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Studies

Ventegodt (1995): study DK 1993

Publication

Author(s):
Ventegodt, S.
Title:
Liskvalitet I Danmark. (Quality of Life in Denmark. Results from a Population Survey).
Source:
Forskningscentrets Forlag, 1995, Copenhagen, Denmark

Investigation

Public
18-88 aged, general public, Denmark, 1993
Sample
Non-probability purposive sample
Respondents
N = 1494
Non Response
39%
Assessment
Questionnaire: Paper & Pencil Interview (PAPI)
Mailed questionnaire

Happiness Measure(s) and Distributional Findings

Full text:
Single direct question:

How are you feeling now....?
5  very good
4  good
3  neither good nor poor
2  poor
1  very poor
Classification:
A-AOL-m-sq-v-5-a
Author's label:
immediate self-experienced well-being
Remarks:
The 5 verbal answer-categories were transformed to
cumulative percentages
1 = very poorly   -> 10%
2 = poorly            -> 30%
3 = neither /nor  -> 50%
4 = good              -> 70%
5  = very good   -> 90%
Thus transformed the mean is 72
See Ventegodt, 1995: Measuring the Quality of Life, page 64-67
Page in publication:
507, 398
Observed distribution
Frequencies
1: 0.7%,   2: 3.8%,   3: 13.8%,   4: 47.7%,   5: 33.9%   (total 99.9%)
Summary Statistics
On original range 1 - 5 On range 0-10
Mean:
4.10 7.75
SD:
0.83 2.07
Full text:
Self report on single question:

'How satisfied are you with your life now?'
5  very satisfied
2  satisfied
3  neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
2  dissatisfied
1  very dissatisfied
Classification:
O-SLu-c-sq-v-5-e
Author's label:
life satisfaction
Remarks:

Original text in Danish:
'Hvor tilfreds er du med dit liv for tiden?'
5  meget tilfreds
4  tilfreds
3  hverken tilfreds eller utilfreds
2  utilfreds
1  meget  utilfreds

The 5 verbal answer-categories were transformed to cumulative perentages
1 = very poorly   -> 10%
2 = poorly            -> 30%
3 = neither /nor  -> 50%
4 = good              -> 70%
5  = very good   -> 90%
Thus transformed the mean is 69,5
See Ventegodt, 1995: Measuring the Quality of Life, page 64-67
Page in publication:
507, 400
Observed distribution
Frequencies
1: 0%,   2: 4.7%,   3: 16.1%,   4: 52.8%,   5: 25.4%   (total 99%)
Summary Statistics
On original range 1 - 5 On range 0-10
Mean:
3.97 7.43
SD:
0.82 2.06
Full text:
Self report on single question

How happy are you now?
5  very happy
4  happy
3  neither happy nor unhappy
2  unhappy
1  very unhappy
Classification:
O-HL-c-sq-v-5-ha
Author's label:
happiness
Remarks:
The 5 verbal answer-categories were transformed to
cumulative percentages
1 = very poorly   -> 10%
2 = poorly            -> 30%
3 = neither /nor  -> 50%
4 = good              -> 70%
5  = very good   -> 90%
The transformed mean is then 65,5
See Ventegodt, 1995: Measuring the Quality of Life, page 64-67
Page in publication:
507, 402
Observed distribution
Frequencies
1: 0.5%,   2: 2.2%,   3: 33.74%,   4: 46.5%,   5: 17.1%   (total 100.04%)
Summary Statistics
On original range 1 - 5 On range 0-10
Mean:
3.77 6.93
SD:
0.77 1.92

