Measuring Quality of Life in the Neighborhood: The Cases of Air-Polluted Cities in Tunisia

The objective of this paper is to study the quality of life in the neighborhood by developing a scale to measure the perceived environmental quality of life. Items of the scale were produced using semi-structured interviews. Three main dimensions of environmental quality of life (EQL) were recognized by an exploratory factor analysis applied on 732 participants. This factor structure was then subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis performed on a second sample of 791 people. The satisfactory internal consistency of the three EQL dimensions, the good fit of the measurement model to the data and the stability of the factorial structure all confirm the excellent psychometric qualities of the designed scale.     

Social Exclusion and Quality of Life: An Empirical Study from Turkey

We examine the perception of social exclusion and quality of life and their interactions among a group of Turkish citizens. For this purpose we used the social exclusion scale developed by Jehoel-Gijsbers and Vrooman and the WHOQOL-BREF scale. The study group consists of 2,493 participants who are residents of a city in Turkey. Our study was based on self reporting and voluntary participation. We used SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) for the analysis. We observed significant paths among several dimensions of quality of life and social exclusion. We found that the material deprivation dimension of social exclusion has a direct and negative impact on the environment and social relationships domains of quality of life. The material deprivation dimension explains 36% of the variation in the environment and 16% of the variation in social relationship domains of quality of life. This finding indicates that the material deprivation and social participation play an important role in the perception of environmental and psychological life quality. Physical health, social relationships, and environmental domains of life quality are important in the social participation dimension of perceived social exclusion.     

Exploration of the Factorial Structure of the Revised Personal Functions of the Volunteerism Scale for Chinese Adolescents

Participation in volunteer services can be regarded as an indicator of quality of life among adolescents. The Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) has long been used to assess the underlying motives of volunteers. Owing to conceptual, methodological and empirical limitations, the VFI could not be fully endorsed to understand Chinese adolescent volunteerism. Another scale was devised, called the Revised Personal Functions of the Volunteerism Scale (R-PFVS). This study focused on the exploration of the factorial structure of the R-PFVS. The R-PFVS was administered to a large sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 5, 946). Data were split into two halves: one for exploratory factor analysis and the other for confirmatory factor analysis. The scale showed good factorial validity. Seven factors were revealed, namely, well-being, learning, socializing, pro-social competence, altruistic concern, future plan, and civic responsibility functions. The factors were highly correlated with each other. A second-order factor model was established, and all seven factors were loaded on this higher-order abstract factor. The R-PFVS subscales and the overall scale demonstrated good internal consistency. The findings were compared with the VFI. The R-PFVS can be used in assessing the underlying motives behind volunteerism among Chinese adolescents and in studies on the quality of life.     

Psychometric Properties of a Portuguese Version of the Subjective Happiness Scale

The Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) constitutes an instrument for assessing subjective happiness. This study aims to present the validation of the SHS in a Portuguese adult population. A large representative sample (1,017 participants), from five different age groups was considered. Configurational invariance of the unidimensional structure of the scale was tested through multi-group confirmatory factorial analysis, and reliability and criterion-validity were investigated. The results support the single factorial structure and reliability of the SHS. Furthermore, the SHS correlated positively with the Satisfaction with Life Scale, thus supporting its criterion validity. Therefore, the Portuguese version of the SHS is a valid instrument to use with an adult Portuguese Sample.     

The quality of urban life and the perception of livability: A case study of neighbourhoods in Benin City,Nigeria

Third World cities face many persistent planning problems. The problems persist partly because planning has not been sufficiently responsive to local peculiarities. This lack of responsiveness is in turn because of the gross scale at which problems are conceived and attacked. One of the persistent problems in all Nigerian cities is their poor environmental quality. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate the environmental problems of Benin City, capital of Bendel State of Nigeria. Six environmental dimensions are measured and analysed. A composite conceptual index of quality of life is derived from the six dimensions, and compared with an index of perceived quality for each area. The study adopts the neighbourhood as the unit in collecting and analysing data, and in proposing solutions. It is recommended that planning administration in Benin City must be decentralized, if it is to be more responsive to intra-city environmental eccentricities, and improve the quality of life.     

Life satisfaction among the rural elderly: What do the numbers mean?

