Community Quality Of Life Research Articles

Talking Sport or Talking Balls? Realising the Value of Sports Heritage

Sport is an integral part of British culture and an important aspect of modern life, yet it hardly seems to figure in the nation's heritage equation. Our sporting heritage is part of the wider cultural landscape; it has associations that mean a great deal to people of all ages, and it contributes strongly to the overall quality of life. So why is it not more visible on the historic environment agenda? This paper argues that sports heritage is a legitimate subject for research. It takes as its focus the results of a recent pilot study on historic sports places in Manchester and what sports heritage means to the people of that city. Understanding what sports heritage has to offer helps to identify where sport and heritage interests can work together to enhance the value of places and improve the quality of life for communities and society as a whole. Research in this area offers new opportunities to work across the social and cultural spectrum in meeting the government's objectives for regeneration, education and healthy living.

Student volunteers: embarking on a career in development

Channelling the skills, enthusiasm and hard work of students into meaningful projects to enhance quality of life for communities in the developing world is the main aim of Engineers Without Borders. Now in the UK, the organisation works to provide ways and means of bringing projects and students together to produce qualified and experienced development professionals. It is still early days but the interest from engineering students and the success of initial projects is already significant. This paper explains the aims and activities of the organisation, outlines the urgent need for development engineering in the effort to avert future human suffering and gives examples of what can be achieved.

Student volunteers: embarking on a career in development

Channelling the skills, enthusiasm and hard work of students into meaningful projects to enhance quality of life for communities in the developing world is the main aim of Engineers Without Borders. Now in the UK, the organisation works to provide ways and means of bringing projects and students together to produce qualified and experienced development professionals. It is still early days but the interest from engineering students and the success of initial projects is already significant. This paper explains the aims and activities of the organisation, outlines the urgent need for development engineering in the effort to avert future human suffering and gives examples of what can be achieved.

Living with achondroplasia: attitudes toward population screening and correlation with quality of life.

Since the discovery of the gene that causes achondroplasia, population-wide prenatal screening for this condition has become a possibility. This study sought to assess attitudes toward screening for achondroplasia and correlation with quality of life in a population of individuals affected with achondroplasia and first-degree relatives. Surveys were collected from 189 individuals affected with achondroplasia and 136 average-statured first-degree relatives. While 87% of all respondents would support the use of prenatal screening by affected parents at risk of having a fetus with the homozygous, lethal form of achondroplasia, 29% would support general population prenatal screening for achondroplasia. Attitudes supporting general population screening were more likely to be held by those people with less education, who were affected with achondroplasia, who supported abortion, and who believed that achondroplasia is a serious condition without any accompanying advantages (p<0.01). Those respondents who felt positively toward offering the prenatal test for individuals at risk for homozygous achondroplasia were more likely to have lower mean quality of life scores and to support abortion in general (p<0.05). These data suggest that opinions about prenatal screening are heterogeneous within this study population and are related to individuals' experiences and perceptions of the condition. Future research is needed to assess attitudes toward population screening and quality of life in communities of individuals affected with genetic conditions, both to support policy decisions and to inform the education and counseling provided in the prenatal setting.

Beyond Semantics and the Immediate Postdisaster Period: Community Quality of Life as an Overarching Theme for Sustaining Collective Action

The concept of “quality of life” has broad appeal to a variety of professions and disciplines, with increasing centrality to local sustainability. This paper highlights the negative impacts of disasters on quality of life in communities, which are defined as encompassing small neighborhoods to regions. This paper also describes a set of indicators that can be used to assess changes in community quality of life. A matrix of opportunities for enhancing quality of life and promoting tenets of sustainability during the postdisaster recovery period is presented as well as examples of success in communities throughout the United States. The paper concludes that quality of life can serve as the guiding principle for sustainable redevelopment, given its centrality to other ongoing community planning and development initiatives and goals.

Citizen Surveys on the Web

Experiments were conducted in two cities comparing web and mail surveys seeking resident attitudes about city services, quality of community life and local policies. Web participants were recruited the same way as mail participants, through a probability sample of addresses, but web recruits were mailed the survey URL instead of the questionnaire. Response rates, respondent demographic characteristics, use of “Don’t Know” and mean responses as well as response variability were compared. Although in each city, response rates were much lower for the web participants, and web respondents had different demographic characteristics and tendencies to be opinionated compared to mail respondents, the variability and means of results were quite similar for the two survey groups. Differences between web responses and mail responses also were similar in both cities. Despite coverage limitations, web administration may have limited utility for citizen surveys where political and technical barriers can be overcome.

