The Relationship between Living Environment and Satisfaction with Life in Residents of Rasht, Iran

Background: Satisfaction with life indicates an individual’s overall evaluation of life, affected by a range of factors. This study aimed to identify and introduce the indices of living environment that affect satisfaction with life.Methods: In total, 1000 residents of 55 neighborhoods of Rasht, Iran were selected by analytica l crosssectional method. Data were collected using two questionnaires, including residents’ characteristics and Diener’s satisfaction with life and living environment indices, which is part of the social capital questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, statistical tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent t-test, ANOVA and linear regression.Results: In this study, the subjects had an average level of satisfaction with life (M: 19.41±7.63, score range: 5-35). In addition, correlation analysis revealed that facilities of the living environment, physical and social environment and satisfaction with living in the local area were positively associated with better satisfaction with life. On the other hand, the regression analysis identified satisfaction with facilities, satisfaction with living in the local area and marital status (married compared to divorced) as the main predictors of higher satisfaction with life.Conclusion: In transitional countries, particularly those with different social and cultural situations, identifying the main determinants of satisfaction with life is of paramount importance in prevention of non-communicable diseases and improvement of community health status.

Keywords:

Satisfaction with Life , Physical Environment , Social Environment