Quality of life: The perspective of urban park recreation in three Asian cities

Abstract

Health and wellness is an important research topic in the area of parks, recreation, and tourism. Previous research has suggested that green spaces such as urban parks are associated with people's health and wellness, including their quality of life (QOL). Despite a recent proliferation of research on QOL and well-being in parks, recreation, and tourism, little has been conducted in a cross-cultural context. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the 26-item WHOQOL-BREF scale and demographics and behavioral variables among urban park users from three cities: Jakarta, Indonesia, Seoul, South Korea, and Taipei, Taiwan. In 2016, an on-site systematic selection sampling approach was employed and 608 useful surveys were obtained from park users. Two hierarchical exploratory factor analyses and a reliability analysis were employed to find interpretable dimensions of QOL in the context of urban parks and recreation. The results revealed a three-factor solution. The first factor, life satisfaction, had six items; the second, physical condition, had three items; and the third, self-satisfaction, contained three items. These factors were verified and tested with a sequence of demographics and behavioral variables. The results demonstrated that QOL was significantly related to the demographics and behavioral variables. The findings have implications for management and policymaking in urban parks and recreation. Managers may tailor their services to enhance QOL according to the diverse backgrounds of urban inhabitants and park users. Discussion and suggestions for future research are also provided. Management implicationsThe dimensions and factor patterns describing the role of parks for the quality of life cannot be transferred from urban parks in North America to Asian cities such as Jakarta, Seoul or Taipei. The comparison reveals significant cultural differences even between these three cities.Park managers need to consider a heterogeneous profile of urban park users. The findings suggest that frequency of visit and length of stay have positive effects on the self-reported quality of life.