Exploring Subjective Well-Being Through Household Conditions, Psychosocial Capacities
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Guatemala and Paraguay
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23312445 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yeny E Rodríguez (0000-0002-6077-8936, Universidad Francisco Marroquín, corresponding author), Lina Martínez (0000-0002-5997-2264, Icesi University), David Casasola (Universidad Francisco Marroquín), Monse Pedrozo (0000-0002-1913-3394), Monserrat Pedrozo |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Pages | 100450 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Wellbeing Space and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-5581 • E-ISSN: 2666-5581 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.wss.2026.100450 |
| OpenAlex | W7171490525 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 34 |
Subjective well-being (SWB) research in Latin America has highlighted the importance of family ties and social cohesion in sustaining well-being under conditions of inequality. However, less attention has been given to how household conditions and spatial environments shape psychosocial well-being. This study examines how household conditions, and psychosocial capacities interact to influence subjective well-being in Guatemala and Paraguay using the Poverty Stoplight framework, a multidimensional household-level methodology originally developed in Paraguay. The study draws on survey data from 5,345 respondents (67% women; mean age = 36.9 years, SD = 12.09), including 2,977 participants from Guatemala and 2,368 from Paraguay. Subjective well-being was operationalized through psychosocial indicators associated with self-esteem, emotional regulation, and self-perceived decision-making capacity. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze how dimensions related to income and employment, housing and infrastructure, health, organization and participation, and education and culture are associated with subjective well-being across both countries. Findings show that subjective well-being is shaped by economic security, household stability, relational resources, and spatial conditions. Nutrition, conflict-resolution capacity, housing conditions, and access to supportive resources emerged as consistent predictors across countries, while important contextual differences also appeared. In Paraguay, civic participation, literacy, and household infrastructure showed stronger associations with well-being, whereas in Guatemala, access to credit, home comfort, and psychosocial agency played a more prominent role. The findings suggest that households function not only as units of material deprivation but also as relational and spatial environments through which emotional stability, caregiving, and resilience are produced.
Agency (philosophy) · Household income · Latin Americans · Operationalization · Poverty · Psychological resilience · Psychosocial · Stressor · Structural equation modeling · Cultural Differences and Values · Income, Poverty, and Inequality · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |