Satisfaction with life scale analyses among healthy people, people with noncommunicable diseases and people with disabilities

Abstract

Background. A satisfactory professional and social life of disabled and people with noncommunicable diseases depends on their life satisfaction (LS), which should be understood as a subjective assessment of their past and current life situation, as well as prospects for the future. Objectives. The aim of this study was to analyze the LS status using SWLS among healthy people, people with noncommunicable diseases and people with disabilities and compare SWLS scores within three evaluated groups. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 2015 and 2016 in Slovakia. It involved three population groups (n = 1144), which were recruited for the study: healthy people (HP; n = 313) people with noncommunicable diseases (PwNCDs; n = 351) and people with disabilities (PwDs; n = 480). The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) study was used. Results. The overall SWLS score of the evaluated groups demonstrate that HP presented the highest LS (24.24), and PwDs the lowest LS (21.05). PwNCDs are significantly more satisfied with their life than PwDs (p < 0.01), and if PwNCDs could live their life over, they would change almost nothing (p < 0.05). The mean score of assessed LS statements pointed to a higher LS of PwNCDs, as they declared higher LS in all five statements, and the mean total score also showedg significantly higher LS in PwNCDs compared to PwDs (22.27 vs 21.05; p < 0.01). Conclusions. Social relationships through appropriate physical activities and an active social life are extremely important for people with NCDs and disabilities, as they contribute to reducing their levels of social exclusion and isolation, which can lead to episodes of depression, stress, loneliness and consequent deterioration of health conditions.