Fear of Crime Among Residents of Three Communities in Accra, Ghana

The current literature on fear of crime in Africa is limited because of the almost exclusive focus on the United States and other Western nations. In Ghana, very little is known about the extent of and the predictors of fear of crime. In this study, an initial attempt is made to assess the determinants of fear of crime at the community-level in Accra. A slightly modified version of the United States’ National Criminal Victimization Survey (Community Policing Questionnaire supplement) was used to collect data from 208 residents in three communities. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses results show that gender, education, age, satisfaction with quality of life in community, type of community, and indirect victimization are significant predictors. However, direct victimization, satisfaction with local police, and “incivilities” in the community are not significant predictors. The results from this study indicate the importance of both individual-level and community-level factors in understanding the fear of crime in the three communities.

A Par Approach to Quality of Life: Modeling Health Through Participation

Health is a fundamental component of quality of life. How one defines what constitutes health affects the extent to which we understand its impacts on quality of life in communities. In this paper an expanded model of health which uses a participatory action approach will be proposed. This will be accomplished by: (1) briefly outlining the Canadian government’s changing vision of health; (2) examining core concepts related to participatory action research; (3) using a case example of a First Nation community in Northern Alberta to demonstrate the importance of the interrelationship between research and action in understanding the determinants of health and quality of life.

Family volunteering: Making a difference together

This paper discusses the implementation and evaluation of a family volunteering program. This initiative uses a broad definition of family working together to enrich the lives of others, strengthen family ties, and improve the quality of community life. Two families participated by volunteering together at a seniors’ centre. Summative evaluation of the pilot, and interviews conducted one year later, suggests that the participants experienced beneficial effects. Their experiences were described as enjoyable, meaningful, and integrative; as well, it inspired motivation to incorporate volunteering into the lives of others. This pilot confirms family volunteering successfully combines community service and leisure into a gratifying and worthwhile activity for participants of all ages, extending the customary boundaries of the concept of family recreation.

Community Quality of Life in Low-Income Neighborhoods: Findings From Two Contrasting Communities in Toronto, Canada

An inquiry into community quality of life was carried out in a framework that recognizes the role that community structures play in individual health and well-being. Through use of focus groups and key informant interviews, community members, service providers, and elected representatives in a housing-geared-to-income Toronto community considered aspects of their community that affect quality of life. Findings about the importance of access to amenities, caring and concerned people, community agencies, low-cost housing, and public transportation were similar to those obtained in another Toronto community. Differences between these communities were apparent and related to the physical and demographic make-up of the community and the presence of community agencies and services. The relationship of these findings to the social determinants of health and social capital literature was considered, as were implications for community developers.

Making the links between community structure and individual well-being: community quality of life in Riverdale, Toronto, Canada

An inquiry into community quality of life was carried out within a framework that recognizes the complex relationship between community structures and individual well-being. Through use of focus groups and key informant interviews, community members, service providers, and elected representatives in a Toronto community considered aspects of their community that affected quality of life. Community members identified strengths of access to amenities, caring and concerned people, community agencies, low-cost housing, and public transportation. Service providers and elected representatives recognized diversity, community agencies and resources, and presence of culturally relevant food stores and services as strengths. At one level, findings were consistent with emerging concepts of social capital. At another level, threats to the community were considered in relation to the hypothesized role neo-liberalism plays in weakening the welfare state.

Developing the Quality of (Working) Life in a Community - The Case of a French Region

The ergonomics and sociotechnical systems field has made a number of contributions to the improvement of quality of working life. Most of the contributions have tackled single organizations. Recently, ergonomists and sociotechnical system specialists have contributed to the quality of life in communities (i.e. the Community Ergonomics movement). In this paper, we present the case of a French region in which various efforts have been implemented to foster economic development and increase quality in the community. At the center of these efforts are the organizations of the region (both public and private organizations) and the linkages between those organizations. This case study is analyzed in light of models of job development and work design, in particular participatory approaches.

Epidemiology of participation: an Australian community study

STUDY OBJECTIVETo determine the levels of participation in social and civic community life in a metropolitan region, and to assess differential levels of participation according to demographic, socioeonomic and health...

Helping people help themselves

Through water‐related projects and other development efforts, Water For People is improving the quality of life in communities worldwide.In 1991, AWWA established the nonprofit international development organization Water For People (WFP) with the mission of improving lives worldwide through drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene projects. Since then, nearly 400 WFP projects have been completed, benefiting rural and urban communities in 38 developing and transitioning countries. To be eligible, projects must address critical needs, use appropriate technology and local materials, and be sustainable by the community. To facilitate projects and make the most of limited funding and resources, WFP partners with indigenous private institutions, public agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. As WFP enters a new century, the organization is evolving to meet the changing needs of communities and investing more in education, training, and basic skills to help people help themselves.

