[Factors associated with present and future well-being: The Japanese Civil Servants Study].

Abstract

Objectives　In contemporary society, attention is increasingly being directed toward individual and societal happiness and well-being. Numerous studies have examined the components of, and factors related to, happiness from various perspectives and have informed practical initiatives; however, most studies have focused on analyzing the factors that are associated with current happiness or life satisfaction. Few studies have explored how current perceptions relate to past levels of happiness or the future outlook. Therefore, this study aimed to 1) identify the factors that are associated with current life satisfaction and 2) examine the relationship between current factors and the anticipated future life satisfaction.Methods　Data from 3628 civil servants (2,070 men and 1,558 women, average age: 46.0 and 39.4 years, respectively) were analyzed. A total of 3,656 civil servants who participated in the sixth wave of the Japanese Civil Servant Study (response rate: 80.7%) were included in this analysis. Life satisfaction was used as an indicator of well-being. The sex- and age group-stratified distributions of current and future life satisfaction scores were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance. Furthermore, the differences between the current and future life satisfaction scores for each independent variable were examined using Welch's t-tests and one-way analysis of variance. Finally, multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the predictive factors of current and future life satisfaction.Results　The univariate analysis revealed differences in life satisfaction scores for most variables that were used in both the current and future assessments. In multivariate analysis, even after adjusting for past life satisfaction, both individual factors, such as being unmarried and depressive symptoms, and environmental factors, such as dissatisfaction with the workplace environment and work- or family-related stress, showed associations with current life satisfaction in both men and women. In contrast, for future life satisfaction, even after adjusting for current life satisfaction, frequent feelings of loneliness and a compulsive work style were identified as commonly associated factors in both men and women.Conclusion　Although factors such as marital status and family conflict were strongly associated with current life satisfaction, they were not related to predictions of future life satisfaction. In contrast, frequent feelings of loneliness and a compulsive work style were identified as distinct factors that were strongly associated with the future outlook. Although further verification through longitudinal studies is necessary, the identification of factors that are associated with current and predicted future life satisfaction constitutes an important finding.