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Research Article
Individual Quality of Life and the Environment – Towards a Concept of Liveable Areas for Persons with Disabilities in Poland
Izabela Grabowska
Warsaw School of Economics
Corresponding Author
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Background
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities highlights the need to create proper socio-economic and political conditions for persons with disabilities, with a special focus on their immediate living conditions. According to the Convention, these conditions should be built to ensure that persons with disabilities have the potential to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL), and this principle is reflected in the notion of liveable areas. The crucial aspect of this framework is the relationship between the individual QoL and the environment, broadly understood as the socio-economic as well as the technical conditions in which persons with disabilities function.
Methods
The basic research problem was to assess the relationship between individual QoL for the population with disabilities as a dependent variable and liveability indicators as independent variables, controlling for individual characteristics. The study used a dataset from the EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) survey carried out in 2015 in Poland. The research concept involved several steps. First, we created a variable measuring the QoL for the entire population with disabilities. To measure the multidimensional QOL, we used Sen’s capability approach as a general concept, which was operationalised by the MIMIC (multiple indicators multiple causes) model. In the second step, we identified the liveability indicators available in the official statistics, and merged them with survey data. Finally, in the last step, we ran the regression analysis. We also checked the data for the nested structure.
Results
We confirmed that environmental conditions, defined as all conditions focused on creating liveable areas, played a significant role in shaping the QoL of persons with disabilities, and that this relationship held even after controlling for the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Moreover, we found that in addition to the general environmental conditions, the conditions created especially for persons with disabilities affected the QoL of these individuals.
Conclusions
The results illustrate the need to strengthen policies aimed at promoting the QoL of persons with disabilities by creating access to community assets and services that can contribute to improving the life chances of this population.
Keywords
quality of life, disability, liveability, MIMIC, capability approach
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CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
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Posted 21 Dec, 2020
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Reviewer #1 agreed
On 12 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 12 Jan, 2021
Reviewers invited
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Editor invited
On 18 Dec, 2020
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Public Health. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research Article
Individual Quality of Life and the Environment – Towards a Concept of Liveable Areas for Persons with Disabilities in Poland
Izabela Grabowska
Warsaw School of Economics
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 21 Dec, 2020
No community comments so far
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 12 Jan, 2021
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 12 Jan, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 11 Jan, 2021
Editor assigned
On 18 Dec, 2020
Editor invited
On 18 Dec, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 18 Dec, 2020
First submitted
On 11 Dec, 2020
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities highlights the need to create proper socio-economic and political conditions for persons with disabilities, with a special focus on their immediate living conditions. According to the Convention, these conditions should be built to ensure that persons with disabilities have the potential to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL), and this principle is reflected in the notion of liveable areas. The crucial aspect of this framework is the relationship between the individual QoL and the environment, broadly understood as the socio-economic as well as the technical conditions in which persons with disabilities function.
Methods
The basic research problem was to assess the relationship between individual QoL for the population with disabilities as a dependent variable and liveability indicators as independent variables, controlling for individual characteristics. The study used a dataset from the EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) survey carried out in 2015 in Poland. The research concept involved several steps. First, we created a variable measuring the QoL for the entire population with disabilities. To measure the multidimensional QOL, we used Sen’s capability approach as a general concept, which was operationalised by the MIMIC (multiple indicators multiple causes) model. In the second step, we identified the liveability indicators available in the official statistics, and merged them with survey data. Finally, in the last step, we ran the regression analysis. We also checked the data for the nested structure.
Results
We confirmed that environmental conditions, defined as all conditions focused on creating liveable areas, played a significant role in shaping the QoL of persons with disabilities, and that this relationship held even after controlling for the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Moreover, we found that in addition to the general environmental conditions, the conditions created especially for persons with disabilities affected the QoL of these individuals.
Conclusions
The results illustrate the need to strengthen policies aimed at promoting the QoL of persons with disabilities by creating access to community assets and services that can contribute to improving the life chances of this population.
Figure 1
Figure 2