IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0276563.html

Determinants of life satisfaction among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Nabil Ahmed Uthso
  • Noor Jahan Akter

Abstract

The life satisfaction of women is an essential component of their subjective well-being. It is an indicator of a woman’s life quality based on personal perception. Considering the importance of women’s subjective well-being, the United Nations (UN) has recognized this as one of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To the best of our knowledge, no study has been done yet for Bangladeshi women aged 15-49 years using nationally represented data. This study is the first study, to our knowledge, that will identify the determinants of life satisfaction and investigate the association between these determinants and life satisfaction among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Bangladesh. This study examined the overall life satisfaction and impact of some personal and sociodemographic characteristics on it among the women aged 15 to 49 years in Bangladesh using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 data, a cross-sectional data. In our study, information regarding life satisfaction was available for a sample of 64,283 women after categorizing the variable overall life satisfaction and adjusting the missing values. The variable overall life satisfaction was categorized into three categories, namely low (0-3), moderate (4-6), and high (7-10), according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. Results showed that 14.67% of women are low satisfied, 50.65% are moderately satisfied, and 34.68% are highly satisfied with their lives. A bivariate analysis was applied in this study to show the significant association between the determinants and life satisfaction. The multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to draw valid conclusions about the effects of the potential determinants on life satisfaction. The study revealed that satisfaction increases with age, education level, and wealth status. For the variable marital status, which has three categories: currently married, formerly married, and never married, current marriage was strongly associated with higher life satisfaction. In contrast, a former marriage and a never marriage were associated with lower life satisfaction. Migration status was also significantly associated with life satisfaction, where women who changed their location were more satisfied than those who never changed their current location. Bangladesh aims to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which promotes well-being, and the goal 5, to empower all women and girls, addressing the issues related to life satisfaction and applying appropriate intervention is a must.

