Characterization of wellbeing in the youth population of the metropolitan area of Porto

Abstract

Introduction: Wellbeing is a multidimensional concept that assumes that the individual must be involved in his or her daily life and find meaning and purpose in his or her occupation by building a personal identity and maintaining socially valued roles. Objective: This is a recent concept and still little studied, so the purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of wellbeing in young people between 14 and 18 years old in the metropolitan area of Porto. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 847 young people from secondary schools in Porto, Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, and Gondomar. Two wellbeing assessment scales, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and the Pemberton Happiness Index, and a self-filled sociodemographic questionnaire were used. Results: Statistically significant differences were found regarding sex (p_WEMWS <0.001; p_PHI <0.001), knowing someone with mental health problems (p_WEMWS <0.001; p_PHI <0.001), education level (p_WEMWS <0.031), and city of residence (p_WEMWS <0.045; p_PHI <0.011). Conclusion: Young males not knowing individuals with mental health problems and having a lower level of education were significant predictors of wellbeing.