Life Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being on the Road to Happiness: An Application of Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationships between happiness, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality among student-athletes. Conducted using a correlational survey design, the research included a total of 400 students (149 female and 251 male; Mean age = 21.31 ± 2.32) enrolled in sports sciences programs across three different universities. The data collection tools utilized were the “Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS),” the “Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS),” and the “Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS).” The suitability of the data for analysis was assessed based on skewness and kurtosis values. Data analysis was performed using IBM AMOS V25 software (Chicago, USA), and the relationships between happiness, life satisfaction, and subjective vitality were tested through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). According to the results of the structural equation model, the path coefficients between vitality, life satisfaction, and happiness were found to be significant. In this context, life satisfaction explains 44% of subjective happiness, while subjective vitality accounts for 54% of. Based on this, it can be suggested that increasing individuals' levels of life satisfaction and subjective vitality may also enhance their levels of happiness. © 2025, Ataturk Universitesi. All rights reserved.