Development of a multidimensional Romanian Life Satisfaction Index for population health and quality-of-life monitoring: evidence from a national survey

Life satisfaction is increasingly used as a population-level indicator of subjective well-being and quality of life, but country-specific instruments capable of capturing its multidimensional structure remain limited in Eastern European contexts. This study aimed to develop a Romanian Life Satisfaction (RLS) model and to construct a composite Romanian Life Satisfaction Index (RLSi) for population health and quality-of-life monitoring. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 28 and 30 June 2021 among 1,102 Romanian adults aged 18 years and over, using computer-assisted telephone interviewing and random digit dialing. The sample was weighted by gender, age, region, area of residence and education. Respondents rated their overall life satisfaction and satisfaction with ten life domains on 10-point Likert-type scales. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), as a research method, was used to identify the latent structure of the ten observed indicators (to identify factor structure), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as research method, to validate the measurement model. In fact, the purpose of EFA was to make an exploratory analysis of the factor structure and was conducted using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), as an extraction of factor structure, with Varimax rotation. Model fit, standardized factor loadings, average variance extracted and composite reliability were assessed. A composite RLSi was constructed from the validated latent dimensions using weights derived from standardized regression coefficients. The measurement model, resulting from the EFA/CFA analyses, supported a three-factor structure explaining 63.5% of the total variance. The three dimensions were labeled health, emotional and material resources (F1), active life and recreation (F2), and social relationships (F3). Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit: RMSEA = 0.060, GFI = 0.973, CFI = 0.971 and TLI = 0.960. All standardized factor loadings exceeded 0.50. Convergent validity and composite reliability were acceptable for all three factors, with AVE values ranging from 0.500 to 0.528 and CR values ranging from 0.674 to 0.856. F1 had the strongest association with global life satisfaction (β = 0.618), followed by F3 (β = 0.103) and F2 (β = 0.088). The final RLSi combined the three sub-indices using recalibrated weights of 0.76, 0.11 and 0.13, respectively. The RLS model provides a validated multidimensional framework for assessing life satisfaction in the Romanian adult population. The resulting RLSi offers a transparent and replicable composite measure that may support population-level monitoring, regional comparisons and evidence-informed public health policy. Further validation in independent and longitudinal samples is needed to assess the stability, generalisability and policy utility of the index.