The inclusion of happiness in multidimensional studies of the quality of life

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-57
Author(s):  
Wiesława Gierańczyk ◽  
Marzena Leszczyńska

The objective of the article is to present the complexity and diversity of methodical approaches to study the quality of life, including the category of happiness. An attempt was made to quantify the subjective quality of life based on Polish research, among others, Social Cohesion Research (BSS, conducted since 2011), European Survey of Living Conditions (EU-SILC, since 2005) and Social Diagnosis (DS, from 2000) and international research, among others Gross National Happiness (GNH, from 1972), European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS, since 2003), European Social Survey (ESS, since 2002) and Measurement of National Welfare, implemented by the Office for Nation-al Statistics in Great Britain (ONS, from 2010). The analyzes carried out show that the researchers did not accept one valid definition of happiness; there is also no one way to measure it. Common approaches to studying the problems of happiness include the conviction that the quality of life and the sense of happiness of citizens are the same priority as measurable economic problems.

Author(s):  
M. Bondarenko ◽  
S. Babenko ◽  
O. Borovskiy

The present article highlights the results of social cohesion study fulfilled on datasets collected during the sixth wave of the European Social Survey. The conducted study involved the explanation of the importance of social cohesion as a social phenomenon, caused by a paradigmatic shift of approaches to measuring the quality of life of societies. This involved the consideration of social cohesion as an important factor to measure the "social quality" of life. For this purpose, a technique implemented by Bertelsmann Stiftung was used, which was applied to available sixth wave of European Social Survey data, the latter, which included Ukraine, and further certified through the analysis of other additional sources. The study allowed to make a number of substantive conclusions about the level of social cohesion in Ukraine comparing to European countries and other countries of the world. Some recommendations for further research on social cohesion also have been given. The said phenomenon is important because it once can cover a wide range of socially important issues, being simultaneously at both the individual and the collective (macro) level of consciousness. The research of social cohesion highlights "problematic social spheres", so-called weak points of social relations, and conclusions provide knowledge about the direction, to which the efforts to improve the life of the society should be primarily directed.


Author(s):  
Christophe Emmanuel Premat

It is common to describe political identity using surveys that address cultural values. The construction of indicators by mixing answers to a set of questions then becomes a relevant method when taking a behavioral approach. Scholars such as Ronald Inglehart or Pippa Norris have been engaged in longitudinal studies using two important series of surveys; World Values Survey and European Social Survey Aggregate data enabled them to perceive strong trends in different societies in the world, which is why they linked the evolution of political identity with the shift of cultural values in western societies towards post-materialistic post-1970s. This finding might explain why citizens cared more about issues such as environmental protection, quality of life, and personal and cultural development instead of simply economic security, growth, and stability of power relations. The present study analyzes the repertoire of unconventional participation of European citizens with the data from European Social Survey.


2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 6) ◽  
pp. 284-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Pospěch ◽  
M. Delín ◽  
D. Spěšná

The paper deals with the quality of life in Czech rural areas and its measurement. The first part is focused on the introduction of the term “quality of life“, with particular emphasis on its analytic uses and the related issues. Building on the up to date research, we go on to conceptualize the term into seven groups of indicators. In the next part, we deal with living conditions in Czech rural areas and build our hypotheses, based upon them. We employ the methods of statistical analysis of the European Social Survey data to perform a rural vs. non-rural comparison for each of the seven dimensions identified. In the final part, we discuss the findings and match the conclusions with the current trends in Czech rural areas.