The Community Quality of Life Project: a health promotion approach to understanding communities

SUMMARY An approach that considers community quality of life is described. The approach draws upon recent developments in health promotion and quality of life, and applies these concepts within a community-based health promotion framework. The approach draws upon developments in the social indicators and urban quality areas, as well as contemporary Healthy Cities and population health work. It operates within the naturalistic or qualitative inquiry paradigm and strives to be community based through use of a participatory and collaborative methodology. Community members, service providers and elected representatives within two Metropolitan Toronto communities were asked to consider community factors that affect community members’ quality of life. Their statements and comments were analysed to identify themes. These findings were used to construct case studies of each community. The value of our methodology is considered, and initial findings presented.

Crime scene responders: the imperative sequential steps.

Investigation of the modern major crime scene is no longer an isolated endeavor confined to law enforcement. Recent advances in forensic science, especially forensic nursing, and the recognized need to include a broad range of professionals in the quest for justice and the quality of community life has demanded that the examination of major crimes requires a multidisciplinary team approach. This article documents the necessity for searching major crime scenes in a strictly sequential manner and outlines the procedures to be taken in each step. Emphasized in this article are the roles of a variety of professionals that, when acting in a coordinated and cooperative manner, may better serve the public.

Transforming policy through local wisdom

The powerful forces of technology, the global economy, and demographic changes are reshaping how people live and how communities function all around the world. Many observers are concerned about the impact of these forces on the quality of life in communities and people's ability to mitigate the negative impacts associated with rapid social and economic transformation. Indeed, confidence has waned in the ability of established institutions and governments to respond to these challenges. Local communities are meeting these future challenges by tapping the wisdom and energy of their neighbors and together, forging relationships and building upon the assets in their environments. In short, they are building community. Their work pushes government and more established institutions to think differently about how to create opportunities, achieve equity and improve lives. This essay illustrates how inserting the community building approach into policymaking can produce better policies that reflect the wisdom, experience and voice of local constituencies and proposes a strategy for improving policymaking by transforming the policy process itself into one that builds community.

Coping With Chemicals: Blacks, Whites, Planners, and Industrial Pollution

The environmental justice movement has focused national attention on alleged inequities in the way hazardous industrial facilities are sited and regulated, but has paid less attention to the consequences of pollution for the quality of life in industrialized areas. This article examines racial differences in how people perceive pollution, how these perceptions affect their lives, and what planners can do about inequities in exposure to industrial pollution. Interviews with over 750 low- and moderate-income households show that black households are more concerned about industrial pollution than are white households. Anxiety about pollution translates into the perception that the quality of life in communities is deteriorating. Thus, black households who are exposed to industrial hazards suffer in two ways. Compared to white households they are more exposed to health hazards, and their heightened concerns translate into a lower quality of community life. Local government planners tend to view environmental pollution as a federal and state, rather than a local problem. But we suggest a number of important steps local planners can take in concert with the residents of industrialized areas that will reduce concern and lead to a better quality of life for all residents.

Techniques for Coordinating and Managing Growth

Growth management can be defined as the mitigation of the impacts of growth in order to improve or maintain the quality of life in a community. The quality of community life has traditionally meant dealing with traffic congestion, preserving open space, and maintaining air quality. The quality of life envisioned can only be articulated by the citizens who live and work in the community. Community values and goals as defined and explained in a community plan serve as the starting point for quantifying what makes up the quality of life. Traditionally, communities have successfully prepared their community plans and planned individual projects, yet have been unable to achieve the community plan goals. One approach to assist communities in avoiding this dilemma is to create a coordinated implementation strategy to ensure that the quality of life is not adversely affected by future growth. This approach creates a proactive system aimed at enabling the community to focus on the attainment of its' community vision as individual projects are reviewed and approved. By clearly articulating the values of the community and identifying those items that contribute to the quality of life through the creation of a growth‐management program (or strategy) and implementation plan, it is possible to establish an effective approach to manage future growth.

Predictors of 10-year change in physical, cognitive and social function in Japanese elderly

Data from the longitudinal Koganei Study, Japan, have been used to predict long-term rate of change in three aspects of quality of life in community living elderly: physical, cognitive and social functioning. Two hundred and forty of the initially 69–71-year-old individuals (75% of the survivors) participated in all three examinations which took place in 1976, 1981 and 1986. Physical function was expressed by mobility and grip strength, cognitive function by visual memory, and social function by six social activities. Rate of change was defined as the regression coefficient of each function on time for each individual. Predictors at baseline of subsequent rate of change were calculated using multiple regression models controlling for initial level of functioning. Several predictors were common to rate of change in more than one function: socio-economic status, activity level, aspects of life style and precursors of chronic disease such as stroke. Rates of change were also affected by specific living arrangements, which suggests culture-specific mechanisms. Despite the variety of patterns of change observed, these results provide some indication that decline in important aspects of quality of life can be prevented.