Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Study of the relationship between quality of life and socioeconomic status in Isfahan at 2011

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Mahmoud Keyvanara
. Behjat Yazd Khasti
. Marzie Rezaei Zadeh
. Fatemeh Modaber

Department of Sociology, Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract
Background: Quality of life (QOL) is one of the health indexes for which many efforts have been
made to define and measure during the last four decades of the 20th century in many countries.
This paper is aimed at studying the QOL in relation to socioeconomic status of the general
population of Isfahan in 1390. Materials and Methods: We applied a descriptive‑analytical and
sectional method. In this research, 385 women and men over 15 years of age from 14 regions of
Isfahan’s municipality were studied using multi‑stage quota sampling. We examined QOL using
the SF‑36 standard questionnaire, along with two domains of mental and physical health and
eight subscales within the validity domain of 65–90%. Social (81%) and economical (70%) status
was also measured by the questionnaire instrument in both objective and subjective domains
after confirming the validity and reliability of the instruments. The given data were analyzed by
SPSS 17 software and using descriptive and statistical tests. Results: The indicators of QOL
showed that a score deviation of the SF‑36 questionnaire in physical health (SD = 2.31) and
mental health (SD = 3.22) domains was obtained from the population. Of the eight subscales,
bodily pains and limitations on functioning as physical and mental had an inverse relationship
with socioeconomic status. However, physical health, mental health, social activities, public
health, and vitality had a significant positive relationship, including different strengths and
weaknesses, with socioeconomic status. Also, sexuality and housing status had no relationship
with QOL. Conclusion: There is a direct and significant relationship between quality of life and
socioeconomic status variables in Isfahan.

Keywords

Health
quality of life
socioeconomic status
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 5, Issue 5
Autumn 2015
Pages 1-5

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