scholarly journals Perceptions of Quality of Life and Pollution among China's Urban Middle Class: The Case of Smog in Tangshan

2017 ◽  
Vol 234 ◽  
pp. 340-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyue Li ◽  
Bryan Tilt
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Urban Residents

AbstractAfter decades of rapid economic development, China is facing severe environmental problems. In particular, smog in urban areas has recently attracted a great deal of scientific and media attention both domestically and internationally. Our focus in this article is on public perceptions of smog in the northern city of Tangshan, which is routinely ranked as one of the urban areas with the worst air quality in the nation. In this article, we present the results of qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys with 341 urban residents. We examine how these residents perceive and weigh the importance of various aspects related to quality of life, including their experience with air pollution. Study participants considered environmental quality an issue of lower priority than many others; however, they surprisingly ranked it over economic concerns such as jobs and income. Their responses suggest that, for many urban residents, environmental problems like smog are fundamentally linked to basic quality of life concerns such as physical health and family well-being. We interpret our findings in the context of literature on the rise of China's middle class, the rise of environmental consciousness, and the role of gender in mediating perceptions of pollution and family health. We also consider the implications of these findings for the control and remediation of air pollution in China today.

scholarly journals Vision-related quality of life in adults with severe peripheral vision loss: a qualitative interview study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Lange ◽  
Abigail Kumagai ◽  
Sara Weiss ◽  
Katherine B. Zaffke ◽  
Sherry Day ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Contrast Sensitivity ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures may not be relevant to the full range of functional and vision-related quality of life (VR-QOL) concerns of individuals with vision impairment due to severe peripheral field loss (PFL). Measurement of VR-QOL in severe PFL is important in order to determine the effectiveness of vision rehabilitation interventions for this population. The purpose of this study was to characterize the impact of severe PFL due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and glaucoma on VR-QOL as the initial phase in the development of a novel PRO measure. Methods Individuals with severe PFL due to RP or glaucoma were recruited from the Kellogg Eye Center and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Participants completed semi-structured qualitative interviews, the Impact of Vision Impairment (IVI) questionnaire and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey. Interviews were analyzed by two coders using thematic analysis. A matrix analysis was conducted to compare VR-QOL by cause of severe PFL. Sample size was determined by thematic saturation. Results The study included 37 participants (19 RP, 18 glaucoma). Median best-corrected visual acuity for those with RP and glaucoma was 20/40 and 20/27.5, while Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity was 1.2 log contrast sensitivity (logCS) and 1.1 logCS, respectively. Median domain scores on the IVI (reading, mobility, well-being) ranged from a low of − 0.2 to a high of 0.7 logits in those with RP and from 0.5 to 1.2 logits in those with glaucoma. Qualitative interviews identified six VR-QOL themes relevant across participants with both RP and glaucoma, including activity limitations, driving, emotional well-being, reading, mobility, and social function. VR-QOL concerns were largely consistent among those with severe PFL due to RP and glaucoma. These overarching themes contained content relevant to specific challenges related to severe PFL. Conclusions There are commonly occurring VR-QOL concerns among individuals with severe PFL due to RP and glaucoma. The outlined themes will serve as the basis for development of the Low Vision Severely Constricted Peripheral Eyesight (LV-SCOPE) Questionnaire.

scholarly journals Key Factors Contributing to Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients in Latvia: Supplementing Quantitative Surveys with Qualitative Interviews

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnese Dzērvīte ◽  
Maruta Pranka ◽  
Tana Lace ◽  
Ritma Rungule ◽  
Edvins Miklasevics ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Key Factors

Summary Introduction. Health related quality of life is a much debated topic in medicine with much quantitative and qualitative research contributing to the understanding of how to improve the lives of patients, yet little has been published in relation to the quality of life of Latvian breast cancer patients. Aim of the Study. To gather base measurements of subjective and objective quality of life factors for breast cancer patients in Latvia and discover which key factors contribute most to quality of life of Latvian breast cancer patients at the start of treatment. Materials and Methods. This paper presents data collected from April 2010 to June 2011 at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University hospital on key factors influencing quality of life for breast cancer patients: health and physical well-being; state of surroundings and environment; social support and functionality; financial state, employment and leisure. Quantitative survey material has been supplemented with insight from qualitative in-depth interviews to better explain the objective and subjective implications for breast cancer patients’ quality of life. Results. Interviewed breast cancer patients rated their quality of life as being average or good at the beginning of treatment. Negative factors contributing to lowered quality of life were mainly linked to patient financial, social and emotional state at the first weeks of treatment and correspond to previous research done in Latvia on quality of life issues. Conclusions. Further follow-up surveys will contribute to the evaluation of breast cancer patients’ needs while undergoing treatment to further improve treatment strategies, especially if validated quality of life measurement surveys were to be implemented in Latvian hospitals.

