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48
1.6.2 LIFE SATISFACTION
As previously discussed, there was a recovery in life satisfaction in East Germany
relative to West Germany starting in 1992. The life satisfaction regressions are similar to
those in Table 1.7 for health satisfaction except that the model includes additional
covariates (i.e., occupation and family characteristics). The results are in Table 1.8.
Although income and labor force participation are important determinants of life
satisfaction, the decline in health for the younger age group was also a factor in the
recovery of life satisfaction.
The results of the first difference model are presented in columns (1) and (5). The trend
for East Germany is positive and significant, confirming that life satisfaction in East
Germany relative to West Germany recovered during the transition period. Self-reported
health has a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction. It remains significant
when economic and demographic characteristics are included in columns (2) and (6) and
when all explanatory variables are included in columns (3) and (7). The results for the
younger and older groups show that economic circumstances are important determinants
of the recovery of life satisfaction, which is consistent with previous studies (see
Easterlin and Plagnol, 2008; Frijters, Haisken-DeNew, & Shields, 2005). For both age
groups, income and unemployment are significant with the expected signs.
The 2SLS results for the younger age group and the older age group in columns
(4) and (8), respectively, show that health is a determinant of life satisfaction. Changes in
health during this transition period contributed to the recovery of life satisfaction. The
coefficients on health are larger in the 2SLS models than in the first difference models.
Once again this suggests that there is classical measurement error in self-reported health.
48
Object Description
| Title | Essays on health and well-being |
| Author | Zweig, Jacqueline Smith |
| Author email | smith2@usc.edu; jackiesmith04@yahoo.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Economics |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2011-03-23 |
| Date submitted | 2011 |
| Restricted until | Restricted until 26 Apr. 2012. |
| Date published | 2012-04-26 |
| Advisor (committee chair) |
Easterlin, Richard A. Ham, John C. |
| Advisor (committee member) | Melguizo, Tatiana |
| Abstract | This dissertation is comprised of three chapters that use microeconometric techniques to investigate the factors that affect people’s well-being. In the first two chapters, well-being is defined as life satisfaction or health satisfaction. The first chapter explores how the movement from socialism to capitalism affected the life satisfaction and health satisfaction of East Germans relative to West Germans after reunification. The second chapter examines whether women are happier, less happy, or equally happy as men in countries at various stages of development. The third chapter examines whether pollution affects the academic performance of school children; their academic performance and achievements will have important implications for their future well-being. |
| Keyword | happiness; well-being |
| Geographic subject | Germany |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Geographic subject (country) | USA |
| Coverage date | 1990/2010; 2002/2008 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3782 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Zweig, Jacqueline Smith |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Zweig-4500 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume23/etd-Zweig-4500.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 57 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 48 1.6.2 LIFE SATISFACTION As previously discussed, there was a recovery in life satisfaction in East Germany relative to West Germany starting in 1992. The life satisfaction regressions are similar to those in Table 1.7 for health satisfaction except that the model includes additional covariates (i.e., occupation and family characteristics). The results are in Table 1.8. Although income and labor force participation are important determinants of life satisfaction, the decline in health for the younger age group was also a factor in the recovery of life satisfaction. The results of the first difference model are presented in columns (1) and (5). The trend for East Germany is positive and significant, confirming that life satisfaction in East Germany relative to West Germany recovered during the transition period. Self-reported health has a positive and significant effect on life satisfaction. It remains significant when economic and demographic characteristics are included in columns (2) and (6) and when all explanatory variables are included in columns (3) and (7). The results for the younger and older groups show that economic circumstances are important determinants of the recovery of life satisfaction, which is consistent with previous studies (see Easterlin and Plagnol, 2008; Frijters, Haisken-DeNew, & Shields, 2005). For both age groups, income and unemployment are significant with the expected signs. The 2SLS results for the younger age group and the older age group in columns (4) and (8), respectively, show that health is a determinant of life satisfaction. Changes in health during this transition period contributed to the recovery of life satisfaction. The coefficients on health are larger in the 2SLS models than in the first difference models. Once again this suggests that there is classical measurement error in self-reported health. 48 |
