Life Satisfaction Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand

Abstract

Objective: To investigate prevalence of life satisfaction in the Thai population before and during the COVID-19 epidemic, and factors associated with life satisfaction during the epidemic.Methods: Multistage sampling was used to draw a sample from the Thai population. A total of 3,115 Thai participants age 15 years or older from a nationally-representative longitudinal survey in 2019 and in 2021 were included in this study. The study applied the Scale with Life Satisfaction (SWLS) instrument to measure life satisfaction among the Thai population before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the association between life satisfaction and other variables. The follow-up survey response rate for individuals was 44.8%.Results: An average life satisfaction score during the COVID-19 epidemic (in 2021) was 22.4 which decreased from 25.5 before the COVID-19 epidemic (in 2019). More than one-third of the participants (36.5%) reported having less life satisfaction during the epidemic, which was nearly 20 percentage points higher than before the epidemic (17.7%). Controlling for life satisfaction in 2019, the analysis found statistical associations between demographic and economic characteristics and health-related behaviours, and life satisfaction during 2021. People in the older age cohorts (p ≤ 0.001), in a rural area (p ≤ 0.05), having higher education (p ≤ 0.001), still being employed (p ≤ 0.01) and becoming unemployed (p ≤ 0.01) had higher life satisfaction. The possibility of higher life satisfaction was also found in people who maintained good health (p ≤ 0.01), sufficient physical activity (p ≤ 0.001), and fruit and vegetable intake (p ≤ 0.01). People with income loss during the epidemic had lower life satisfaction (p ≤ 0.05).Conclusion: The findings suggest that policies and systems for resilience and social protection are needed for empowering individuals—especially the poor and vulnerable—to cope with crises, and improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

Happiness amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: exploring gender, residence type, and pandemic severity

“…The study highlighted health risks and job security as primary concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Phulkerd et al (2023) reported that Thai adults had an average life satisfaction score of 22.4 during the 2021 COVID-19 epidemic, down from 25.5 before the pandemic in 2019 on a 5-35-point scale.…”

COVID-19 Patients' Experiences during the Pandemic: A Phenomenology Study

“…The Thai Ministry of Public Health [11] implemented many rules to plan, support, and prevent the spread of the pandemic in Thailand. Multiple scholarly articles originating from Thailand have documented the encounters of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, as well as patients, inside the setting of hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic [12][13][14]. For instance, Pumipak et al [15] conducted telephone interviews with individuals suffering from moderate to severe COVID-19 infections and receiving outpatient care in Bangkok, focusing on symptom experience and perceived health status.…”