ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine factors affecting happiness of adolescents who attended community child centers. METHODS: We surveyed 154 adolescents attending a community child center in P City with a structured self-report questionnaire from October 3 to October 15, 2016. Data was analyzed by SPSS 18.0 descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffé test, Pearson's correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: The mean scores of family strength, friend support, teacher support, and happiness were 3.8±0.84, 3.8±0.98, 3.7±0.84 and 3.7±0.63. There were significant differences in happiness according to the subjects' number of close friends and duration of their stay at the community child center. There were a significant positive correlations among family strength, friend support, teacher support, and happiness. The most significant factors affecting happiness included friend support (β=.40) and peaceable family strength (β=.35). These variables explained 44% of the total variance in happiness. CONCLUSION: It is desirable to prepare and support measures to increase friends' support and family strength in order to improve happiness of adolescents attending community child centers. The findings suggest that it is necessary to develop nursing intervention programs to promote friend support and family strength.