Life Satisfaction Among Police Officers: The Roles of Religion, Number of Children and Ethnicity

This study examined the associations between religion, number of children, ethnicity, and life satisfaction among police officers in Osun State, Nigeria. Anchored on the subjective well-being framework, a cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A total of 384 serving police officers were selected from Area Commands in Osun State. Data were collected using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and analysed using independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results indicated statistically significant differences in life satisfaction across demographic variables. Officers with one to three children reported higher life satisfaction than those with four to six children. Christian officers reported higher life satisfaction than Muslim officers. Ethnicity was also significantly associated with life satisfaction, with variation observed across groups. These findings highlight the role of demographic and socio-cultural factors in understanding life satisfaction among police personnel. However, findings are interpreted as bivariate associations due to the cross-sectional design. Implications for policy and officer welfare are discussed.