IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jhappi/v26y2025i4d10.1007_s10902-025-00889-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Personal Well-Being Index (PWI) and its Association with Physical Health, Mental Health and Leisure Activities: Results from the Health and Lifestyle Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Anitha Jeyagurunathan

    (Institute of Mental Health)

  • Yen Sin Koh

    (Institute of Mental Health)

  • Rajeswari Sambasivam

    (Institute of Mental Health)

  • Edimansyah Abdin

    (Institute of Mental Health)

  • Ellaisha Samari

    (Institute of Mental Health)

  • Wai Leng Chow

    (Ministry of Health)

  • Stefan Ma

    (Ministry of Health)

  • Siow Ann Chong

    (Institute of Mental Health)

  • Mythily Subramaniam

    (Institute of Mental Health)

Abstract

This study examines subjective well-being among individuals in Singapore, explores the factor structure of the Personal Well-being Index (PWI), and evaluates its association with socio-demographic characteristics, physical and mental health, and leisure activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a cross-sectional nationwide survey (n = 5872). Subjective well-being was assessed using the PWI scale, while depression and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire, respectively. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, chronic physical health conditions, leisure time and lifestyle activities were also obtained. Multivariable linear regression was used for analysis. The mean (SD) PWI score in the general population was 71.34 (± 16.29) which is comparable to the findings in other studies. Higher PWI scores were observed among individuals aged 50–65 years old (vs. 15–34 years), of Indian ethnicity (vs. Chinese), economically inactive/student (vs. employed/self-employed), and those with an income above SGD$2000 (vs. no income/below SGD$2000). Participants who were male (vs. female), single (vs. married) or separated/widowed/divorced (vs. married), and those with one or more chronic physical health conditions (vs. none) were significantly more likely to have lower PWI scores. Participants with higher PWI scores were less likely to have moderate or severe depressive or anxiety symptoms. Individuals who engaged in physical leisure time activities frequently or sometimes had higher PWI scores compared to those who rarely or never did. The study findings support the significant association between physical and leisure time activities and subjective well-being. Our study results highlight the relevance of adapting the PWI instrument in the population setting to enable the implementation of targeted interventions and holistic programmes for the general population. Additionally, the PWI could be a valuable tool for policymakers to understand the personal well-being of population groups, especially in a multiracial community.

