Objectives. The main goal of the study was to analyse in detail specific family indicators and their relation to selected indicator of life satisfaction in a representative sample of Czech children. Sample and setting. A total number of 4 351 children aged 11, 13 and 15 years out of 88 randomly selected schools in Czech Republic formed the study population. The data was acquired in the framework of the WHO study “The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Cross National Study” (HBSC) in June 2010 by means of standardized questionnaires. Research questions. Is formal structure of family or the quality of communication more important for children's life satisfaction? Statistical analysis. Statistical analysis included descriptive analyses, the x2 test of independence in contingency tables, Fisher’s exact test, two samples T-test, one and two way analysis of variance using the NCSS 2007 program. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of family on life satisfaction of children and prevalence odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were calculated as measure of association. Results. Life satisfaction was high for majority of children, it reached two thirds of possible maximum at both of the followed scales (Cantril index, Huebner scale) for the whole sample. Life satisfaction was significantly associated (p<0,001) with age, gender, formal structure of family and quality of communication in family. Children from complete families with easy or very easy communication with both parents had the highest values at both of the followed life satisfaction scales. Study limitations. Limitations of the study result from the cross-sectional design and data based on self-reports. Both life satisfaction and family were analysed on the basis of selected question categories., L. Hodačová, E. Čermáková, J. Šmejkalová, E. Hlaváčková, M. Kalman., and Obsahuje seznam literatury