Factors Affecting of Lifes Happiness

Totok Wahyu Abadi

, Ilmi Usrotin Choiriyah

, Hendra Sukmana

, and Mohamad Hatta Karuniawan

Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, Sidoarjo, Indonesia

Public Policy Study Program, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia

ilmiusrotin@umsida.ac.id

Keywords: Lifes happines, family harmony, spare time, and home with assets.

Abstract: One measure of development implementation is the level of social welfare that can be measured

objectively and subjectively. Subjectively, measuring the society welfare can be done through the

level of lifes happiness. The purpose of this study to describe the happiness levels of society and

the factors that influence happiness. Through 423 respondents as a sample, this explanative

quantitative research was conducted in Sidoarjo Regency. The analysis technique used is

multiple linier regression. The results show that the happiness level of Sidoarjo people in 2017 is

78.58. It is categorized happy. Factors affecting of the life happiness are health, safety, family

harmony, use of leisure time, owned house and its assets, and affection. Contribution of influence

of these six factors are 59,8%. The government must evaluate, formulate, and improve policies

continuously related to improve of life happiness.

1 INTRODUCTION

Surveys conducted on Central Statistics Agency lifes

happiness in Indonesia in 2014 showed that the

Indonesian people happiness index of 68.28 (Central

Bureau of Statistics, 2015). In 2017, Indonesian

people happiness index rose to 70.69 (Central

Bureau of Statistics, 2017). In East Java the index of

public happiness in 2014 is 68.70 (Central Bureau of

Statistics, 2015) and 2017 index of happiness life of

the population of 70.77 (Central Bureau of Statistics,

2018). The increase in index value indicates that the

Indonesian people are happier. The happiness index

is based on a composite of community satisfaction

on education, health, employment, income,

environmental conditions, security conditions,

leisure time availability, social relations with the

surrounding environment, home ownership and

assets, and family harmony.

Wenas (2015) says that socioeconomic status has

a low correlation with one's happiness. It's the same

with revenue. Revenues measured only from income

in the form of money, at some point, tend to cause

dissatisfaction in life (Seligman, 2002). In some rich

countries such as Canada, Qatar, and Brunei with

high prosperity and high population revenues are not

even categorized as a happy country life of the

population. Precisely countries in Latin America,

according to a survey of Gallup Inc., including the

country with the happiest populations (Suyanto,

2015). There are two components that could

determine whether or not a person happy, namely

the state of mind and inner atmosphere. The same is

also conveyed by Diener (1985) and Carr (2004) that

one's happiness is influenced by two factors, namely

cognitive and affective. The state of mind refers to

one's satisfaction in assessing the life lived. While

the inner atmosphere refers to feeling happy,

romantic, and likes. The inner atmosphere can be

either positive or negative emotions like depression

and anxiety. Seligman (2002) describes eight

external factors that affect individual happiness. The

eight factors are money, marriage, social life, health,

religion, positive emotions (e.g. fun, curiosity, love,

pride), age, and education, climate, race, and gender.

Puspitorini (2012) explains that the happiness of

individuals can be caused by positive activities such

as health, prosperity, friendship, knowledge and

virtue. Rahayu (2016) in her study of the

determination of happiness says that happiness in

Indonesia is influenced by income, level of

education achieved, satisfaction on perceived health,

and social capital. While social capital associated

with religion and ethnicity has no effect on one's

happiness.

Abadi, T., Choiriyah, I., Sukmana, H. and Karuniawan, M.

Factors Affecting of Lifes Happiness.

In Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (ANCOSH 2018) - Revitalization of Local Wisdom in Global and Competitive Era, pages 41-45

ISBN: 978-989-758-343-8

The measurement of people's welfare is not only

based on the material form (welfare being-well /

property), but also on happiness. Starting from the

exposure of this study aims to measure the factors

that affect the happiness of community life in

Sidoarjo regency. The novelty of this research are

factor affecting to lifes happiness include health,

safety in the environment, household harmonious,

leisure time, the fulfillment of household needs

along with ownership of home amenities, and enjoy

the atmosphere of joy and pleasure.

