Transcript Document

Wellbeing in Two Nova
Scotia Communities
Halifax
June 2008
Mike Pennock
Martha Pennock
Ron Colman
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

Contrasting Communities
Glace Bay
 Older industrial
area
 Mining and
primary industries
 History of
economic
instability
Kings County
 Diversified
economy
 Agriculture
 Manufacturing
 Government
 Economic Stability
Samples


Glace Bay respondents had higher rate
of unemployment and lower incomes
Kings had higher proportion married
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
<$20,000
28
14
Life-Satisfaction
GB
Kings
ChiSquare
Very
Satisfied
40.3
39.4
Somewhat
Satisfied
50.3
53.4
2.24
df=2
P<.32
Dissatisfied
9.3
8.2
Potential for Improved
Satisfaction
% who would be more satisfied
if:
Glace Bay
Kings
p
More time with family and
friends
29.1
23.2
P<.001
Less stress
39.0
31.2
P<.001
Make a difference to
community
11.7
8.7
P<.001
More money
24.7
14.5
P<.001
More Possessions
8.7
3.3
P<.001
Financially secure
38.8
25.5
P<.001
Percent Reporting They Are Very Satisfied
With Life
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
-20,000
2034,999
3549,999
5069,999
70,000
Glace Bay
25.5
43
35.4
50.2
57.8
Kings
33.2
36.5
34.4
39.3
49.3
Glace Bay
Kings
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
P<.000
Generosity
78.4
73.4
P<.000
Pleasure
70.8
68.6
NS
Spiritual
67.2
52.5
P<.000
Career Success
68
58.3
P<.000
Material Wealth
32.4
22.8
P<.000
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
Factor Analysis of Values
Scales
Social factor (family life, friendship,
generosity, spiritual)
 Materialistic factor (material wealth,
financial security, career, pleasure)
 Factor scores

Values and Life Satisfaction
% Describing Self as Very Satisfied With Life
Quartile Value Score
Low on
Value
Factor
2
3
High on
Value
Factor
Social
Values
30.1
36.2
45.4
46.5
P<.000
Material
Values
38.6
37.4
38.7
43.4
ns
Distribution of Material
Value Scores
30
25
20
%
15
respondents
10
GB
Kings
5
0
Low
2
3
High
Self-Reported Stress
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
GB
Kings
Very
Somewhat
Not very
Not At All
0
Retired
Homemakers
Students
Unemployed
Employed
Stress by Activity
80
70
60
50
40
30
GB
Kings
20
10
Sources of Stress
Kings
 Too many
demands
 Too many hours
 Insufficient
autonomy
 Interpersonal
conflict




Glace Bay
Too few hours
Risk
Fear of layoffs
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

Stress and Household
Income
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
70,000+
5069,999
3549,999
2034,999
-20
GB
Kings
Percentage of workers willing to trade all or
part of a future pay increase for shorter work
hours
30
25
24.3
20
14.3
15
10
5
0
Kings
Glace Bay
Health Status
No significant difference in selfreported 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

Query

If health status is income related
and Glace bay has a much higher
proportion of low income
respondents, why isn’t their overall
health status lower than Kings?
Very good to excellent
health
-20000 2034999
3549999
5069999
70+
GB
33
46
55
58
73
Kings
30
41
52
60
67
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

Chronic Disease


Glace Bay had higher rates on a number
of diseases after controlling for
differences in age of the populationshigh blood pressure (though not heart
disease), bronchitis/emphysema,
sinusitis, cancer, ulcers, diabetes and
glaucoma.
Kings higher rate of allergies- food and
non-food
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 eversmoked rate
 Quit rate much higher in Kings
County

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
Benefits
80
70
60
50
GB
Kings
40
30
20
10
0
Pension
Health
Dental
Sick
Vacation
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)

Mental Health
Glace Bay
2+ symptoms 22%
Kings
21%
Depressed
16%
13%
feelings
Childhood
33%
33%
risk factors
Higher in females, young and lower
incomes
% with depression
Depressed feelings associated
with child risk factors
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
GB
Kings
0
1
# factors
2+
Decision Control
70
60
50
40
GB
Kings
30
20
10
0
No or a few
Most
All
Spirituality

Glace Bay had higher rates of selfreported spirituality and church
attendance
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 80.1
1/week
72.9
Yes
Neighbour
1/week
63.1
Yes
77.9
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
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.
Understanding the
ecological footprint
Nova Scotia
Footprint
Income Quintile
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
6.2
6.6
7.0
8.1
10.7
Household income
$/year
Average
Number of
Vehicles
per
Household
Average
Kms./
Vehicle/
Year
Household
Kms Per
Year
Average Individual
Commuting Distance to
Work for all commuting
members of the
household
20,000
1.0
17,777
13,772
14.4
20,000 to 34,999
1.4
19,268
22,629
12.9
35,000 to 49,999
1.5
20,861
27,530
16.4
50,000 to 69,999
1.8
20,966
34,665
14.4
70,000+
2.0
22,600
40,384
15.9
Total
1.6
20,853
28,916
15.1
-
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)

CONCLUSIONS
Levels of wellbeing similar?
No significant difference in lifesatisfaction 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

Great expectations?
Already have rates of lifesatisfaction 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?

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
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”
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
Value Alienation?
Large majority of
respondents in both
communities believe they are
socially motivated individuals
living in a materialistic
society.
Wellbeing and Values
Positive social values intrinsically
related positive wellbeing while
materialistic values were not
 Consistent with growing research
literature

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

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

Mental Health
Similar rates in GB and Kings
 Highest rates of problems among
females, young people and low
income

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

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

Kings County

Higher income and economic
security partially due to higher rate
of two-income families- at the cost
of higher rates of stress
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

Surprises
Higher fear of crime and lower rates
of volunteerism in GB
 Both associated with community
connectiveness
