Wellbeing in Two Nova Scotia Communities

1
Wellbeing in Two Nova Scotia Communities

• Halifax
• June 2008
• Mike Pennock
• Martha Pennock
• Ron Colman

2
GPI Community Surveys

• 2002/2003
• Glace Bay (1,708)
• Kings County (1,898)
• Wellbeing in two contrasting communities in same
  political jurisdiction
• Wide range of variables

3
Contrasting Communities

• Glace Bay
• Older industrial area
• Mining and primary industries
• History of economic instability

• Kings County
• Diversified economy
• Agriculture
• Manufacturing
• Government
• Economic Stability

4
Samples

• Glace Bay respondents had higher rate of
  unemployment and lower incomes
• Kings had higher proportion married

5
Economic Security
Glace-Bay Kings
Unemployment 26.4 12.7
Part-time 16.6 15.4
Discouraged 40.9 16.3
Long-term 62.3 52.5
Multiple Jobs 5.1 11.0
Households lt20,000 28 14
6
Life-Satisfaction
GB Kings Chi-Square
Very Satisfied 40.3 39.4 2.24 df2 Plt.32
Somewhat Satisfied 50.3 53.4 2.24 df2 Plt.32
Dissatisfied 9.3 8.2 2.24 df2 Plt.32
7
Potential for Improved Satisfaction
who would be more satisfied if Glace Bay Kings p
More time with family and friends 29.1 23.2 Plt.001
Less stress 39.0 31.2 Plt.001
Make a difference to community 11.7 8.7 Plt.001
More money 24.7 14.5 Plt.001
More Possessions 8.7 3.3 Plt.001
Financially secure 38.8 25.5 Plt.001
8
Percent Reporting They Are Very Satisfied With
Life
9
Importance of Own Values
rating 8 to 10 GB Kings p
Family 95.2 94.4 NS
Responsibility 93.2 93.2 NS
Freedom 87.5 89.1 NS
Friendship 88.4 86.4 NS
Financial Security 80.6 72.4 Plt.000
Generosity 78.4 73.4 Plt.000
Pleasure 70.8 68.6 NS
Spiritual 67.2 52.5 Plt.000
Career Success 68 58.3 Plt.000
Material Wealth 32.4 22.8 Plt.000
10
Importance of Core Values
Rating 8-10 Self Others
Family 94.9 55.9
Responsibility 93.3 50.8
Freedom 88.4 80.6
Friendship 87.3 54.2
Financial Security 76.3 76.9
Generosity 75.8 36.6
Pleasure 69.6 76.1
Spiritual 59.5 29.4
Career Success 62.8 92.4
Material Wealth 27.4 67.8
11
Factor Analysis of Values Scales

• Social factor (family life, friendship,
  generosity, spiritual)
• Materialistic factor (material wealth, financial
  security, career, pleasure)
• Factor scores

12
Values and Life Satisfaction
Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life
Quartile Value Score Quartile Value Score Quartile Value Score Quartile Value Score Quartile Value Score
Low on Value Factor 2 3 High on Value Factor
Social Values 30.1 36.2 45.4 46.5 Plt.000
Material Values 38.6 37.4 38.7 43.4 ns
13
Distribution of Material Value Scores
14
Self-Reported Stress
15
Stress by Activity
16
Sources of Stress

• Kings
• Too many demands
• Too many hours
• Insufficient autonomy
• Interpersonal conflict

• Glace Bay
• Too few hours
• Risk
• Fear of layoffs

17
Stress and Employment

• More two-income families in Kings
• Two-income families much more highly stressed
  than one income families
• Two income families on Kings more highly stressed
  than in Glace Bay
• No differences between one-income families

18
Stress and Household Income
19
Percentage of workers willing to trade all or
part of a future pay increase for shorter work
hours
20
Health Status

• No significant difference in self-reported health
  status
• GB had higher rate of disabling pain
• May be attributable to higher rates of
  arthritis/rheumatism and back problems
• Strong relationship to income in both communities

21
Query

• If health status is income related and Glace bay
  has a much higher proportion of low income
  respondents, why isnt their overall health
  status lower than Kings?

22
Very good to excellent health
-20000 20-34999 35-49999 50-69999 70
GB 33 46 55 58 73
Kings 30 41 52 60 67
23
Health Status and Income

• Higher rates across most income groups in Glace
  Bay
• As a result, overall rates are equivalent despite
  the higher rates of low-income in Glace Bay and
  relationship between health and income

24
Chronic Disease

• Glace Bay had higher rates on a number of
  diseases after controlling for differences in age
  of the populations- high blood pressure (though
  not heart disease), bronchitis/emphysema,
  sinusitis, cancer, ulcers, diabetes and glaucoma.
  
