Well-being is a targeted goal for public policies, interventions, and social programs around the world. Definitions and operationalizations of well-being are multiple and have been focusing on objective or subjective aspects. Researchers have found differences in what is deemed valuable in different countries, and the concept of well-being also varies depending upon intersecting factors such as age, gender, and social class. For these reasons, it is crucial to understand well-being within a context and specific population. Yet, most research has focused on developed countries and adults. There is almost no research devoted to understanding the well-being of adolescent girls from Latin American countries. This study uses a qualitative methodology based on narrative inquiry. It aims is to understand how eight teenage girls from Coyhaique, Chile, define and experience well-being within the life domains in which they operate. By focusing on their living conditions, the study explores how these contribute to or impede their well-being, maintaining a social justice perspective of well-being. The results show that the participants gave critical importance to the relationships they establish at the different life domains in which they operate. Also, they described how numerous threats to their safety hinder their well-being. To promote well-being within this population, efforts should focus on ensuring safety by protecting them from violence and promoting positive and healthy relationships with adults and peers.
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