Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Measures that increase social equality are effective in improving life satisfaction in times of economic crisis

Authors: Jocelyne Clench-Aas, Arne Holte

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The financial crisis of 2008/2009, for some also in 2011, was accompanied by increasing social inequality and unemployment, which strained the welfare generosity systems in many countries. Welfare generosity redistributes internal resources to decrease poverty and increase equal opportunities. This was used by many countries to combat the crisis. We investigated the effects of increased social inequality, unemployment and welfare generosity on life satisfaction (LS) before and after the crisis.

Methods

A representative sample from the European Social Survey (2002 to 2014) with data from 26 countries was used (N = 301,559). Time from start of crisis (either 2008 or 2010–2012) was determined separately for each case. LS was measured with a single question with 11 response alternatives. Social inequality was measured using the Gini index. Unemployment was measured by a single question (No/Yes). Welfare generosity was measured using expenditure on social protection (PPS) per inhabitant (Eurostat). Data were analyzed by multilevel analysis and multilevel mediation analysis.

Results

Welfare generosity was associated with decreased levels of social inequality. The negative relationship between social inequality and LS was weakened when controlling for welfare generosity after the financial crisis. This effect of welfare generosity was not seen for the negative impact of unemployment on LS.

Conclusion

The financial crisis stimulated the use of welfare generosity in Europe and strengthened the positive relationship between welfare generosity and LS. Social inequality, unemployment and welfare generosity played significant mediator roles between the crisis and LS, with increased welfare generosity far more strongly associated with increased LS. Measures that increase social equality in a country and thereby increase equal opportunity for all social classes, may be assumed to be effective in improving the general LS of the population in a country in times of economic crisis.
Literature
1.
Clench-Aas J, Holte A. The financial crisis in Europe: impact on satisfaction with life. Scand J Public Health. 2017;45(18_suppl):30–40.CrossRef
2.
Deaton A. The financial crisis and the well-being of Americans 2011 OEP Hicks lecture. Oxf Econ Pap. 2012;64(1):1–26.CrossRef
3.
Bresser-Pereira LC. The global financial crisis and a new capitalism? J Post Keynesian Econ. 2010;32(4):499–534.CrossRef
4.
Drennan MP. Income inequality: not your usual suspect in understanding the financial crash and great recession. Theor Inq Law. 2017;18(1):97–110.
5.
Fligstein N, Rucks-Ahidiana Z. The Rich Got Richer: The Effects of the Financial Crisis on Household Well-Being, 2007–2009. Res Sociol Work. 2016;28:155–85.
6.
Goda T, Onaran Ö, Stockhammer E. Income inequality and wealth concentration in the recent crisis. Dev Chang. 2017;48(1):3–27.CrossRef
7.
Treeck T. Did inequality cause the US financial crisis? J Econ Surv. 2014;28(3):421–48.CrossRef
8.
Darvas Z, Wolff GB: An anatomy of inclusive growth in Europe. Bruegel Blueprint 26, October 2016; 2016.
9.
Leoni T. Social investment: a guiding principle for welfare state adjustment after the crisis? Empirica. 2016;43(4):831–58.CrossRef
10.
Kotz DM. The financial and economic crisis of 2008: a systemic crisis of neoliberal capitalism. Rev Radical Polit Econ. 2009;41(3):305–17.CrossRef
11.
Stuckler D, Basu S. The body economic: why austerity kills. New York: Allen Lane; 2013.
12.
Esping-Andersen G. Welfare states in transition: national adaptations in global economies. London: Sage; 1996.
13.
Haller M, Hadler M. How social relations and structures can produce happiness and unhappiness: an international comparative analysis. Soc Indic Res. 2006;75(2):169–216.CrossRef
14.
Ovaska T, Takashima R. Economic policy and the level of self-perceived well-being: an international comparison. J Socio Econ. 2006;35(2):308–25.CrossRef
15.
Hajdu T, Hajdu G. Are more equal societies happier? Subjective well-being, income inequality, and redistribution. In: IEHAS Discussion Papers; 2013.
16.
Keeley B. Income inequality: the gap between rich and poor. In: OECD insights. Paris: OECD; 2015.
17.
Wilkinson RG, Pickett K. The spirit level: why more equal societies almost always do better. London: Penguin; 2009.
18.
Wilkinson R, Pickett K. The spirit level: why equality is better for everyone. UK: Penguin; 2010.
19.
Cingano F: Trends in income inequality and its impact on economic growth. 2014.
20.
Ngamaba KH, Panagioti M, Armitage CJ. Income inequality and subjective well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Qual Life Res. 2017;27(3):577–96.CrossRef
21.
Oishi S, Kesebir S, Diener E. Income inequality and happiness. Psychol Sci. 2011;22(9):1095–100.CrossRef
22.
Pickett KE, Wilkinson RG. Income inequality and health: a causal review. Soc Sci Med. 2015;128:316–26.CrossRef
23.
Rözer J, Kraaykamp G. Income inequality and subjective well-being: a cross-national study on the conditional effects of individual and national characteristics. Soc Indic Res. 2013;113(3):1009–23.CrossRef
24.
Zagorski K, Evans MD, Kelley J, Piotrowska K. Does national income inequality affect individuals’ quality of life in Europe? Inequality, happiness, finances, and health. Soc Indic Res. 2014;117(3):1089–110.CrossRef
