Marital status, gender, and subjective quality of life in Korea.

This study examined the effects of marital status and gender on the subjective quality of life in Korea. Respondents included 483 males (125 single; 358 married) and 472 females (78 single; 394 married). Five separate scales were used to measure the quality of life: a single-item general happiness scale; two measures provided by negative-affect scales; a modified version of the Life-in- General Scale; and a scale measuring the sense of personal competence. Findings demonstrated that the nature of the relation between marital status and subjective well-being depends upon which dimension of the quality of life is concerned. Furthermore, being married contributes positively to the level of general happiness. However, analyses with other measures of life revealed that the effect of marital status is moderated by gender; being married negatively affects the quality of life among men, while it has a positive effect on women. In addition, the effect of gender is more consistent and stronger in magnitude than the effect of marital status. Most of these findings were in contrast to previous results conducted in the US; further research was recommended.