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A Gender Lens on Quality of Life: The Role of Sense of Community, Perceived Social Support, Self-Reported Health and Income

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Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) refers to a subjective evaluation that is embedded in a cultural, social and environmental context. It is a multidimensional concept and its assessment covers four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment. Although many studies report on QoL, literature rarely addressed the question of the QoL predictors from a gender perspective. Present study aimed at investigating gender differences in the determinants of QoL. Specifically, gender was considered as a moderator in the relationship between predictors of QoL (i.e. socio-demographic characteristics, perceived health, income, social support and sense of community) and each dimension of QoL. 654 Italian adults participated in the study. Results show that men outscore women on the physical, the psychological and the environmental domains of QoL. Considering determinants of QoL, sense of community and self-reported health operate in a similar fashion for both genders. On the contrary, social support is more predictive for women’s QoL, whereas the income level is more significant for men’s QoL. Implications are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The research was funded by the Piedmont Region, in relation to the project “Report on health and welfare services in Piedmont” (with University of Piemonte Orientale).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy

    Chiara Rollero, Silvia Gattino & Norma De Piccoli

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  1. Chiara Rollero
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  2. Silvia Gattino
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  3. Norma De Piccoli
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Correspondence to Chiara Rollero.

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Rollero, C., Gattino, S. & De Piccoli, N. A Gender Lens on Quality of Life: The Role of Sense of Community, Perceived Social Support, Self-Reported Health and Income. Soc Indic Res 116, 887–898 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0316-9

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