25.
Schneider SM. Income inequality and subjective wellbeing: trends, challenges, and research directions. J Happiness Stud. 2016;17(4):1719–39.CrossRef
26.
Dolan P, Peasgood T, White M. Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being. J Econ Psychol. 2008;29(1):94–122.CrossRef
27.
Pittau MG, Zelli R, Gelman A. Economic disparities and life satisfaction in European regions. Soc Indic Res. 2010;96(2):339–61.CrossRef
28.
Luhmann M, Hofmann W, Eid M, Lucas RE. Subjective well-being and adaptation to life events: a meta-analysis on differences between cognitive and affective well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2012;102(3):592–615.CrossRef
29.
Karanikolos M, Mladovsky P, Cylus J, Thomson S, Basu S, Stuckler D, Mackenbach JP, McKee M. Financial crisis, austerity, and health in Europe. Lancet. 2013;381(9874):1323–31.CrossRef
30.
Li Y. Social mobility, social network and subjective well-being in the UK. Contemp Soc Sci. 2016;11(2-3):222–37.CrossRef
31.
Clark A, D’Angelo E. Upward social mobility, well-being and political preferences: evidence from the BHPS: Working paper. France: The Paris School of Economics; 2010.
32.
Stiglitz JE, Sen A, Fitoussi J-P. Mismeasuring our lives: why GDP doesn’t add up. New York: The New Press; 2010.
33.
Ryan RM, Deci EL. On happiness and human potentials: a review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001;52(1):141–66.CrossRef
34.
Diener E, Inglehart R, Tay L. Theory and validity of life satisfaction scales. Soc Indic Res. 2013;112(3):497–527.CrossRef
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
Eurostat. In: Eurostat, editor. Social protection statistics; 2017.
40.
Dahl E, van der Wel KA. Educational inequalities in health in European welfare states: a social expenditure approach. Soc Sci Med. 2013;81:60–9.CrossRef
41.
Gilbert N. The least generous welfare state? A case of blind empiricism. J Comp Policy Anal. 2009;11(3):355–67.
42.
Saltkjel T, Malmberg-Heimonen I. Welfare generosity in Europe: a multi-level study of material deprivation and income poverty among disadvantaged groups. Soc Policy Adm. 2017;51(7):1287-1310.CrossRef
43.
44.
Field A. Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4th edition). London: Sage; 2013.
45.
Rockwood NJ, Hayes AF. MLmed: an SPSS macro for multilevel mediation and conditional process analysis. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Psychological Science (APS), Boston, MA; 2017.
46.
Ifanti AA, Argyriou AA, Kalofonou FH, Kalofonos HP. Financial crisis and austerity measures in Greece: their impact on health promotion policies and public health care. Health Policy. 2013;113(1):8–12.CrossRef
47.
Stuckler D, Basu S, Suhrcke M, Coutts A, McKee M. The public health effect of economic crises and alternative policy responses in Europe: an empirical analysis. Lancet. 2009;374(9686):315–23.CrossRef
48.
Stuckler D, Basu S, Suhrcke M, Coutts A, McKee M. Effects of the 2008 recession on health: a first look at European data. Lancet. 2011;378(9786):124–5.CrossRef
49.
Stiglitz JE. 8. Inequality and economic growth. Polit Q. 2015;86(S1):134–55.CrossRef
50.
Nikolai R. Towards social investment? Patterns of public policy in the OECD world. In: Towards a social investment welfare state; 2012. p. 91–116.
51.
Stiglitz JE, Sen A, Fitoussi J-P. Report by the commission on the measurement of economic performance and social progress. Paris: Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress; 2010.
52.
Diener E, Seligman ME. Beyond money toward an economy of well-being. Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2004;5(1):1–31.CrossRef
53.
Fredrikson BL. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol. 2001;56(3):218–26.CrossRef
54.
Lyubomirsky S, King L, Diener E. The benefits of frequent positive affect: does happiness lead to success? Psychol Bull. 2005;131(6):803–55.CrossRef
55.
Lyubomirsky S, Sheldon KM, Schkade D. Pursuing happiness: the architecture of sustainable change. Rev Gen Psychol. 2005;9(2):111.CrossRef
56.
Diener E, Chan MY. Happy people live longer: subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2011;3(1):1–43.CrossRef
57.
Tay L, Kuykendall L, Diener E. Satisfaction and happiness–the bright side of quality of life. In: Global handbook of quality of life. Netherland: Springer; 2015. p. 839–53.
Metadata
Title
Measures that increase social equality are effective in improving life satisfaction in times of economic crisis
Authors
Jocelyne Clench-Aas
Arne Holte
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6076-3

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

BMC Public Health 1/2018 Go to the issue

Research article

Health promotion initiatives at school related to overweight, insulin resistance, hypertension and dyslipidemia in adolescents: a cross-sectional study in Recife, Brazil

Retraction Note

Retraction Note: Inequities in coverage of smokefree space policies within the United States

Research article

Challenges of achieving sustainable community health services for community case management of malaria

Research article

Family lifestyle dynamics and childhood obesity: evidence from the millennium cohort study

Research article

Parent and household influences on calcium intake among early adolescents

Research article

Disease-specific health literacy, disease knowledge, and adherence behavior among patients with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan