being. The level of self-rated school satisfaction and satisfaction with life decreased with an increasing level of deprivation. However, only life satisfaction was found to be negatively associated with subjective poverty. This study contributes to the understanding of child subjective well-being from a child-centered perspective. Some implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.