VALIDATION OF SUBJECTIVE HAPPINESS SCALE (SHS) AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INFLUENCE ON HAPPINESS THE PORTUGUESE ELDERLY

Abstract

Nuno Couto, Raul Antunes, Diogo Monteiro, Anabela Vitorino, João Moutão, Daniel Marinho e Luis Cid

This study aimed to validate the Portuguese version of the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) for the Portuguese elderly population through a confirmatory factorial analysis, and to verify how subjective happiness differentiates between physically active and inactive elders. Participated in this study 309 elderly (242 women, 67 men), with age between 60 and 90 years old (M = 68.59; SD = 6.60). The results confirmed the good adjustment of the original factorial model: χ² = .26; p = .87; df = 2; SRMR = .006; TLI = .98; CFI = .99; RMSEA = .00, allowing us use the Portuguese version of the Subjective Happiness Scale as instrument of measure the subjective happiness in elderly population. We also verified, through the study of differences, that the active elders have a more perception of happiness compared to the inactive ones.