What are the determinants of subjective well-being of healthy adults in rural communities in and around forests?

Abstract

Sustainability goals are seeking to jointly improve environmental conditions and the well-being of society. Yet achieving both environmental and human well-being goals remains challenging because improving the material well-being of people can often mean increasing the risk of environmental and ecosystem degradation. An alternative method that may help meet both goals is to target non-monetary determinants of subjective well-being. However. few studies have examined the determinants of subjective well-being in industrializing countries. Here, we report on an analysis examining the determinants of subjective well-being among health, working adults in rural villages in and around forests in the Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. We find there is no significant relationship between subjective well-being and measures of monetary well-being, such as income and assets. Instead, we find age, sex, self-assessed health status, and occupation are significantly associated with subjective well-being. Our results have implications for policies seeking to improve subjective well-being among these populations.