2 METHOD

This quantitative study takes data base in 322

villages in Sidoarjo regency. The smallest unit to be

sampled is 423 villagers. It can be shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Sampling of life happiness index in Sidoarjo

Regency.

Sub-

District

Total

Village

Population

Sample

Buduran

Sub-

district

23.269

Gedangan

Sub-

district

134.802

Jabon Sub-

district

11.764

Prambon

Sub-

district

21.098

Sidoarjo

Sub-

district

52.905

Sedati

Sub-

district

16.041

Sukodono

Sub-

district

20.952

Tanggulan

gin Sub-

district

21.378

Tarik Sub-

district

18.964

10.

Waru Sub-

district

66.360

11.

Wonoayu

Sub-

district

22.282

12.

Porong

Sub-

district

21.846

13.

Balongben

do Sub-

district

70.452

14.

Candi

Sub-

district

42.285

15.

Krembung

Sub-

district

19.240

16.

Krian Sub-

district

39.792

17.

Taman

Sub-

district

57742

18.

Tulangan

Sub-

district

26876

TOTAL

353

688.048

423

Sampling is done by using simple random

sampling technique. Data obtained through the

distribution of questionnaires to a number of

respondents who have been determined. The

variables used in the preparation of the questionnaire

include education, health, employment, income,

environmental conditions, security, domestic

harmony, social relations, leisure time availability,

home ownership and facilities, transportation,

affection, and happiness. Questionnaire answer is

prepared using block technique and differential

semantic scale.

Each statement in the questionnaire tested the

level of validity and reliability. The result of the

validity test shows that all items of statement in

questionnaire including valid with score greater than

critical R (0,30). Reliability of research instruments

showed a score of 0.920 which means very reliable.

The nature of the data to be analyzed is also in

normal condition and free from autocorrelation,

multicollinearity, and heteroscedasticity. Analyzing

this research data using multiple linear regression

through backward method.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

What is meant by the lifes happiness in this study is

the atmosphere of mind and mind Sidoarjo people

individually in enjoying the sustenance and

enjoyment gained in daily life. The indicators used

for subjective measurement is 1) education, 3)

health, 3) work, 4) income, 5) the state of the

environment, 6) security, 7) harmony in the

household, 8) social relations, 9) the availability of

free time, 10) home ownership and existing

facilities, 11) transportation, and 12) affection. The

happiness rate of Sidoarjo people lives in 2016 is

ANCOSH 2018 - Annual Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities

77,11 (Bappeda Sidoarjo, 2016) and year 2017 is

78,58 (Dinas Infokom Sidoarjo, 2017). The score

indicates an increase in the happiness of people's

lives. The more prosperous the community, the

happier the community lives. The measurements are

based on ten indicators, except for transportation and

affection.

Table 2: Dimensions lifes happiness Sidoarjo Regency.

Dimensions On

Happiness

Index

2016

Index 2017

Household

harmony

83,84

71,42

Social

relationships

with the

household

environment

82,13

78,11

Environmental

safety

79,17

77,22

Home and

amenities

77,73

76,83

Health

77,11

77,61

Environmental

conditions

76,02

80,56

Employment

75,84

82,94

Household

income

73,52

Leisure time

availability

73,91

77,97

Education

71,18

85,39

Source: Bappeda Sidoarjo (2016) and Dinas Infokom

Sidoarjo (2017).

Table 2 shows the degree of happiness of the

people of Sidoarjo from 2016 and 2017 which are

varied. The declining quality of community

happiness from 2016 and 2017 is household

harmony, social relations with the environment

around the household and environmental safety.

While those who experience an increase in the

quality of happiness can be seen in the dimensions

of health, environmental conditions, employment,

household income, leisure time availability, and

education. The increase ranges from 0.5-14.21. The

data shows that the happiness of community life is

relative. However, among the ten dimensions used

can be seen the tendency of its influence on

happiness.

