Most of us, however, include good health, good friends, loving relationships, and some degree of creature comforts in the factors they assess. It may sound distasteful, but the money we have and the ways we get it have a big role in many of the factors that make up quality of life. The country ranks highly in healthcare, cost of living, and low pollution. Its real GDP in 2023 was $321.1 billion, with services making up 69% of GDP.
For many of us, it determines our degree of satisfaction with half of our waking hours. Add in the importance of a paycheck and it affects many other aspects of our lives. Quality of life is closely linked to financial factors beyond basic needs like food and shelter. More money often means access to greater comfort, freedom from many anxieties, and an optimistic outlook for the future. Researchers use assessments (interviews, surveys, questionnaires, scales) and symptom tracking to help determine life quality. Other times, researchers take a multi-perspective approach, collecting feedback from patients, their caregivers, clinicians and observers, health-related devices, and other sources.
The term “health-related quality of life” (HRQoL) narrows QoL to quality of life definition aspects relevant to health. However, HRQoL is a comprehensive and complex concept for which no universally accepted definition is available (Fayers & Machin, 2000). First, it is a multidimensional concept that can be viewed as a latent construct which describes the physical, role functioning, social, and psychological aspects of well-being and functioning (Bullinger, 1991; Calman, 1987; Spilker, 1990). Second, in contrast to QoL, HRQoL can include both objective and subjective perspectives in each domain (Testa & Simonson,… Quality of life refers to the overall well-being and satisfaction an individual or a society experiences, encompassing factors beyond just economic measures like GDP. It considers the broader aspects of human life, including physical, mental, social, and environmental components that contribute to an individual’s or a community’s overall sense of well-being and fulfillment.
Definitions & Translations
The term quality of life is also used by politicians and economists to measure the livability of a given city or nation. Two widely known measures of livability are the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Where-to-be-born Index and Mercer’s Quality of Living Reports. These two measures calculate the livability of countries and cities around the world, respectively, through a combination of subjective life-satisfaction surveys and objective determinants of quality of life such as divorce rates, safety, and infrastructure.
Parameters that are going to play a part in the standard of living differ based on personal inclinations that individuals have. In another article, we have discussed the concept of Social Well Being in Geography. We concluded that social well being is a very generic concept and its perception varies from person to person.
WHOQOL-BREF additional files
- The concept of Quality of Life (QoL) refers broadly to the general well-being of individuals and societies, encompassing not only material well-being but also aspects of existence deemed desirable.
- Quality of life refers to the overall well-being and satisfaction an individual experiences in various aspects of their life, including physical, mental, social, and emotional dimensions.
- All interprofessional healthcare team members, including clinicians, mid-level practitioners, specialists, nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals, therapists, and other ancillary healthcare personnel, must recognize the concept of quality of life.
- The latest version of the index, based on a survey of 5,000 Americans, concludes that Delaware residents have the highest life satisfaction, while Oregon residents are in last place.
- Pallipedia urges health care providers and patients to always consult other relevant and up-to-date experts.
Andy Smith is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), licensed realtor and educator with over 35 years of diverse financial management experience. He is an expert on personal finance, corporate finance and real estate and has assisted thousands of clients in meeting their financial goals over his career. Together, we are creating a future in which patient perspective is integral to health research, care and policy. Researchers, clinicians, patients, health policy experts, and others with a vested interest in health care study ways for people around the world to assess and improve their HRQL.
- The measurement of quality of life incorporates the subjective views of the patient directly and can provide health care professionals with information that can supplement or, on occasion, contradict traditional assessments.
