Children’s Voices on Their Well-Being: A Child Well-Being Index

Abstract

The Southern state of Tamil Nadu was the worst hit part of the Indian Ocean Tsunami disaster in 2004. Mostly fishing families were affected. The present study was one work-package of a larger research project with the acronym ‘post-Tsunami.’ Out of the concepts of caregivers’ and children’ own views on child well-being, a list of child well-being indicators with 72 items was derived. This list became part of a questionnaire battery and was answered by 167 mothers for their 344 children. A principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on 64 items (children’s concepts of well-being) and the following seven factors could be identified: absence of trauma-related symptoms, academic achievement, absence of trauma-related fears and intrusions, coping, community orientation, absence of fear of punishment, and family compliance. Taken together, all results indicated the importance of asking children themselves about what constitutes a good life from their point of view. Out of the data, a theoretical model toward a full understanding of child well-being was derived.