Suggested Citation

  • Nabil Ahmed Uthso & Noor Jahan Akter, 2022. "Determinants of life satisfaction among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0276563
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276563
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276563
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0276563&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0276563?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicolas Loewe & Mehdi Bagherzadeh & Luis Araya-Castillo & Claudio Thieme & Joan Batista-Foguet, 2014. "Life Domain Satisfactions as Predictors of Overall Life Satisfaction Among Workers: Evidence from Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(1), pages 71-86, August.
    2. Blanchflower, David G. & Oswald, Andrew J., 2008. "Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1733-1749, April.
    3. Sanni Yaya & Sharmistha Ghosh & Bishwajit Ghose, 2019. "Subjective Happiness, Health and Quality of Life and Their Sociocultural Correlates among Younger Population in Malawi," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Sarah Jewell & Uma Kambhampati, 2015. "Are Happy Youth Also Satisfied Adults? An Analysis of the Impact of Childhood Factors on Adult Life Satisfaction," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 121(2), pages 543-567, April.
    5. Devrim Dumludag, 2015. "Consumption and life satisfaction at different levels of economic development," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 62(2), pages 163-182, June.
    6. Riddell, W. Craig & Song, Xueda, 2011. "The impact of education on unemployment incidence and re-employment success: Evidence from the U.S. labour market," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 453-463, August.
    7. Carmel Proctor & P. Linley & John Maltby, 2009. "Youth Life Satisfaction: A Review of the Literature," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 10(5), pages 583-630, October.
    8. Kenneth Owusu Ansah & Nutifafa Eugene Yaw Dey & Abigail Esinam Adade & Pascal Agbadi, 2022. "Determinants of life satisfaction among Ghanaians aged 15 to 49 years: A further analysis of the 2017/2018 Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-18, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kenneth Owusu Ansah & Nutifafa Eugene Yaw Dey & Abigail Esinam Adade & Pascal Agbadi, 2022. "Determinants of life satisfaction among Ghanaians aged 15 to 49 years: A further analysis of the 2017/2018 Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Knies, Gundi, 2017. "Income effects on children’s life satisfaction: longitudinal evidence for England," ISER Working Paper Series 2017-02, Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    3. Berta Schnettler & Marianela Denegri & Horacio Miranda & José Sepúlveda & Ligia Orellana & Galo Paiva & Klaus Grunert, 2015. "Family Support and Subjective Well-Being: An Exploratory Study of University Students in Southern Chile," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 833-864, July.
    4. Kaung Mon Winn & Maame Esi Woode & Gozde Aydin & Gang Chen, 2025. "Systematic Review of Self-Reported Multidimensional Instruments Used to Measure Quality of Life and Subjective Well-Being of Children and Adolescents," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 177(2), pages 671-731, March.
    5. Igor Esnaola & Manuel Benito & Iratxe Antonio-Agirre & Eloisa Ballina & Margarita Lorenzo, 2019. "Gender, Age and Cross-Cultural Differences in Life Satisfaction: a Comparison Between Spain and Mexico," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(6), pages 1935-1949, December.
    6. Nie, Peng & Li, Qiaoge & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2021. "Energy poverty and subjective well-being in China: New evidence from the China Family Panel Studies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    7. Xiaofeng Xu & Qingqing Nie & Wang Liu & E. Scott Huebner & Lili Tian, 2022. "Children’s Life Satisfaction: Developmental Trajectories and Environmental and Personality Predictors," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 2805-2826, August.
    8. Estefanía Mónaco & Konstanze Schoeps & Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla, 2019. "Attachment Styles and Well-Being in Adolescents: How Does Emotional Development Affect This Relationship?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-17, July.
    9. E. Scott Huebner, 2018. "Quality of Life and Personality Development: A Reply to Land and Michalos," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 1021-1025, February.
    10. Kevin Tze-wai Wong & Victor Zheng & Po-san Wan, 2017. "A Dissatisfied Generation? An Age–Period–Cohort Analysis of the Political Satisfaction of Youth in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2014," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(1), pages 253-276, January.
    11. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Rintaro Yamaguchi & Kazuki Kagohashi & Shunsuke Managi, 2021. "Correction to: Are Cognitive, Affective, and Eudaimonic Dimensions of Subjective Well-Being Differently Related to Consumption? Evidence from Japan," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2523-2523, August.
    12. Friederike Doerwald & Birte Marie Albrecht & Imke Stalling & Karin Bammann, 2021. "Domain-specific life satisfaction among older adults with and without children: The role of intergenerational contact," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-12, September.
    13. Daniel Ştefan Armeanu & Georgeta Vintilă & Ştefan Cristian Gherghina, 2017. "Empirical Study towards the Drivers of Sustainable Economic Growth in EU-28 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.
    14. Thi Truong An Hoang & Andreas Knabe, 2021. "Time Use, Unemployment, and Well-Being: An Empirical Analysis Using British Time-Use Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2525-2548, August.
    15. Zsuzsa Lábiscsák-Erdélyi & Ilona Veres-Balajti & Annamária Somhegyi & Karolina Kósa, 2022. "Self-Esteem Is Independent Factor and Moderator of School-Related Psychosocial Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, May.
    16. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Shunsuke Managi, 2025. "Income and Subjective Well-Being: The Importance of Index Choice for Sustainable Economic Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-32, June.
    17. Heather Lacey & Todd Kierstead & Diana Morey, 2012. "De-Biasing the Age-Happiness Bias: Memory Search and Cultural Expectations in Happiness Judgments Across the Lifespan," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 647-658, August.
    18. Van Landeghem, Bert & Vandeplas, Anneleen, 2018. "The relationship between status and happiness: Evidence from the caste system in rural India," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 62-71.
    19. John F. Helliwell & Haifang Huang & Max B. Norton & Shun Wang, 2019. "Happiness at Different Ages: The Social Context Matters," Springer Books, in: Mariano Rojas (ed.), The Economics of Happiness, chapter 0, pages 455-481, Springer.
    20. Omer Sagie, 2016. "Well-Being in Older Gays and Lesbians: A Comparison of Predictors," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 395-409, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0276563. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.