Zvjezdana Prizmić-Larsen

Importance and Satisfaction With Life Domains in Croatia: Representative Sample

In this study we examined age and gender differences in importance and satisfaction with seven life domains: material status, health, achievement in life, relationships with family and friends, feelings of physical safety, acceptance by the community where they live and their happiness. Subjects were a representative sample of Croatia citizens (N=1, 242) divided into four age groups defined as young (18-29 years), middle (30-44), aged (45-59) and old age group (60+). Two MANOVA-s were used to examine the relationship between gender and age as independent variables and the sets of importance and satisfaction with seven life domains as dependent variables. Results showed that differences in importance and satisfaction ratings were greater across the age groups than between genders. The data characterize differences in quality of life across domains within a representative sample.

Personal Security and Fear of Crime as Predictors of Subjective Well-Being

Over the last decade, influenced by various political, economical, and social changes, human security issues have become relevant topics at the global, national, and local level. In the present article, we were interested in how the fear of crime and perceptions of crime and substance abuse in the local area were associated with subjective well-being. The survey was conducted in November 2008 through face-to-face interviews with a representative sample of Croatian citizens (N = 4,000). Fear of crime was assessed by feelings of safety in three specific situations at night (in neighborhood streets, at home, and in public transport). Additionally, perceptions of the prevalence of different types of crime and substance abuse (corruption, minor crime, violent crime, delinquency, domestic abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse) in the local area were measured. Overall life satisfaction was used as well-being measure. Measures of various demographic variables were also included in the analyses (i.e., age, gender, income, education level), as well as the objective measures of urbanization level and crime rates in the counties where participants live. In accordance with previous findings, results showed relatively little association of most demographic characteristics with fear and perception of crime and substance abuse. The urbanization level and crime rates were positively related to both fear and perceptions of crime. Living in more urbanized areas and higher crime rates were associated with higher fear of crime and greater perception of all types of crime as problems. While controlling for demographic variables and objective measures of local conditions, better life satisfaction was significantly but weakly predicted by higher feelings of safety and by lower perceptions of corruption in the local area.

Affect Specificity as Indicators of National Well-Being: Representative Sample of Croatia

In our survey-based study, we gathered evaluative and experiential measures of well-being and examined their correlates with different life domains variables used as predictors for each well-being measure. Subjects were a representative sample of Croatian citizens (N = 1,129). Subjects reported life satisfaction and rated how often they felt happy, satisfied, sad, angry, depressive, and stressed over the past month. Predictors variables included measures representing various domains such as physical (health), social (seeing friends, family support, receiving help, trust, fairness), psychological (learning, respect, recognition, spirituality), and job-related variables (job satisfaction, commuting). Hierarchical regression analyses were used with age, gender, and income as covariates. Distinctive predictors of positive emotions were learning and seeing friends, while predictors of negative emotions were trust, fairness, and recognition.