Life-satisfaction as a mediator of the relationships between perception of economic threat and emigration intention

Abstract

Background: This study utilized the Health Belief Model (HBM) to study emigration behavior. Perceived threat of the situation was replaced by the perceived threat to financial living conditions (PT) and hypothesized to affect emigration intentions (EI). This relationship is believed to be complex, modifiable and mediated by other psychological factors. We consider life satisfaction (LS), i.e. global assessment of an individual’s quality of life, as a potential intervening variable. Objectives: to examine the role that LS plays in the relationship between PT and EI. Methods: Data were collected in 2016 in 17 universities in Slovakia, via an online questionnaire directed at student’s health-related behavior and e/migration intentions (n=375, 75.5% women, M=22.93, SD=3). PT was measured by item assessing how students perceive their economic situation. LS was measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale and EI were identified by the Intention to Emigrate Scale. Linear regressions were used for the analysis and Sobel test was applied to confirm the significance of the mediation. Findings: PT was negatively associated with LS (β=-0.359), and LS was negatively associated with EI (β=-0.199). The direct relationship between PT and EI (β=0.115) after adding LS to the model became insignificant. The Sobel test confirmed that LS has a significant meditational effect in the relationship between PT and IE (z=3.48, pα˂0.001). Conclusion: PT affects EI directly as well as indirectly through the LS. HBM contributes to a better understanding and prediction of emigration intentions.