Environmental Issues, Natural Resources, and Quality of Life

Modern Egypt ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce K. Rutherford ◽  
Jeannie L. Sowers
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Health And Well Being

How Do Environmental Problems Affect Egypt? Egypt faces grave environmental problems that negatively impact the health and well-being of its citizens and threaten the country’s unique natural and cultural heritages. Like many middle and low-income “developing” countries, Egypt must grapple with environmental problems associated with...

scholarly journals Factors That Influence Older Canadians’ Preferences for using Autonomous Vehicle Technology: A Structural Equation Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 2673 (1) ◽  
pp. 469-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hany M. Hassan ◽  
Mark R. Ferguson ◽  
Saiedeh Razavi ◽  
Brenda Vrkljan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Willingness To Use

Accessible and safe mobility is critical for those aged 65 years and older to maintain their health, quality of life, and well-being. Being able to move beyond one’s home and participate in activities in older adulthood requires consideration of both transportation needs and preferences. This paper aims to address a gap in evidence with respect to understanding factors that can affect older adults’ perceptions and willingness to use autonomous vehicles. In addition, it examines how these factors compare with those of younger adults to better understand the potential implications of this technology on mobility and quality of life. Using responses of those aged 65+ to a national survey of Canadians, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to identify and quantify factors significantly associated with older adults’ willingness to use autonomous vehicles. The SEM results suggest that factors such as using other modes of transit (e.g., sharing rides as passenger, bicycle, public transit, commuter rail, ride and car sharing) as well as distance traveled by automobile, income, gender (being male), and living in urban areas, were all positively associated with older adults’ perceptions of using autonomous driving features. The findings also suggest that older Canadians are more concerned about autonomous vehicles than younger Canadians. This study provides valuable insights into factors that can affect the preferences of Canadians when it comes to autonomous technology in their automobiles. Such results can inform the way in which transportation systems are designed to ensure the needs of users are considered across both age and ability.

scholarly journals Environmental issues of the Ljubljana urban region

Dela ◽  
2004 ◽  
pp. 567-579
Author(s):  
Metka Špes
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Green Areas

The main environmental problems of Ljubljana urban region which are obstacle of sustain-able development are presented in the paper, especially the main sources of air pollution and water manegment. Actual quality of life in urban environment is seen also in noise pollu-tion, quality and accessibility of green areas and in traffic. On the end the article discusses the attitudes of Ljubljana residents to environmental problems and quality of life in urban region.

The Impact of the Environment on Quality of Life and Mediating Effects of Sleep and Stress

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Chang ◽  
Frances K. Y. Wong ◽  
K. L. Chan ◽  
Fiona Y. Wong ◽  
H.C. Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Health Practices ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Environment is an independent factor affecting quality of life. Studies suggest that health practices consider having an impact on quality of life. The purpose of the present paper was to examine the association between environmental conditions and quality of life, and how individual health practices affected this association. Methods Participants aged 20 or above were recruited from 11 tertiary planning units in the centre of Kowloon. These tertiary planning units were selected as they represent the overall living environment in Hong Kong, with older poorer urban areas alongside relatively affluent districts. A mediation analysis was implemented using multiple linear regressions to examine the effects of environmental conditions on quality of life. The predictor variables included sociodemographic and environmental conditions, health practices and health service utilisation. Results Of the eligible 607 participants, 390 females and 217 males with a mean age of 47.4 were included for analysis. Physical, psychological and environmental factors were conducive and connected to quality of life. After adjusting for fruit and vegetable intake, gender, education level and chronic illness, perceived stress and sleep quality had significant mediating effects. Conclusion Environment is an important factor that affects the overall well-being of individuals. The interaction of environmental quality with individual variables, specifically stress and sleep is extremely important when assessing its impact on the quality of life. The findings of this study support the importance of individual stress and sleep in mediating the relationship between the environment and quality of life.

scholarly journals Blue-Green Smart Mobility Technologies as Readiness for Facing Tomorrow’s Urban Shock toward the World as a Better Place for Living (Case Studies: Songdo and Copenhagen)

Technologies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Hamid Doost Mohammadian ◽  
Fatemeh Rezaie
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Wave Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Sustainable Infrastructure ◽  
The World ◽  
Environment Sustainability

Nowadays, we are on the cusp of a future that will face many global challenges and crises, as well as unforeseeable shocks of tomorrow. The rapid growth and development of technology will bring forth exponential change that may challenge and threaten our human psychology. Solutions and policies are needed to deal with today’s challenges, tomorrow’s shocks, and global crises to preserve the world and mankind for the future. In this research, Blue-Green sustainable mobility technologies are introduced as a pathway to create modern sustainable and livable urban areas to tackle these challenges. Clean and inclusive mobility, based on Blue-Green and sustainable infrastructure, low emission greenhouse gases, ubiquitous computing, smartness and digitalization is realized as one of the keys that could make the world a better place for living. This research examines inclusive transportation technology, its indicators and its impacts on creating modern livable urban areas with high a quality of life as a pathway to navigate the cusp of tomorrow. Furthermore, the roles of technology such as Information Technology, Internet of Things, Internet of Business, Internet of Manufacturing, and Internet of Energy as technology tools to develop such mobility is investigated. Literature reviews, surveys, case studies—including Songdo as a ubiquitous city and Copenhagen as a digital and clean city—and revised versions of Kiwi and Kampenhood and BESQoL (built environment sustainability and quality of life) methodologies are the main methods in this study. New concepts of mobility technology and eventuating cultural synergies, as a readiness for facing tomorrow’s world crises with a higher quality of life and well-being by using the 5th wave theory, are discussed.

scholarly journals Influence of indoor hygrothermal conditions on human quality of life in social housing

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Soares ◽  
Sílvia Fraga ◽  
João M.P.Q. Delgado ◽  
Nuno M.M. Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentration ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Parameters

<em>Background</em>: Modern societies spend most of their time indoors, namely at home, and the indoor environment quality turns out to be a crucial factor to health, quality of life and well-being of the residents. The present study aims to understand how indoor environment relates with quality of life and how improving housing conditions impacts on individuals’ health. <br /><em>Design and Methods:</em> This study case will rely on the following assessments in both rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated social housing: i) field measurements, in social dwellings (namely temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, air velocity, air change rate, level of mould spores and energy consumption); ii) residents’ questionnaires on social, demogaphic, behavioural, health characteristics and quality of life. Also, iii) qualitative interviews performed with social housing residents from the rehabilitated houses, addressing the self-perception of living conditions and their influence in health status and quality of life. All the collected information will be combined and analysed in order to achieve the main objective. <br /><em>Expected impact:</em> It is expected to define a Predicted Human Life Quality (PHLQ) index, that combines physical parameters describing the indoor environment measured through engineering techniques with residents’ and neighbourhood quality of life characteristics assessed by health questionnaires. Improvement in social housing should be related with better health indicators and the new index might be an important tool contributing to enhance quality of life of the residents.

scholarly journals Locatıon Housıng Affordabılıty as an Indıcator for Qualıty of Lıfe in Malaysıa

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 247
Author(s):  
Mohd Azren Hassan ◽  
Hazlina Hamdan ◽  
Jamalunlaili Abdullah ◽  
Yusfida Ayu Abddullah
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Income Group ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Housing Affordability

To have a quality of life is the ability to own a house. Housing affordability affects the quality of life concerning household well-being and economic security. The research sets to evaluate the location housing affordability for the low-income group base on housing and transportation expenditures in urban areas. 148 respondents have interviewed and by using an integrated Location Housing Affordability, it had indicated that location does influence housing affordability. The findings showed the urban area for the low-income group is seriously unaffordable. “Location" should be part of affordable housing because it affects housing affordability thus concerning the quality of life.

scholarly journals Landscape Architecture and the Quality of Life : The Story of Relativity within the Transitional Settlements

10.36249/52.1 ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 2-13
Author(s):  
Andreja Tutundžić
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Living Standard

The quality of life and human well-being is often perceived differently, dependable on individuals and groups, as well as within contrasting socio-political circumstances, varying from the many concepts such as respecting the living standard based primarily on income to the benefits that society receives from ecosystems. From the early beginnings as a professional discipline, landscape architecture has been respecting the quality of life and human well-being to a great extent, as a subject of professional interest and accordingly, through approaches used to address it. While those goals are mostly the same, the engagement in the scope and complexity of the discipline is significantly increasing over the years, but still targeting the traditional paradigm - to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions and quality of life. However, the majority of the projects are predominantly dealing with urban areas and the life of the urban population related to the upper- and middle-class social groups. Contrary to the above considerations, there is a layer of social groups of those who are forced to leave their homes in the times of crises, either caused by natural disasters, but even more of those seeking sanctuary due to the political turbulences and wars. The consequences of those tragic events can be found within different communities, including refugee camps or transitional settlements. Those places bring poor living conditions, lack of space, and numerous environmental problems, where even just the provisioning and supporting categories of ecosystem services are dependable on the input of external factors while regulating and cultural categories seems to be almost out of question. This paper describes the results of the “e-scape. Transitional settlement” Project, organized by the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at American University in Beirut, in collaboration with the International Federation of Landscape Architecture. The goal of the project was to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions in the transitional settlements including the provision of even elementary ecosystem services in, at least, a bit greater extent. The additional intention was to broaden a methodology and guidelines of landscape architectural interventions within settlements resulting from conflict and natural disasters.

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