Quality of Life and Self-Related Health among Adults Aged 60 and Older in Ten Major World Metropolises

J. Scott Brown, Miami University
Xi Pan, Miami University
Jasleen Chahal, Miami University
Anthony Bardo, Miami University
Scott M. Lynch, Princeton University

Self-rated health (SRH) is a subjective measure of well-being and physical health, and it is also often strongly associated with quality of life (QoL). However, the concept of quality of life can be interpreted quite differently across different cultures. To date, our understanding of QoL measures is predominantly based upon studies conducted in western, industrialized nations as is the association between QoL and SRH. Yet, there is reason to believe that measures of QoL and their association with measures of well-being such as SRH, may vary in their meaning across different cultures. In the current study, we use data from Assessing Happiness and Competitiveness of World Major Metropolises, 2006 to assess consistency of measurement of a set of QoL indicators among adults aged 60 and older in 10 world major metropolises and to examine the relationship between SRH and QoL in each of these geographic contexts.