Rizza Megasari, Sheerad Sahid
Understanding economic well-being extends beyond income as the sole indicator of financial stability, incorporating a broader spectrum of factors. For high school teachers, their economic well-being is shaped not only by salaries but also by their knowledge and skills in key areas such as health and food literacy. This study investigates the interplay between health literacy, food literacy, and teachers' economic well-being, emphasizing the mediating role of life satisfaction in this dynamic. Utilizing data from 400 teachers in East Java, Indonesia, collected through online and offline surveys, the analysis was conducted via structural equation modeling using IBM-SPSS AMOS 28. The findings highlighted a significant relationship between health literacy and food literacy and teachers’ economic well-being. Specifically, the research shows that higher levels of health and food literacy are associated with better economic outcomes for teachers. Additionally, both health and food literacy positively affect teachers’ life satisfaction. This enhanced life satisfaction, in turn, has a direct and beneficial impact on their economic well-being. Crucially, the study identified life satisfaction as a key mediator in this process. It suggests that life satisfaction not only directly influences teachers’ economic well-being but also mediates the effects of health and food literacy on their financial status. This underscores the importance of considering psychological and lifestyle factors, such as life satisfaction, in understanding and improving teachers’ economic conditions. For policymakers and educational institutions, this research underscores the potential of fostering health and food literacy as part of broader strategies to enhance teachers’ life satisfaction and, by extension, their economic well-being. By framing these findings within the context of a knowledge-based economy, this study offers a valuable perspective on leveraging knowledge and psychological resources to address economic challenges in the education sector. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Bangi, Malaysia; Faculty of Economics & Business, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, Indonesia