Suggested Citation

  • Anitha Jeyagurunathan & Yen Sin Koh & Rajeswari Sambasivam & Edimansyah Abdin & Ellaisha Samari & Wai Leng Chow & Stefan Ma & Siow Ann Chong & Mythily Subramaniam, 2025. "Personal Well-Being Index (PWI) and its Association with Physical Health, Mental Health and Leisure Activities: Results from the Health and Lifestyle Survey," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 1-19, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:jhappi:v:26:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10902-025-00889-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10902-025-00889-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10902-025-00889-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10902-025-00889-1?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
    2. Javier G. Boncompte & Ricardo D. Paredes, 2020. "Human Capital Endowments and Gender Differences in Subjective Well-Being in Chile," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 241-269, January.
    3. Anna Lau & Robert Cummins & Wenda Mcpherson, 2005. "An Investigation into the Cross-Cultural Equivalence of the Personal Wellbeing Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 72(3), pages 403-430, July.
    4. Xavier Fontaine & Katsunori Yamada, 2014. "Caste Comparisons in India: Evidence From Subjective Well-Being Data," Post-Print halshs-01030774, HAL.
    5. repec:hal:pseose:halshs-01030774 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Iris A. Lesser & Carl P. Nienhuis, 2020. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity Behavior and Well-Being of Canadians," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Veljko Jovanović & Robert A. Cummins & Melissa Weinberg & Ljiljana Kaliterna & Zvjezdana Prizmic-Larsen, 2019. "Personal Wellbeing Index: A Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance Study Across Four Countries," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 759-775, March.
    8. Zhenghui Chen & Gareth Davey, 2009. "Subjective Quality of Life in Zhuhai City, South China: A Public Survey Using the International Wellbeing Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 91(2), pages 243-258, April.
    9. Jesper Rözer & Gerbert Kraaykamp, 2013. "Income Inequality and Subjective Well-being: A Cross-National Study on the Conditional Effects of Individual and National Characteristics," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 113(3), pages 1009-1023, September.
    10. Robert Biswas-Diener & Joar Vittersø & Ed Diener, 2010. "The Danish Effect: Beginning to Explain High Well-Being in Denmark," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 229-246, June.
    11. Adrian Tomyn & Robert Cummins, 2011. "The Subjective Wellbeing of High-School Students: Validating the Personal Wellbeing Index—School Children," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 405-418, May.
    12. Mina Daraei, 2013. "Social Correlates of Psychological Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students in Mysore City," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 567-590, November.
    13. Hsin-Yu An & Wei Chen & Cheng-Wei Wang & Hui-Fei Yang & Wan-Ting Huang & Sheng-Yu Fan, 2020. "The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-10, July.
    14. Supa Pengpid & Karl Peltzer, 2019. "Sedentary Behaviour, Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction, Happiness and Perceived Health Status in University Students from 24 Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-7, June.
    15. Xavier Fontaine & Katsunori Yamada, 2014. "Caste Comparisons in India: Evidence From Subjective Well-Being Data," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-01030774, HAL.
    16. Fontaine, Xavier & Yamada, Katsunori, 2014. "Caste Comparisons in India: Evidence From Subjective Well-Being Data," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 407-419.
    17. Daniela Renn & Nicole Pfaffenberger & Marion Platter & Horst Mitmansgruber & Robert Cummins & Stefan Höfer, 2009. "International Well-being Index: The Austrian Version," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 243-256, January.
    18. Xavier Fontaine & Katsunori Yamada, 2014. "Caste Comparisons in India: Evidence From Subjective Well-Being Data," SciencePo Working papers Main halshs-01030774, HAL.
    19. Jyotsna Agrawal & Pratima Murthy & Mariamma Philip & Seema Mehrotra & K. Thennarasu & John John & N. Girish & V. Thippeswamy & Mohan Isaac, 2011. "Socio-demographic Correlates of Subjective Well-being in Urban India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 419-434, May.
    20. Zhanjia Zhang & Weiyun Chen, 2019. "A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1305-1322, April.
    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. Muna Shifa & Murray Leibbrandt, 2018. "Relative Economic Position and Subjective Well-Being in a Poor Society: Does Relative Position Indicator Matter?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 611-630, September.
    2. Coulibaly, Thierry Yerema & Managi, Shunsuke, 2022. "Populations in slums are happier than rural populations: The case of Mumbai," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    3. Vani S. Kulkarni & Veena S. Kulkarni & Raghav Gaiha & Katsushi S. Imai, 2023. "Changes in Subjective Well-Being in India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 607-644, August.
    4. 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.
    5. Chhavi Tiwari & Srinivas Goli & Mohammad Zahid Siddiqui & Pradeep S. Salve, 2022. "Poverty, wealth inequality and financial inclusion among castes in Hindu and Muslim communities in Uttar Pradesh, India," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(6), pages 1227-1255, August.
    6. Matthys, Marie-Luise & Acharya, Sushant & Khatri, Sanjaya, 2021. "“Before cardamom, we used to face hardship”: Analyzing agricultural commercialization effects in Nepal through a local concept of the Good Life," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    7. Ingrid Nielsen & Olga Paritski & Russell Smyth, 2010. "Subjective Well-Being of Beijing Taxi Drivers," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(6), pages 721-733, December.
    8. Fernandez, Antonia & Della Giusta, Marina & Kambhampati, Uma S., 2015. "The Intrinsic Value of Agency: The Case of Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 92-107.
    9. Ingrid Nielsen & Sen Sendjaya, 2014. "Wellbeing Among Indonesian Labour Migrants to Malaysia: Implications of the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(3), pages 919-938, July.
    10. Krishna, V. & Vikraman, S. & Aravalath, L., 2018. "Caste-based social segregation and access to public extension services in India," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 276944, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. VAN DEN BROECK, Goedele & MAERTENS, Miet, 2015. "Does Off-farm Employment Make Women in Rural Senegal Happy?," Working Papers 232593, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    12. Bert Van Landeghem & Anneleen Vandeplas, 2016. "Lower in rank, but happier: the complex relationship between status and happiness," Working Papers of LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance 556194, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance.
    13. Andrew E. Clark & Claudia Senik & Katsunori Yamada, 2022. "The Joneses in Japan: income comparisons and financial satisfaction," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 351-372, April.
    14. Vijesh V Krishna & Lagesh M Aravalath & Surjit Vikraman, 2019. "Does caste determine farmer access to quality information?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(1), pages 1-22, January.
    15. Adrian Tomyn & Jacolyn Norrish & Robert Cummins, 2013. "The Subjective Wellbeing of Indigenous Australian Adolescents: Validating the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 1013-1031, February.
    16. repec:lic:licosd:38516 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Ingrid Nielsen & Russell Smyth & Qingguo Zhai, 2010. "Subjective Well-Being of China’s Off-Farm Migrants," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 315-333, June.
    18. Hsin-Yu An & Wei Chen & Cheng-Wei Wang & Hui-Fei Yang & Wan-Ting Huang & Sheng-Yu Fan, 2020. "The Relationships between Physical Activity and Life Satisfaction and Happiness among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-10, July.
    19. Deepika Kandpal & Dibyendu Maiti, 2022. "Social Identity, Local Neighbourhood Effect and Conspicuous Consumption: Evidence From India," Working papers 327, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    20. Aklin, Michaël & Cheng, Chao-Yo & Urpelainen, Johannes, 2018. "Social acceptance of new energy technology in developing countries: A framing experiment in rural India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 466-477.
    21. Paula Carrasco & Rodrigo Ceni & Ivone Perazzo & Gonzalo Salas, 2021. "Are Not Any Silver Linings in the Cloud? Subjective Well-being Among Deprived Young People," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 491-516, February.

    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:spr:jhappi:v:26:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10902-025-00889-1. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.