By the same authors

From the same journal

The Happiest Kids on Earth: Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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The Happiest Kids on Earth : Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America. / Looze, M. E.De; Huijts, T.; Stevens, G. W.J.M.; Torsheim, T.; Vollebergh, W. A.M.

In: Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 47, No. 5, 05.2018, p. 1073-1085.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Harvard

Looze, MED, Huijts, T, Stevens, GWJM, Torsheim, T & Vollebergh, WAM 2018, 'The Happiest Kids on Earth: Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America', Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 1073-1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7

APA

Looze, M. E. D., Huijts, T., Stevens, G. W. J. M., Torsheim, T., & Vollebergh, W. A. M. (2018). The Happiest Kids on Earth: Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(5), 1073-1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7

Vancouver

Looze MED, Huijts T, Stevens GWJM, Torsheim T, Vollebergh WAM. The Happiest Kids on Earth: Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2018 May;47(5):1073-1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7

Author

Looze, M. E.De ; Huijts, T. ; Stevens, G. W.J.M. ; Torsheim, T. ; Vollebergh, W. A.M. / The Happiest Kids on Earth : Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America. In: Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2018 ; Vol. 47, No. 5. pp. 1073-1085.

Bibtex - Download

@article{36e2df5b181a4c4db5d475d9934bed13,
title = "The Happiest Kids on Earth: Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America",
abstract = "Cross-national differences in adolescent life satisfaction in Europe and North America are consistent, but remain poorly understood. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the explanatory role of economic factors, such as national wealth and income equality, they revealed weak associations, at most. This study examines whether societal gender equality can explain the observed cross-national variability in adolescent life satisfaction. Based on the assumption that gender equality fosters a supportive social context, for example within families through a more equal involvement of fathers and mothers in child care tasks, adolescent life satisfaction was expected to be higher in more gender-equal countries. To test this hypothesis, national-level data of gender equality (i.e., women{\textquoteright}s share in political participation, decision making power, economic participation and command over resources) were linked to data from 175,470 adolescents aged 11–16 years old (Mage = 13.6, SD = 1.64, 52% girls) from 34 European and North American countries involved in the 2009/10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Results of linear multilevel regression analyses indicate that adolescents in countries with relatively high levels of gender equality report higher life satisfaction than their peers in countries with lower levels of gender equality. The association between gender equality and adolescent life satisfaction remained significant after controlling for national wealth and income equality. It was equally strong for boys and girls. Moreover, the association between gender equality and life satisfaction was explained by social support in the family, peer and school context. This analysis suggests that gender equality fosters social support among members of a society, which in turn contributes to adolescent life satisfaction. Thus, promoting gender equality is likely to benefit all members of a society; not just by giving equal rights to women and girls, but also by fostering a supportive social climate for all.",
keywords = "Adolescent life satisfaction, Europe, Gender equality, Multilevel analysis., North America, Social support, Happiness, Humans, Social Support, Male, Personal Satisfaction, Gender Identity, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Sexism, Adolescent, Human Rights, Psychology, Adolescent, Female, Child",
author = "Looze, {M. E.De} and T. Huijts and Stevens, {G. W.J.M.} and T. Torsheim and Vollebergh, {W. A.M.}",
note = "{\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2017",
year = "2018",
month = may,
doi = "10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7",
language = "English",
volume = "47",
pages = "1073--1085",
journal = "Journal of Youth and Adolescence",
issn = "0047-2891",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "5",

}

RIS (suitable for import to EndNote) - Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Happiest Kids on Earth

T2 - Gender Equality and Adolescent Life Satisfaction in Europe and North America

AU - Looze, M. E.De

AU - Huijts, T.

AU - Stevens, G. W.J.M.

AU - Torsheim, T.

AU - Vollebergh, W. A.M.

N1 - © The Author(s) 2017

PY - 2018/5

Y1 - 2018/5

N2 - Cross-national differences in adolescent life satisfaction in Europe and North America are consistent, but remain poorly understood. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the explanatory role of economic factors, such as national wealth and income equality, they revealed weak associations, at most. This study examines whether societal gender equality can explain the observed cross-national variability in adolescent life satisfaction. Based on the assumption that gender equality fosters a supportive social context, for example within families through a more equal involvement of fathers and mothers in child care tasks, adolescent life satisfaction was expected to be higher in more gender-equal countries. To test this hypothesis, national-level data of gender equality (i.e., women’s share in political participation, decision making power, economic participation and command over resources) were linked to data from 175,470 adolescents aged 11–16 years old (Mage = 13.6, SD = 1.64, 52% girls) from 34 European and North American countries involved in the 2009/10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Results of linear multilevel regression analyses indicate that adolescents in countries with relatively high levels of gender equality report higher life satisfaction than their peers in countries with lower levels of gender equality. The association between gender equality and adolescent life satisfaction remained significant after controlling for national wealth and income equality. It was equally strong for boys and girls. Moreover, the association between gender equality and life satisfaction was explained by social support in the family, peer and school context. This analysis suggests that gender equality fosters social support among members of a society, which in turn contributes to adolescent life satisfaction. Thus, promoting gender equality is likely to benefit all members of a society; not just by giving equal rights to women and girls, but also by fostering a supportive social climate for all.

AB - Cross-national differences in adolescent life satisfaction in Europe and North America are consistent, but remain poorly understood. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the explanatory role of economic factors, such as national wealth and income equality, they revealed weak associations, at most. This study examines whether societal gender equality can explain the observed cross-national variability in adolescent life satisfaction. Based on the assumption that gender equality fosters a supportive social context, for example within families through a more equal involvement of fathers and mothers in child care tasks, adolescent life satisfaction was expected to be higher in more gender-equal countries. To test this hypothesis, national-level data of gender equality (i.e., women’s share in political participation, decision making power, economic participation and command over resources) were linked to data from 175,470 adolescents aged 11–16 years old (Mage = 13.6, SD = 1.64, 52% girls) from 34 European and North American countries involved in the 2009/10 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Results of linear multilevel regression analyses indicate that adolescents in countries with relatively high levels of gender equality report higher life satisfaction than their peers in countries with lower levels of gender equality. The association between gender equality and adolescent life satisfaction remained significant after controlling for national wealth and income equality. It was equally strong for boys and girls. Moreover, the association between gender equality and life satisfaction was explained by social support in the family, peer and school context. This analysis suggests that gender equality fosters social support among members of a society, which in turn contributes to adolescent life satisfaction. Thus, promoting gender equality is likely to benefit all members of a society; not just by giving equal rights to women and girls, but also by fostering a supportive social climate for all.

KW - Adolescent life satisfaction

KW - Europe

KW - Gender equality

KW - Multilevel analysis.

KW - North America

KW - Social support

KW - Happiness

KW - Humans

KW - Social Support

KW - Male

KW - Personal Satisfaction

KW - Gender Identity

KW - Cross-Cultural Comparison

KW - Sexism

KW - Adolescent

KW - Human Rights

KW - Psychology, Adolescent

KW - Female

KW - Child

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030861767&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7

DO - 10.1007/s10964-017-0756-7

M3 - Article

C2 - 29019054

AN - SCOPUS:85030861767

VL - 47

SP - 1073

EP - 1085

JO - Journal of Youth and Adolescence

JF - Journal of Youth and Adolescence

SN - 0047-2891

IS - 5

ER -

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