Happiness Among Malaysian Adolescents: The Role of Sociodemographic Factors and Everyday Events

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how sociodemographic factors and everyday events are related to adolescent’s happiness in Malaysia. A total of 1,766 adolescents from 20 secondary schools in peninsular Malaysia completed a questionnaire on demographic background information and Malay version of Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. Participants were also requested to identify everyday events that made them happy in the last 6 months. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was run to determine effects of gender, ethnicity, religion, and location on happiness. None of the main effects and interactions were significant. Correlation analysis revealed that household income, income of father, education of father, education of mother, and academic performance were significantly associated with adolescent’s happiness. Analysis of the everyday events that were reported to induce happiness suggested these events as related to domains considered salient in an adolescent’s life, including family, friends, and school. Everyday events are also related to intentional activities. Findings provide better understanding of the key demographic factors and everyday events that contribute to happiness of adolescents in Malaysia. Findings particularly suggest the importance of intentional activities in increasing happiness among adolescents.