Happiness and its determinants among nursing students

BACKGROUND: Being happy in life is very essential to be healthy, which is important for nursing students to grow and adapt well in their professional life. AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the level of happiness and identify the determinants of happiness among nursing students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and forty-two undergraduate nursing students College of Nursing, All India Institutes of Medicals Sciences, New Delhi, India, enrolled in the study by convenience sampling. Data were collected through demographic information sheets and oxford happiness questionnaires. Frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square test, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean happiness score of nursing students was 3.96 ± 0.59 on a scale of 6. The percentage distribution showed that 43.2% of the students responded “not particularly happy,” and 42.1% were “rather happy.” The current year of study, the number of close friends, stress experienced in the past 6 months, and engagement in physical activities contributed 53% of the variance in the happiness score of nursing students (P < 0.001). Further, monthly family income (P = 0.018) and choice of course (P = 0.003) had a significant association with their happiness score. CONCLUSION: Nursing students had a moderate level of happiness. The study suggests that there is a need to develop strategies to enhance happiness among nursing students in alignment with the identified factors. Educators need to develop a holistic curriculum giving equal importance to academic competencies and personal flourishment.