Table 1.
Demographic characteristics and Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) scores of the study sample aged ≥15 years in Hong Kong
| Variables | N (%) | Mean SHS (SEa) | Top quartile of SHSb (%) | Chi-squareb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participants | 2,635 | 5.07 (1.05) | 593 | |
| Men | 1,150 (43.6) | 5.05 (1.06)c | 236 (20.5) | 4.63* |
| Women | 1,485 (56.4) | 5.09 (1.05) | 357 (24.0) | |
| Age group | ||||
| 15–24 | 306 (11.6) | 5.00 (1.03)c | 62 (20.3) | 14.29** |
| 25–44 | 803 (30.5) | 5.02 (1.00) | 150 (18.7) | |
| 45–64 | 933 (35.4) | 5.12 (1.01) | 224 (24.0) | |
| 65+ | 593 (22.5) | 5.09 (1.18) | 157 (26.5) | |
| Marital status | ||||
| Never married | 670 (25.5) | 4.76 (1.01) | 115 (17.2) | 22.60*** |
| Married | 1,517 (57.7) | 5.06 (1.01)* | 375 (24.7) | |
| Widowed | 257 (9.8) | 4.80 (1.02) | 70 (27.2) | |
| Divorced/separated | 184 (7.0) | 4.77 (1.02)c | 31 (16.8) | |
| Education levels | ||||
| Primary or less | 798 (30.5) | 4.85 (1.01)c | 209 (26.2) | 9.82*** |
| Secondary | 1,245 (47.2) | 5.00 (1.01)* | 270 (21.7) | |
| Tertiary or above | 573 (21.7) | 4.98 (1.01) | 111 (19.4) | |
| Job status | ||||
| Full-time worker | 1,120 (42.5) | 5.01 (1.01)c | 244 (21.8) | 2.88 |
| Full-time student | 215 (8.2) | 4.95 (1.02) | 41 (19.1) | |
| Others | 1,300 (49.3) | 4.88 (1.01) | 308 (23.7) | |
| Persons in household | ||||
| 1 (living alone) | 532 (20.2) | 4.74 (1.01)c | 121 (22.7) | 5.26 |
| 2 | 739 (28.0) | 4.92 (1.01)* | 178 (24.1) | |
| 3 | 603 (22.9) | 4.99 (1.01)* | 128 (21.2) | |
| 4 | 574 (21.8) | 5.06 (1.01)* | 116 (20.2) | |
| 5+ | 187 (7.1) | 5.05 (1.02)* | 50 (26.7) | |
| Level of depressive symptomd | ||||
| Minimal (0–4) | 2,143 (81.3) | 5.16 (1.00)c | 547 (25.5) | 69.67* |
| Mild and above (5–27) | 492 (18.7) | 4.06 (1.01)*** | 46 (9.3) | |
| Religious affiliation (%) | ||||
| No | 1,764 (66.9) | 4.93 (1.01)c | 370 (21.0) | 7.06** |
| Yes | 871 (33.1) | 4.94 (1.01) | 223 (25.6) | |
| Household income per head (HK$e/month) | ||||
| No income or ≤2,500 | 484 (18.4) | 4.84 (1.01)c | 101 (20.9) | 12.22* |
| 2,501–5,000 | 854 (32.4) | 4.86 (1.01) | 191 (22.4) | |
| 5,001–10,000 | 643 (24.4) | 4.99 (1.01) | 130 (20.2) | |
| 10,001–20,000 | 325 (12.3) | 5.08 (1.01)* | 81 (24.9) | |
| >20,000 | 149 (5.7) | 5.19 (1.02)* | 49 (32.9) | |
* p < 0.05 for the comparison with the reference group and adjusted for sex and age; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001
aSE = standard error with exception of standard deviation for participants, men, women, and age group
bTop quartile of the Subjective Happiness Scale (range, 6–7) were classified as “happy” [10]. Chi-square test for top quartile versus other three quartiles
cReference group
dMeasured by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); scores range from 0 to 27, scores ≥5 indicating with mild or above level of depressive symptom
e7.8HK$ = 1 US$