Studies of life satisfaction among the elderly are based almost entirely on quantitative data, yet we have little knowledge of whether such data are consistent and valid representations of satisfaction. The present paper addresses this issue through a comparison of quantitative and qualitative data on satisfaction with housing, family, spouse, self-esteem, health, friends and life as a whole. The data were obtained from 15 elderly men and women living in rural Ontario who had participated in both a survey study of life satisfaction and an intensive qualitative study of loneliness, social activities and social relationships. The values selected by participants from scales of satisfaction were found to be fairly similar overall to judgements made by the investigators on the basis of qualitative data from interviews and diaries. But there were also a number of discrepancies across both participants and domains, and these discrepancies were not systematic. The scale values appear to be at best a superficial representation of participants' satisfaction. It is concluded that quantitative approaches are of limited utility in studies of the quality of life, and that they are most appropriately viewed as supplementary to approaches employing qualitative data and analysis.     

Subjective Residential Environment and its Implications for Quality of Life Among University Students in Hong Kong

This paper reports the results of a convenient sample survey of 500 Hong Kong university students conducted in May 2003. The main aim of the survey was to investigate the respondents’ perception of the residential environment and its implications for the quality of life (QOL). Results indicated that the respondents were generally satisfied with the residential environment, scoring a mean satisfaction rating of 3.32, on a 5-point Likert scale. The type, size and age of a respondent’s home, years of occupancy and attending university were found to be significantly related to the overall satisfaction. Transport (4.37), environmental quality (4.30), and public utilities (4.25) were reported to be the most important infrastructures for the QOL, but environmental quality (3.21), education (3.11) and greening (2.98) were considered to be the least satisfactory ones. The desirable distribution of facilities and services was defined by their functions and the new urban designs were appreciated by the respondents. Although available space was less than the ideal and public transport was a serious concern, the respondents had adapted well to the high-density environment and enjoyed the urban life in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the results and findings of this study can provide a reference for the formulation of future development strategy in Hong Kong.     

Methodological Validation of Quality of Life Questionnaire for Coal Mining Groups-Indian Scenario

Maslow’s hierarchy-of-needs theory has been used to predict development of Quality of Life (QOL) in countries over time. In this paper an attempt has been taken to derive a methodological validation of quality of life questionnaire which have been prepared for the study area. The objective of the study is to standardize a questionnaire tool to assess the QoL of residents in a problem area in India. From a pre tested 16 parameter questionnaire tool factorial validity were established to extract three domains and were mapped in accordance to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. Out of these 16 parameters 13 were found relevant. Then a new tool was conceptualized with 13 pre selected parameters and other parameters were pooled from existing tool and reviews to form a 36 parameter tool. Factor analysis was done to extract the domains. Reliability of the tool was also tested to find the relation between the domains of QoL. Then the quality of life of the study area was interpreted to find the distribution of respondents among the categories of QoL. 70% of respondents reported to have average quality of life. The tool was found to be highly reliable and valid.     

Quality of College Life (QCL) of Students in Turkey: Students’ Life Satisfaction and Identification

Understanding the complexities of a students’ quality of life has become essential in order for universities to plan their spending most efficiently. This study tests a model which was used to judge the satisfaction of college life and evaluates the overall impact of quality of college life (social, academic, and service satisfaction), life satisfaction, and identification. Secondly, the study assesses the impact of a university’s academic program, social life, facilities, and services on the students’ college life quality in this sample in relation to similar studies from Turkey and other countries. The survey included 1,260 students attending a public university in northwestern Turkey. Measurement tools included the quality of college life scale (QCL), Satisfaction with college life scale, identification scale satisfaction with life scale and personal information form. The results show social satisfaction has the strongest positive impact on QCL. This study found that life satisfaction and university identification had a positive impact on a university student’s satisfaction with college life. According to survey results it is also suggested that University administrators can primarily focus on improving the social satisfaction of the students then improve facilities and services, in order to raise academic satisfaction levels.     

Quality of Life Among Older Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to identify perceptions of quality of life among a sample of 35 older women with rheumatoid arthritis; and, (2) to describe the strategies they employ to improve the quality of their lives. The responses of these women were consistent with other studies examining dimensions of quality of life; however, these participants also revealed specific self-care actions that were planned and deliberate, aimed at making their lives more enjoyable. This study also underscored the impact of chronic illness on the economic well-being of oIder women.     

