Autopercepção de felicidade e fatores associados em adultos de uma cidade do sul do Brasil: estudo de base populacional.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate self-perception of happiness and associated factors in a Southern Brazilian city. A cross-sectional population-based study was carried out with individuals aged 20 years and over (N = 2,942). Self-perceived happiness was defined as the degree to which a person evaluates the overall quality of his/her present life-as-a-whole positively, through a single question with a “smiley-scale”. The prevalence of self-perceived happiness was 73.4%, and it was positively associated with educational attainment and economic level, whereas it was negatively associated with unemployment. Young men and religious women also showed higher prevalence of happiness. Among women, being separated/divorced or widowed was associated with a lower prevalence of happiness. Since happiness predicts better health, it is important to know who is happy, in order to contribute to the formulation of public policies and strategies to increase general well-being and detect people most vulnerable in terms of health.