In addition to the ten dimensions, there are two

dimensions that can be entered and used to see the

possible effects on happiness, namely transportation

and affection. Transportation is measured from the

level of public satisfaction about traffic congestion,

the availability and quality of mass transportation

mode, and the ownership of private vehicles either

two or four wheels. While affection is measured

from fun / pleasure, easy to give forgiveness to

others when guilty with himself, fortitude in the face

of disaster, the desired expectations in life, and the

satisfaction of a person in enjoying life.

Table 3: Testing Results of Research Hypotheses.

No.

Variable

Coefficients

Regresion

Sig.

Std. Error

(Constant)

1,054

,320

3,290

,001

Health

,073

,032

2,280

,023

Environment

al safety

,092

,033

2,816

,005

Household

harmony

,140

,042

3,347

,001

Leisure time

availability

,137

,036

3,789

,000

Home and

amenities

,255

,037

6,821

,000

Affection

,043

,007

6,409

,000

Explanation:

Sample (n):

423

R: 0,777

R Square:

0,604

Adjusted R

Square:

0,598

F count:

99,059

Df: 6 Sig

F: 0,000

Sig α:

0,05

Predictors:

Consta

Dependent

Variable :

1) Health

2) Safety

3) Household harmony

4) Leisure time availability

5) Home and amenities

6) Affection Life Happiness

Model

Equations:

Y = 1,054 + 0,073 health + 0,092

environmental safety + 0,140

harmony + 0,137 leisure time +

0,255 home + 0,043 affection

Source: Primary Data Processing 2017, Faculty of

Social and Political Sciences Umsida.

Analysis: Multiple Linear Regression with

Backward method.

The results of hypothesis testing by using

regression analysis show that the factors that

influence together to happiness are 1) education, 3)

health, 3) employment, 4) income, 5) environmental

condition, 6) safety, 7) household harmony, 8) social

relations, 9) leisure time availability, 10) home and

amenities, 11) transportation, and 12) affection. The

result of F test has significance F count smaller than

alpha significance (0.000 ≤ 0,05). Partially, the most

Factors Affecting of Lifes Happiness

influential factors on the happiness of people's lives

are health, safety, family household harmony, leisure

time, home and amenities, and affection. T test

results show t count significance smaller than alpha

significance (Table 3). Contribution of influence of

six dimension to the lifes happiness of society of

Sidoarjo equal to 59,8% with adjusted R square

0,598. While the rest of 40.2 influenced other factors

not included in this research model.

The contribution of the influence of each

dimension to the lifes happiness varies considerably.

Health contributes to the impact of happiness of

7.3%. Environmental safety contributes to the

impact of happiness of 9.2%. Dimension of affection

in the form of feeling happy, happy to give

forgiveness to others who do wrong to him, fortitude

in the face of disaster is also able to give happiness

for one person in enjoying life, that is equal to 4.3%.

The dimensions that contribute considerable

influence to the lifes happiness are the leisure time

(13.7%), household harmony (14%), and home and

amenities (25.5%).

Factors that do not affect the happiness of

community life include education, employment,

income, social relations, transportation, and

environmental conditions. The influence of these six

factors, based on the t test, is very small. There are

even two variables whose contribution influence is

inversely (the result is negative), namely education

and income. Education does not have a significant

impact on one's happiness because education is only

a medium to get jobs with decent income. The same

thing is also affirmed Seligman (2002) that

education does not affect one's happiness. It only has

an effect on improving happiness for low-income

people because education is a medium for better

income. Social relationships have no effect on the

happiness of one's life. This finding is different from

the results of the study Prasetyo (2015) which says

that a person's happiness is affected their social

relationships with others as well as the full

involvement.

4 CONCLUSION

The conclusions that of this research include in 2016

the Sidoarjo community happiness index is 77.11

and 2017 is 78.58. The happiness index of Sidoarjo

society life is significantly influenced by the

dimensions of health, environmental safety, family

harmony, leisure time, housing and amenities, and

affection. The contribution of the influence of the six

dimensions in the lifes happiness is 59.8%. While,

factors that do not affect the happiness of

community life include education, employment,

income, social relations, transportation, and

environmental conditions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to express our greatest gratitude to

Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo for a lot of

supports in accomplishing this paper.

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Factors Affecting of Lifes Happiness