Author(s):  
Mark Oprenko

The definition of the multimorbidity concept reveals insufficient specificity of the comorbidity and multimorbidity definitions and, as a result, confusion in the use of these terms. Most authors are unanimous that the “core” of multimorbidity is presence of more than one disease in a patient. These coexisting diseases can be pathogenetically interconnected and non-interconnected. Regardless, the degree of multimorbidity always affects prognosis and quality of life.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
K. M. Gicas ◽  
C. Mejia-Lancheros ◽  
R. Nisenbaum ◽  
R. Wang ◽  
S. W. Hwang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background High rates of physical and mental health comorbidities are associated with functional impairment among persons who are homeless. Cognitive dysfunction is common, but how it contributes to various functional outcomes in this population has not been well investigated. This study examines how cognition covaries with community functioning and subjective quality of life over a 6-year period while accounting for the effects of risk and protective factors. Methods Participants were 349 homeless adults (mean age = 39.8) recruited from the Toronto site of the At Home/Chez Soi study, a large Canadian randomized control trial of Housing First. Participants completed up to four clinical evaluations over 6 years. Factor scores were created to index verbal learning and memory (vLM) and processing speed-cognitive flexibility (PSCF). The primary outcomes were community functioning and subjective quality of life. Risk factors included lifetime homelessness, mental health diagnoses, medical comorbidity, and childhood adversity. Linear mixed-effects models were conducted to examine cognition-functional outcome associations over time, with resilience as a moderator. Results Better vLM (b = 0.787, p = 0.010) and PSCF (b = 1.66, p < 0.001) were associated with better community functioning, but not with quality of life. Resilience conferred a protective effect on subjective quality of life (b = 1.45, p = 0.011) but did not moderate outcomes. Conclusions Our findings suggest a need to consider the unique determinants of community functioning and quality of life among homeless adults. Cognition should be prioritized as a key intervention target within existing service delivery models to optimize long-term functional outcomes.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Emília Martins ◽  
Rosina Fernandes ◽  
Francisco Mendes ◽  
Cátia Magalhães ◽  
Patrícia Araújo

BACKGROUND: The health-related quality of life construct (QoL) implies a relationship with eating habits (EA) and physical activity (PA). Sociodemographic and anthropometric variables (gender, age and Body Mass Index - BMI) are highlighted in the definition of healthy lifestyle habits promotion strategies. OBJECTIVE: We aim to characterize and relate PA, EA and QoL in children/youth and explore gender, age and BMI influences. METHODS: It is a non-experimental study, with 337 children/youth, ages between 8 and 17 years (12.61±2.96), mostly from the rural inland of Portugal. In data collection we used a sociodemographic and anthropometric questionnaire, a weekly register table of EA and Kid-Kindl (QoL). Statistical analysis (p <  0.05) were performed in SPSS-IBM 25. RESULTS: Lower BMI was associated with better EA (p <  0.001), PA (p <  0.05) and self-esteem (p <  0.01) and worse scores on family subscale of QoL. Female showed higher fruit intake (p <  0.05). The older has shown better results. PA is positively correlated with QoL (p <  0.01) and EA (p <  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is important to explore other relevant social and family dimensions, to promote intervention programs with parents, school and community, as well as healthy practices policies. The intervention in these age groups is critical for a longer-term impact in improving healthy life habits.


2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Chi Wu ◽  
Pesus Chou ◽  
Frank Huang-Chih Chou ◽  
Chao-Yueh Su ◽  
Kuan-Yi Tsai ◽  
...  

Objective: To investigate quality of life (QOL) and related risk factors in Taiwanese earthquake survivors diagnosed with different psychiatric disorders 3 years after the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. Method: This study was a population survey. Trained assistants used the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) and questionnaires to interview 405 respondents (189 men and 216 women) aged 16 years or older, who had been exposed to the earthquake. Psychiatrists interviewed the same respondents using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, with an adjusted response rate of 70.2%. Results: The prevalence range for psychiatric disorders in the earthquake survivors was 0.2–7.2% 3 years after the Chi-Chi earthquake, with rates for major depression (MD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of 6.4% and 4.4%, respectively. The QOL scores for the PTSD/MD group were lower than for the other two diagnostic groups, as determined by assessment of physical and mental aspects of functional integrity from MOS SF-36 scores. The predictors for poor QOL were age, female gender, economic problems, physical illness, subjective assessment of memory and social-activity decline and diagnosis of PTSD or MD. Conclusion: The QOL for earthquake survivors with psychiatric disorders, especially PTSD or MD, was inferior compared with the mentally healthy analogues, with contemporaneous decreases in mental and physical function scores across the QOL subscales. The persistence of long-term economic problems was one of many important factors affecting QOL.


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