Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Research on children’s well-being has increased over the past decade, largely driven by advancements in children’s rights legislation and the emergence of innovative theoretical and epistemological frameworks. While there has been a notable increase in empirical research on children’s objective standards of living, less data has been available in relation to their subjective perceptions and evaluations of their life. The measurement of children’s subjective well-being (SWB) has been a particular focus of empirical research especially as it relates to the development of valid scales for use with children across age groups and contexts. An area of concern is the lack of psychometrically sound measurement instruments for use with younger children and especially in low-to-middle income contexts.

Masters of Science / Fifty percent of the world’s tuberculosis population is found in eight countries, one of which is South Africa. Of the eight countries, South Africa is said to be experiencing the highest burden of Tuberculosis, with an estimated incidence of three hundred and twenty-two thousand cases of active Tuberculosis. The Tuberculosis epidemic is driven by the following reasons, firstly poor living conditions which are a result of the wide gap between the rich and the poverty-stricken among some populations, and secondly late presentation to health facilities. Over the years, healthcare programs have made a meaningful impact in identifying patients presenting for Tuberculosis care, a global Tuberculosis report shows an estimated fifty-eight million lives were saved through Tuberculosis treatment and diagnosis, between the years 2000 and 2018. However, strategies to modify risk behaviour need to remain a main priority. In the South African context, it would be important to note the diversity of the individuals experience which is rooted in South African socio-political history and has resulted in high levels of social inequality and disparate socio-economic status groups, as a significant factor when considering the well-being of Tuberculosis infected South Africans. For policy makers to make data-driven decisions, with the aim of lessening the disease burden experienced by the populations they serve. They would require insights from an individual level, this way of measuring well-being requires the participants to rely on their own cognitive judgements and emotional reactions to characterize their well-being. Alatartseva and Barysheva in 2015 claim that subjective well-being is an internal evaluation of well-being, relating to one’s spiritual, personal characteristics and features. This approach is fitting since behavioural data is dynamic and relative as it tends to differ across populations and is often altered radically in short periods. Despite global advances in access to Tuberculosis treatment, Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death in adults with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and the main contributor to antimicrobial resistance. This gap can be bridged by an understanding of the behavioural aspects tied to Tuberculosis infection. There is a lack of adequate South African literature on Tuberculosis infection and health related well-being. The current study notes and compares, the diversity of life satisfaction experience between participants from different socio-demographic status groups across South Africa, bringing forth the most influential variables on well-being. This paper explored the possible factors of subjective well-being in the Tuberculosis infected South African population. Data from the National Income Dynamics Study 2017 was used, with a focus on the Tuberculosis diagnosed sub-population across all nine provinces in South Africa. The study sample consisted of forty-four individuals who were measured against the following variables: age; gender; population group; place of residence in 1994; labour market participation, education; health; emotional health and well-being and social cohesion. The study employed, Multiple Correspondence Analysis to identify significant variables associated with the well-being of Tuberculosis infected individuals. The results show that the participants of African lineage presented with the lowest level of subjective well-being, followed by the Coloured population which was more likely to have a smoking habit to further decrease their level of well-being. Gender was a significant contributor to well-being with female participants reporting an overall lower level of subjective well-being compared to their male counterpart. Furthermore, those co-infected with Tuberculosis and Human immunodeficiency Virus while poverty-stricken presented with the lowest possible level as they are likely to be depressed, have a weakened immune system and experiencing medication non-adherence.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / While research into children’s subjective well-being (SWB) has advanced over the past decade, there is a paucity of cross-cultural research, particularly in South Africa. Moreover, while the adaptation and validation of instruments in English and Afrikaans are evident, other language groups have not received much attention. This study aimed to provide structural validation of the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale across a sample of children in South Africa using multi-group analysis across three language groups (Setswana, Xitsonga, and Tshivenda). Within this process, the study aimed to use multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) to compare the structural validity and measurement invariance of the three language groups. Finally, the study aimed to determine the convergent validity of the three language groups of the SLSS by regressing them onto the single-item Overall Life Satisfaction Scale (OLS). The study uses data from Wave 3 of the South African Children’s Worlds Study and included a sample of 625 children across the language groups (Setswana: n = 187; Sesotho: n = 170; and Tshivenda: n = 268). For the overall pooled sample an excellent fit was obtained for a single-factor model, including one error-covariance. Standardised regression weights of the items ranged between .43 and .73. MGCFA revealed an acceptable fit for the configural model (unconstrained loadings); however, metric (constrained loadings) and scalar invariance (constrained loadings and intercepts) was not tenable. However, through the application of partial constraints metric invariance was tenable when Item 5 (I like my life) was freely estimated, while scalar invariance was tenable when Item 1 (I enjoy my life) and Item 5 (I like my life) were freely estimated. The results suggest that the Items: My life is going well; I have a good life; The things in my life are excellent; and I am happy with my life, are comparable by correlations, regression coefficients, and latent mean scores across the three language groups. Convergent validity using the OLS was obtained for the pooled sample and across the language groups. The key contribution of the study is establishing that the Setswana, Sesotho, and Tshivenda translated and adapted versions of the SLSS are valid for use within the South African context to measure children’s SWB, and that they can be grouped together in an overall pooled sample.