THE DETERMINANTS OF LIFE SATISFACTION AMONG RURAL YOUTH IN MASHONALAND EAST PROVINCE, ZIMBABWE

Abstract

Life satisfaction within various contexts remains an important subject for both policymakers and researchers. This importance emanates from the view that life satisfaction is an enduring indicator of both social and economic stability in a country. The study examined the level of life satisfaction and the factors influencing such levels. The impetus for conducting the study was derived from the growing significance of the subject of life satisfaction as well as the existence of a research gap for similar studies in the Zimbabwean context. The data were gathered from 200 randomly selected youths living in rural parts of Mashonaland East Province, Zimbabwe. The analyses of demographics, social-economic characteristics and the level of life satisfaction were conducted using descriptive statistics. The factors affecting life satisfaction were estimated using an ordered logit regression model. The results showed that life satisfaction levels among the youth in the study were generally low and differed according to the demographic and social-economic characteristics of the respondents. In the regression analysis, the variables that predicted life satisfaction included the level of education, dependency ratio, government programmes, access to credit, type of livelihood strategy, food security status, utility, and intrinsic value. For improved life satisfaction, the study recommends that the government implements interventions that focus on addressing issues affecting accessibility and availability of food. Furthermore, the government should improve access to basic needs such as credit facilities, education and agricultural programmes.

Keywords

• agriculture
• life satisfaction
• rural
• youth