Subjective Well-Being and Parenthood in Chile

Consuelo Novoa, Claudio Bustos, Vasily Bühring, Karen Oliva, Darío Páez, Pablo Vergara-Barra and Félix Cova
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Consuelo Novoa: Department of Psychology, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion 4070386, Chile
Claudio Bustos: Department of Psychology, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion 4070386, Chile
Vasily Bühring: Department of Psychology, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion 4070386, Chile
Karen Oliva: Department of Psychology, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion 4070386, Chile
Darío Páez: Departament of Social Psychology and Methodology, Universidad del País Vasco, 20018 Leioa, Spain
Pablo Vergara-Barra: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion 4030000, Chile
Félix Cova: Department of Psychology, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion 4070386, Chile

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: Being a parent plays an important role in people’s life trajectory and identity. Though the general cultural perception is that having children is a source of subjective well-being, there is evidence that, at least in some societies, the subjective well-being of those who are parents is worse, in some aspects, than that of those who are not. This gap has been the object of interest and controversy. The aim of this study was to compare Chilean adults with and without children in a broad set of well-being indicators, controlling for other sociodemographic variables. A public national probabilistic database was used. The results show that, in terms of positive and negative affect, those who are not parents achieve greater well-being than those who have children. Other results also pointed in that direction. The implications of the social context and gender, which are aspects that pose a burden for the exercise of parenthood in Chile, are discussed.

Keywords: parenting; motherhood; fatherhood; children; happiness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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