•  Kings higher rate of allergies- food and
  non-food

25
Risk Factors

• No difference in obesity or sedentary lifestyles
  although Kings more likely to be physically
  active in leisure
• Glace Bay has significantly higher current smoke
  rate but lower ever-smoked rate
• Quit rate much higher in Kings County

26
Preventive Care
Blood Pressure Paps Breast Exam Mammogram
GB 76 45 35 40
Kings 74 47 45 64
Appear low Kings higher across all income grps Kings very high
27
Benefits
28
Benefits

• Part-time workers were less than half as likely
  to have most benefits
• Very strong relationship with income
• Particularly strong in Glace Bay- less than 5 of
  lowest income
• (-20,000) have benefits (12 to 30 in Kings)

29
Mental Health
Glace Bay Kings
2 symptoms 22 21
Depressed feelings 16 13
Childhood risk factors 33 33
Higher in females, young and lower incomes Higher in females, young and lower incomes Higher in females, young and lower incomes
30
Depressed feelings associated with child risk
factors
31
Decision Control
32
Spirituality

• Glace Bay had higher rates of self-reported
  spirituality and church attendance

33
Social Support
Glace Bay Kings Significant
Count on in crisis 95.5 94.4 No
Advice 94.6 91.6 Yes
Loved 96.8 94.7 Yes
Close relative 1/week 80.1 72.9 Yes
Neighbour 1/week 77.9 63.1 Yes
34
Voluntary
Glace Bay Kings Significance
Group or Organization 29.0 51.6 Yes
Not Group or Organization 52.1 59.3 Yes
Care-giving outside home 6.5 6.5 No
Strongly associated with life-satisfaction Strongly associated with life-satisfaction Strongly associated with life-satisfaction Strongly associated with life-satisfaction
35
Crime and Security

• Glace Bay reported higher levels of fear and
  concerns about crime despite being half as likely
  to have been victimized or to know someone who
  has been victimized.

36
Understanding the ecological footprint
Nova Scotia Income Quintile Income Quintile Income Quintile Income Quintile Income Quintile
Nova Scotia Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5
Footprint 6.2 6.6 7.0 8.1 10.7
37
(No Transcript)
38
Ecological Attitudes

• Large majority (80) believe their way of life
  produces too much waste and most of us consume
  more than we need
• Two-thirds believed they could consume less if
  they chose
• Stronger in Kings and among high income (81
  could consume less)

39
CONCLUSIONS
40
Levels of wellbeing similar?

• No significant difference in life-satisfaction
  between GB and Kings
• But GB more likely to believe that their
  life-satisfaction could be improved by improved
  material circumstances
• Therefore- more materialistic values

41
Great expectations?

• Already have rates of life-satisfaction that are
  similar to Kings
• Yet they expect a greater increase from improved
  determinants
• Does GB expect more from income gains than can be
  delivered?

42
Example of focusing illusion?

• When people consider the impact of any single
  factor on their wellbeing- not only income- they
  are prone to exaggerate its importance. We refer
  to this tendency as the focusing illusion
  Despite the weak relation between income and
  global life satisfaction or experienced
  happiness, many people are highly motivated to
  increase their income.
• Daniel Kahneman- Economist, Princeton University

43
Daniel Gilbert Stumbling on Happiness (2006)

• Economies thrive when individuals strive, but
  because individuals will only strive for their
  own happiness, it is essential that they
  mistakenly believe that producing and consuming
  are routes to personal wellbeing

44
Stresses reflect local realities

• Kings
• Higher stress
• Too much work
• Two-income families (more of them and more highly
  stressed than GB)
• 25 would trade increases for less time
• Unemployment more stressful

• Glace Bay
• Too little work
• Job insecurity
• 14 would trade increases for less time
• Both employment and unemployment are less
  stressful

45
Value Alienation?

• Large majority of respondents in both
  communities believe they are socially motivated
  individuals living in a materialistic society.

46
Wellbeing and Values

• Positive social values intrinsically related
  positive wellbeing while materialistic values
  were not
• Consistent with growing research literature

47
Health Status

• Similar in self-rated health
• GB has more self-reported health problems
• Similar in risk factors except GB higher smoking
  rates
• Due to lower quit rates

48
Health Status and Income

• Higher levels of self-rated health in Glace Bay
  after controlling for income differences
• Overall ratings are similar, despite differences
  in income distribution

49
Mental Health

• Similar rates in GB and Kings
• Highest rates of problems among females, young
  people and low income

50
Social Capital

• GB higher rates of spirituality and social
  support
• GB less likely to volunteer (formally or
  informally)
• GB higher rate of fear of crime despite lower
  victimization

51
Glace Bay

• High levels of wellbeing in GB, despite economic
  insecurities, probably due to strengths on other
  determinants- particularly spirituality and
  social support- and lower levels of stress and
  higher decision control
• But greater expectations from improved economic
  conditions

52
Kings County

• Higher income and economic security partially due
  to higher rate of two-income families- at the
  cost of higher rates of stress

53
Values and alienation

• Both see themselves as socially motivated but
  living in a materialistic society
• Positive social values associated with higher
  life-satisfaction
• Conflict between consumption and ecological
  attitudes

54
Surprises

• Higher fear of crime and lower rates of
  volunteerism in GB
• Both associated with community connectiveness