A subjective measurement of the determinants of quality of life in Kumasi

Abstract

The measurement of quality of life (QoL) can be used as an urban planning tool to address challenges confronting the management of urban centers. The results of such measurements may provide the required basis for  formulating future spatial and urban  planning policies. Using the city of Kumasi, this paper examines the  determinants of QoL of residents. This study surveyed 500 households. A subjective residents’ assessment of QoL and a Factor Analysis are performed to explore the determinants of QoL and their relative importance. The results show an acceptable goodness of fit, supporting the view that the main determinants of QoL are health, housing, economic status and neighborhood.

Keywords: Quality of life; Subjective quality of life; Domain satisfaction; Factor analysis; Kumasi.