The Relationship Between Health Status, Physical Activity, and Employment on Life Satisfaction in Adults

Life satisfaction is influenced by various factors such as health, physical activity, and employment status, emphasizing the multidimensional nature of well-being. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study is to examine the relationship between health status, physical activity level, and employment status on life satisfaction among adults in the U.S. The importance of this study focused on understanding how these factors influence life satisfaction. The research question focused on assessing the interconnectedness of these variables. The participants of the study are non-institutionalized civilian adults residing in the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The study involved a total sample size of 27,648 adults from the National Health Interview Survey from the year 2022, ensuring sufficient power and validity for the statistical tests examining the relationships. The statistical analysis to measure the association in isolation involved a Goodman & Kruskal’s test for general health status and life satisfaction, Chi-Square test for physical activity, employment status and life satisfaction. A logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the combined relationship between health status, physical activity, employment status, and life satisfaction, controlling for demographic factors such as age, sex, and race. The results from the data analysis confirmed the null hypothesis could be rejected for the general health status and physical activity as there was a statistically significant relationship with life satisfaction, but not for the case of employment status. In conclusion, this study unveiled that the relationships between health status, physical activity and life satisfaction are complex and multifaceted, with demographic factors such as sex, playing a significant role.