Correlational Findings

Author's label Subject Description Finding male sex Sexe: male (vs female) age Current age (in years) height Height weight Weight marital status MARRIAGE: CURRENT MARITAL STATUS Social group Current total social participation
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
Family Social Group SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
UNCLASSIFIED
Type of Housing Type of current dwelling co-habitants Current household-composition
Living alone or not
Living with children
residence(country/town) Community size
Region in Denmark
county of residence Region in Denmark annual income Personal income durable consumer goods Specific possessions rating of income Satisfaction with financial situation satisfaction with income Satisfaction with financial situation attending school or university Intellectual level of school type of education School-type completed secondary education Level of school-education Type of completed vocational education Educational specialization
Vocational education
Completed education IN 4 LEVELS Educational specialization
Vocational education
main occupation Current occupation number of subordinates Occupational level Job type Kind of occupation (profession) management position Size of work organization kind of employment Kind of occupation (profession) meaningful work Perceived usefulness of one's work satisfaction with work Satisfaction with work-as-a-whole feeling good at work Mood in situations
Mood during work
Physical work environment Satisfaction with work conditions social work environment Satisfaction with colleagues relations with fellow workers Satisfaction with colleagues with/without partner Married state (compared to non-married states) years of schooling Years schooling with/without friend Number of close friends satisfaction with sex life_A Satisfaction with sex-life daily contacts_B Current personal contacts relations with yourself Evaluation of self-as-a-whole hours of exausting (physical) exercise a week Physical activity diet Current nutrition
Concern about nutrition
alcohol consumption Use of alcohol Smoking Use of tobacco on the average, how much do you smoke a day Use of tobacco psychotropic drugs Earlier use of stimulants self-perceived mental health Overall self estimate of mental health self-perceived physical health Global health self-rating satisfaction with one's own health Satisfaction with health sick days last year Days ill
Absenteeism at work
type of health problems Symptoms of bad health
Problems with health
Current psycho-somatic complaints
Self ratings of mental health
number of health problems Number of health complaints disease diagnosis Expert ratings of mental health
Expert rating of health
current diseases and conditions Current disease (who icd-10 classification) unemployment Current employment status with/without children Children in the household current employment status Current employment status
Own income or not
Type of income
mental disorders Current specific mental disorders (icd-10 classification)
Current psycho-somatic complaints
Self ratings of mental health
medical treatment Illness treated Operation under general anaesthesia Surgery
Earlier anesthesia
bodymass Weight acceptance of own body Evaluation of aspects of self abortion Specific earlier life-events
Earlier abortion
Earlier abortion
miscarriage Death of children
Specific earlier life-events
Earlier physical health
Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (o00-o99)
medical treatment In treatment or not
Alternative treatment
self-image Self-characterization view of life Summed life aspect evaluations (semantic differential scales)
Satisfaction with multiple domains of life
loneliness Feeling lonely (vs not) suicide Suicidal intentions meaning in life Overall judgement of meaningfulness of one's life acceptance of one's own body Evaluation of aspects of self problems as challenge Current problems self-confidence Feeling self-confident (vs inadequate)
Self-confidant
feelings at home Attitudes to household-composition
Mood at home
feelings during leisure hours Satisfaction with leisure
Satisfaction with leisure hours
Mood during leisure
sex-life Sexual activity satisfaction with sex-life_B Satisfaction with sex-life sexual preferences Sexual preference attractiveness Self rating of good looks
Self-evaluation
Self-perceived reputation
Attitudes to one's sex-life
sexual problems_B Problems with sex partner Earlier love-life
Steady love-relation
Earlier marital states
Married state (compared to non-married states)
partner-relation Satisfaction with marriage previous partner relation Perceived quality of intimate ties
Characteristics of earlier marriage-relationship(s)
satisfaction with relationship Satisfaction with marriage length of relationship Length of current marriage partner's occupation Occupation of spouse partner's income Income of spouse difference in educational levels Education of spouse having children Current parental status
Non-biological children
Step children
relation's with one's children Current relation with one's children satisfaction regarding children Satisfaction with parenting childlesness Pregnant
Childlessness voluntary or not
Current parental status
number of biological children Number of children children living at home Children in the household
Current characteristics of one's children
children in home Children in the household type of parents Non-biological child satisfaction with parents Attitudes to family of origin relations with parents Relations with parents siblings Characteristics of siblings
Twin or triplet child
relationship's with one's sibling Relations with siblings close friend Number of close friends relations with friends Current contacts with friends satisfaction with relations with friends Satisfaction with personal contacts daily contacts_A Frequency of intimate contacts satisfaction with acqaintances Satisfaction with friends quality of one's social relations Current personal contacts relations with society Current anomy
Current attitudes to nation
Attitudes to political system
satisfaction with society Current anomy
Satisfaction with nation
Attitudes to political system
feeling part of a whole Feeling part of larger whole believing that other people speak well of oneself Self perceived recognition relations with nature Attitude to local natural environment
UNCLASSIFIED
satisfaction with local natural environment Attitude to local natural environment values Specific concerns
Value set
"masculine" and "feminine" values Feminine value pattern materialistic versus spiritual values Materialistic values
Existential values
number of values Value set wide-ranging values Value-pattern
Diversity of values
Quality of life questionaire Questioning
Respondents attitudes to interview
personal resources UNCLASSIFIED assesment of one's own quality of life Current overall judgements of life as a whole self-experienced well-being O-HL by A-AOL
O-SL by A-AOL
Current mood of the moment
life satisfaction O-HL by O-SL
O-SL by A-AOL
happiness O-HL by O-SL
O-HL by A-AOL
fulfilment of needs Aspect judgements of one's life as a whole
Fulfilled/rewarding (vs frustrating)
Gratifying (vs frustrating)
family, work, leisure Family + leisure + work family, work and leisure time Appraisals of specific domains of life
MOOD
Feeling energetic (vs lethargic, tired)
satisfaction with relations Satisfaction with personal contacts expression of life's potentials Multiple aspect evaluations of life
LIFE GOALS
Later need for self-actualization
objective factors UNCLASSIFIED fulfilment of basic biological needs Fulfilled/rewarding (vs frustrating) fulfilment of social needs Aspect judgements of one's life as a whole fulfilment of need to be useful Meaningful (vs useless)
Satisfaction with meaning of life
Satisfaction with contributions to others
need for an exciting and varied life Exiting (vs dull)
Sensation seeking
need for self-realization Aspect judgements of one's life as a whole
Self-actualization (need for)
Satisfaction with self-realization
denial of needs Aspect judgements of one's life as a whole
Gratifying (vs frustrating)
questionaire as adequate Questioning
Respondents attitudes to interview
(un)ethical questions Questioning
Respondents attitudes to interview
characteristics of one's children Current characteristics of one's children only child Only child halfbrothers and -sisters Family composition (earlier for adults, current for young) twin or triplet Position in family
Twin or triplet child
partner's job type Occupation of spouse diseases of women Earlier physical health sexual problems_A Problems with sex