Rate of Happiness and its Relationship with Physical and Mental Health, Satisfaction, and Religiosity for a Sample of College Students in Lebanon

Abstract

The aims of this study were (a) to estimate happiness rates, and (b) to explore the relations between happiness, well-being, and religiosity among a sample of Lebanese college students (N = 269). The study sample responded to (a) the Arabic Scale of Happiness, (b) well-being self-rating scales of physical health, mental health, happiness, and satisfaction with life, and (c) religiosity. Results indicated that the present Lebanese sample, in general, obtained a higher mean score on happiness compared to the majority of Arab countries except the samples from the Arabian Gulf. There were no sex-related differences in all the scales. All the Pearson correlation coefficients between the scales, except two, were statistically significant and positive. The principal component analysis retained one factor in men and labeled "Well – being and religiosity", whereas in the women group two orthogonal factors were extracted and labeled "Well-being", and "Religiosity and physical health". It was recommended to replicate this study with a probability sample from the general population in Lebanon.