Retrospective and prospective evaluations of environmental quality under urban renewal as determinants of residents’ subjective quality of life

Claims about the impacts of environmental quality associated with urban renewal on the resident’s subjective quality of life are more speculative than empirically grounded. To clarify the impacts of environmental quality under urban renewal, this study surveyed 876 residents living in housing surrounding seven urban renewal sites in Hong Kong. It shows that environmental quality, both perceived (retrospectively) during and expected (prospectively) after urban renewal, exhibited positive effects on the resident’s subjective quality of life. Furthermore, it reveals that the subjective quality of life of the resident with higher education was less responsive to environmental quality perceived during urban renewal. The findings imply that more measures to mitigate the adverse social impact of urban renewal are preferably available to residents with less education.     

Materialism in Pedagogy Students in Chile

Many studies have used Richins and Dawson’s (J Consum Res 19: 303–316, 1992) Material Values Scale (MVS), applying it to different types of populations that exhibit a particular psychometric behavior, and showing little stability in their factorial structure. In the present study, 1,070 pedagogy students from the northern, central and southern regions of Chile answered the MVS. This sample was randomly divided in two. Using the first sub-sample (N = 539), an exploratory factorial analysis was carried out, from which a structure of nine items was grouped into two factors called “Social Success” and “Personal Happiness”, which presented adequate reliability. Later, with the second sub-sample (N = 531), the factorial structure indicated above was put to the test through a confirmatory factorial analysis. The data from the model show that the scale contains 8 items in total, grouped into two dimensions. The factorial loads are significant at the level of 1 %, which indicates that the 2-factor structure can be confirmed. Finally—using the proposed structure—the presence of the students’ material values was evaluated.     

The Spatial Context of Social Integration

Social integration is the harmonious and coherent processing of the structures of a social system and refers to the degree to which people are integrated to the systems of a social structure. Although social integration issue is often considered on a regional scale and especially in association with the migration literature, it is also associated with urban dynamics. Especially in metropolitan cities, it is a process that shapes the opportunities and resources of urban life, such as socio-cultural life, the built environment and urban services. This paper aims to analyze the spatial differentiation of the interactive dimension of social integration in the case of Istanbul. It describes different forms and levels of social relations of the residents of Istanbul while also depicting the interaction between social integration and location, particularly in terms of residential area characteristics. With this aim, different types of social relations are analyzed using statistical and spatial analysis methods. The results of the study indicate that different social groups which are integrated into the macro structures of the society with different degrees produce different forms of social relations and they also live in residential areas which differ with their environmental quality.     

On the Predictive Effect of Multidimensional Importance-Weighted Quality of Life Scores on Overall Subjective Well-Being

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of importance weighting in predicting outcome variables in a hierarchical and multidimensional measurement context. A total of 146 undergraduate students (female = 76; mean age = 20.25) from two universities in Taiwan and China participated in this study. They evaluated their quality of life on 22 facets from the WHOQOL-BREF scale, which covers four domains (i.e., physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health). They were also asked to rate the importance of these 22 facets and items for three general subjective well-being indices, including overall quality of life, general health, and life satisfaction. A multiplicative formula was used to create importance-weighted scores for each facet, and four domain scores were obtained by averaging facet scores under specific domains. Results of regression analysis revealed that after applying the weighting procedure, the four domain scores did not account for more variances in the three indices for overall subjective well-being, and predictive effects of the four domain scores became less differential. Our findings suggest that importance weighting did not have its expected benefits but instead may negatively impact the predictive effects.     

Core Indicators to Assess Quality of Life in Population with Brain Injury

Assessing quality of life of people with brain injury has a relevant role for developing strategies focused on personal outcomes that allow us to guide good practices and rehabilitation. So far, assessment of quality of life for this population has been restricted to an evaluation of personal outcomes from a health-related quality of life perspective. This approach it is mostly centered on physical health, however, quality of life needs to be addressed from a holistic and multidimensional perspective. The goal of this study is to identify core indicators of quality of life in brain injury based on a comprehensive theoretical model focused on the most relevant aspects of this population functioning. A Delphi study was carried out to obtain the specific core indicators of quality of life for this population. The methodology used to reach a consensus about the best indicators and items to measure quality of life involved four rounds and 14 experts on rehabilitation of people with brain injury. The Delphi study provided evidence of content validity for the field-test version of a new scale that will be applied to a wide sample in order to empirically check its suitability for this population.     

