Income Inequality, Country-Level Social Support, Gender Inequality and Gender Differences in Children’s Subjective WellBeing : a Multilevel Cross-National Study

Patrick CHANDA*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Other Conference ContributionsConference Paper (other)Other Conference Paperpeer-review

Abstract

Prior research suggests that family, school and community variables largely influence children’s subjective wellbeing. However, previous research has not largely shown whether individual- and country-level variables are significant determinants of children’s subjective well-being across countries . Therefore, the aim of the present study was to: 1) examine gender differences in children’s subjective well-being; 2) investigate whether gender inequality relates to gender differences in children’s subjective well-being; 3) explore how income inequality relates to children’s subjective well-being; and 4) examine whether country-level social support moderates the associations of income and gender inequalities with children’s subjective well-being . The study merged individual data from 2013/14 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Survey with country-level data from the United Nations Development Programme and International Labour Organisation . Multilevel binary logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships between variables . There were significant gender differences in children’s subjective well-being across countries . Girls had lower subjective well-being than boys . Greater gender inequality was associated with larger gender differences in children’s subjective well-being . Additionally, higher income inequality was associated with lower children’s subjective well-being . Moreover, the study found that social protection, human development index (HDI) and inequality-adjusted human development index (IHDI) moderated the influence of gender inequality on children’s subjective well-being . Similarly, social protection and IHDI buffered the effects of income inequality on children’s subjective well-being. However, HDI didn’t moderate the influence of income inequality on children’s subjective well-being. Higher levels of income inequality significantly lead to lower subjective well-being for adolescents across countries . Greater gender inequality is largely associated with lower subjective well-being and gendered patterns in children’s subjective well-being. The effects of economic and gender inequalities on children’s subjective well-being are mitigated in countries with higher social support . Thus, social policy should target social inequalities and societal factors that influence children’s well-being.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 29 Jun 2023
EventXX ISA World Congress of Sociology: Resurgent Authoritarianism: The Sociology of New Entanglements of Religions, Politics, and Economies - Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia
Duration: 25 Jun 20231 Jul 2023
Conference number: XX
https://www.isa-sociology.org/en/conferences/world-congress/melbourne-2023

Conference

ConferenceXX ISA World Congress of Sociology: Resurgent Authoritarianism: The Sociology of New Entanglements of Religions, Politics, and Economies
Abbreviated titleISA 2023 World Congress
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityMelbourne
Period25/06/231/07/23
Internet address

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