title: Is sexual well-being part of subjective well-being? An empirical analysis of Belgian (Flemish) survey data using an extended well-being scale.
abstract: Most conventionally used subjective well-being scales do not include any measurement of sexual well-being, despite the fact that most available research and theories indicate that sexuality is to be considered an important and integral part of human well-being. This article proposes a five-item subjective well-being scale that includes sexual well-being. A representative pilot survey in Belgium (n = 2,080) indicated that item non-response on the sexual item was limited. The new scale is strongly one-dimensional and internally coherent. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that including sexual well-being allows for a better understanding of subjective well-being, highlighting the importance of age and having a partner, and the interaction between both variables. This article concludes that the positive impact of having a partner on subjective well-being significantly increases with age. It is argued that sexual well-being should be included in subjective well-being measurements that are routinely being used in population surveys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Political Science, University of Leuven, Belgium. marc.hooghe@soc.kuleuven.be
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hooghe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D019529:Sexuality; D055815:Young Adult