Erratum to: Child at Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion: Comparative View Between Spain and Portugal in the European Context

The aim of this study is to investigate the relations between identity statuses and the perceived quality of life in adolescents aged 16–19. The research methods include the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire to assess identity status of a sample covering 233 participants (148 girls, 85 boys), and the Youth Quality of Life Instrument to assess their subjective quality of life. Diffused identity is linked to the lowest level of subjective quality of life, whereas foreclosed identity to the highest. Five patterns of the connection between identity dimensions and perceived quality of life have been distinguished through cluster analysis. The results indicate that different patterns of identity processes in adolescents coexist with different levels of quality of life.     

Subjective Residential Environment and its Implications for Quality of Life Among University Students in Hong Kong

This paper reports the results of a convenient sample survey of 500 Hong Kong university students conducted in May 2003. The main aim of the survey was to investigate the respondents perception of the residential environment and its implications for the quality of life (QOL). Results indicated that the respondents were generally satisfied with the residential environment, scoring a mean satisfaction rating of 3.32, on a 5-point Likert scale. The type, size and age of a respondents home, years of occupancy and attending university were found to be significantly related to the overall satisfaction. Transport (4.37), environmental quality (4.30), and public utilities (4.25) were reported to be the most important infrastructures for the QOL, but environmental quality (3.21), education (3.11) and greening (2.98) were considered to be the least satisfactory ones. The desirable distribution of facilities and services was defined by their functions and the new urban designs were appreciated by the respondents. Although available space was less than the ideal and public transport was a serious concern, the respondents had adapted well to the high-density environment and enjoyed the urban life in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the results and findings of this study can provide a reference for the formulation of future development strategy in Hong Kong.     

Subjective Happiness of Lebanese College Youth in Lebanon: Factorial Structure and Invariance of the Arabic Subjective Happiness Scale

The present study evaluated the subjective happiness of Lebanese college youth using a multi-item rather than a single-item subjective happiness measure. An Arabic translation of the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) was administered to 273 Lebanese college youth from state- and private-run higher institutions of learning, as was the Arabic Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Arabic PARQ). The reliability and validity of the Arabic SHS was tested in terms of factor analysis, internal consistency, and correlation with Arabic PARQ scores, as was the factorial invariance and relation of the scale across age, sex, marital status, birth order, and college campus. The Arabic SHS showed a reliable unitary structure similar to those found in other cultures, and factorial invariance across sex, marital status, birth order and college campus. While age, sex, marital status and birth order were independent of happiness scores, college students attending the private university reported greater happiness than those from the state-run academic setting. It was concluded that the Lebanese Arabic SHS is a reliable and valid measure of global subjective happiness, its factor structure is similar across other translated versions of the scale, and its scores are independent of age, sex, marital status and birth order.     

The Influence of Health Promoting Practices on the Quality of Life of Community Adults in Hong Kong

The importance of a healthy lifestyle is receiving increasing attention due to its impact on health and well-being. However, very few studies have been done on health promoting practices of the general public in Hong Kong. The present study aimed to identify the patterns of health promoting practices of the general public in Hong Kong, to compare health promoting practices across gender and education levels, and to examine the relationship between health promoting practices and quality of life. A total of 941 community adults were recruited using a randomized household survey design. Results revealed that a large proportion of participants reported practicing various types of health promoting behavior related to healthy food choice, engaging in stress management strategies, and refraining from health compromising behavior such as smoking and drinking excessively. Female participants were more likely to choose healthy food, refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol excessively, and take vitamin supplements, whereas male participants were more likely to exercise regularly. Both men and women with higher levels of education were more likely to report not smoking, not drinking alcohol excessively, and participating in social activities. Women with higher levels of education were also more likely to engage in relaxing activities but less likely to report exercising regularly and sleeping sufficiently. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that stress management and social relations significantly predicted better quality of life for both male and female participants, and types of preventive health behavior were significant predictors of quality of life for female participants only. Results highlighted the importance of advocating health promoting practices among the general public in Hong Kong. Implications for future practice were discussed.