ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that determine the environmental domain of quality of life in economically active adults living in the industrial agglomeration in Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted among the economically active population aged 45-60, we used a short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Respondents were recruited randomly from selected factories located in the Silesian Agglomeration. The statistical analysis used descriptive and analytical methods available in the Statistica 9.0 software. RESULTS: The results confirmed the statistically significant association between marital status, type of occupational activity, declared health status, and the environmental domain of quality of life in economically active inhabitants of the Silesian Agglomeration. The best qualities of life in the environmental domain were those of married people, white collars, and persons who declared their health status to be the best. CONCLUSIONS: The major determinants of environmental quality of life in economically active population living in the industrial agglomeration include non-occupational factors, such as marital status and current health status, while a significantly better quality of life was associated with being a white-collar worker and not living in the vicinity of the road with heavy traffic. The results may be useful for future planned activities intended to improve the health and the quality of working life.
Subject(s)
Environmental Health , Environmental Illness/epidemiology , Health Status , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , Middle Aged , Poland/epidemiology , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the shorter version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire used in testing the quality of life among economically active adults in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The reliability of the results were evaluated on the basis of the compatibility of self-assessment of quality of life (question 1 of the questionnaire), with the total score obtained for all measured domains expressed in terms of Sten scores. The measure of compliance was calculated using weighted Cohen Kappa statistics. The study also evaluated the reliability of the individual domains of the quality of life based on Cronbach's alpha values. RESULTS: The shorter version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire is a reliable tool for assessing the quality of life among economically active adults in Poland. The reliability of the somatic, psychological and environmental domains is sufficient. However, the social domain may require additional questions to aid in better description of the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Furthermore, because some respondents' may have over-assessed their quality of life, a more liberal criteria may be a better option for assigning a particular Sten score to the appropriate category of quality of life. Such procedures may improve the compatibility of the results.
Subject(s)
Health Status , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adult , Cultural Characteristics , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Poland , Reproducibility of Results , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Among the most important determinants of quality of life are socio-economic factors, including economic activity and support of family, environmental and indoor related factors, infrastructure and air quality. The aim of this publication is to identify the factors that determine the quality of life of economically active adults in the industrial agglomeration of Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out among the economically active population of the Silesian Agglomeration. A short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to ascertain the quality of life of individuals. Furthermore, the software Statistica 9.0 was used to provide analytical and descriptive statistical data. The influence of age, gender, education, type of activity and living environment were used to assess the quality of life in the somatic, psychological, social and environmental domains. RESULTS: It was found that among the important determinants of quality of life in economically active population, aged 45-60 years, living in the industrial agglomeration, were primarily marital status, education level and the current state of health. The data evidenced the worst quality of life among unmarried persons, persons with lower education levels and persons diagnosed with cardio- or respiratory diseases. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to develop health conducive behavior among workers by providing training cycles with the involvement of staff supervising occupational health and safety. These types of actions can contribute to improving the quality of life of the working population.
