Given that quality of life is rapidly becoming the norm in evaluating outcomes in healthcare, psychology, public policy, and even organisational development, it is worth exploring it extensively and understanding how it might be best utilised.

But what exactly does “quality of life” mean?

Quality of life represents a multidimensional concept that goes beyond physical health or even economic indicators. It’s a complex interplay of physical wellbeing, psychological state, social relationships, environmental factors, and personal beliefs – all working together to create an individual’s perception of their position in life.

Quality of life definition: A broad concept encompassing a person’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs, and relationship to their environment.

To put it simply, it measures how happy, comfortable, and involved people feel in their daily lives. It looks at different factors to help understand their overall well-being.

So, where does the quality of life questionnaire come into play?

A quality of life survey serves as a systematic tool to assess how individuals perceive their happiness, comfort, and ability to participate meaningfully in life events. These surveys collect data on multiple parameters that collectively determine wellbeing, providing valuable insights.

Keep reading for a comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about Quality of Life (QoL) and questions you need to be asking to get the best results.

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Quality of Life: All You Need to Know

What is Meant by Quality of Life
Quality of Life Questionnaire: Definition & Implications.
How is Quality of Life Measured?
Quality of Life Questionnaire: Best Practises
Wrapping Up

What is Meant by Quality of Life?

QoL does not mean wealth or achievements; it refers to an individual’s feeling about his own condition as well as satisfaction with life.

It includes features like security, liberty, well-being, convenience and more intimate things such as accomplishments, growth and relations. For each individual the quality of his/her living is strikingly unique and changes over time due to changing circumstances. The subjective nature of evaluating QoL often makes this measure idiosyncratic and intricate since it relies on self-reports by individuals themselves. In many fields such as healthcare, economics, psychology or public policies for example understanding and enhancing QoL can be seen as important objectives.

What is a Quality of Life Questionnaire

Quality of life survey (or Quality of life questionnaire) assesses an individual’s perception of their happiness (or unhappiness) in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns.

In other words, a quality-of-life questionnaire collects data on parameters that determine the degree to which an individual is healthy, comfortable, and able to participate in or enjoy life events. Some of the standard indicators of quality of life include physical and mental health, education, employment and wealth, social belonging, and safety.

What are the Key Indicators in a Quality of Life Survey?

Based on several academic research and initiatives, ten dimensions have been identified that contribute to the overall well-being of a person. Hence, while creating a framework for your quality of life survey questionnaire, it is essential to cover these domains. Each of them has been explained down below-

Employment
Education
Health
Recreation &Social Interaction
Physical safety
Governance and basic rights
Natural and living environments
Overall experience of life
Ethnicity
Gender

Here’s how quality of life assessment is done using a quality of life questionnaire.

Quality of Life Survey Questions

#1. Employment

Assessing the effect of income, consumption, and working life is particularly important in gauging the overall quality of life. This is considering that work-related problems such as job dissatisfaction, workplace injury, discrimination, or unexpected loss of income can cause significant distress and hardship.

Examples of employment-related QOL survey questions

1. Are you currently employed?

Employed for wages
Self-employed
Out of work and looking for work
Out of work but not currently looking for work
Unable to work

2. What is your total household income?

Less than $10,000
$10,000 to $20,000
$21,000 to $30,00
$31,000 to $40,000
$41,000 to $50,000
More than $50,000 but less than $100,000
$100,000 or more

3. Do you have income from any sources other than salary?

Yes
No
Prefer not to say

4. Is your current job in alignment with your career goals?

5. Do you have career growth and development opportunities at this organization?

6. Does your job give you the flexibility to meet the needs of your personal life?

#2. Education

It is no secret that education is a crucial proponent in the overall development of an individual.

According to the growing body of research, adults with higher educational attainment enjoy better health and lifespans compared to their less-educated peers. On the other hand, people with limited skills and competencies face risks of social exclusion and are less likely to participate in civic life.

Example of education-related QOL survey questions

1. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed?

High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent
Vocational training
Associate degree
Bachelor’s degree
Master’s degree
Doctorate degree

#3. Health

Our health affects how we think, act and feel. It determines how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Being physically and mentally healthy is integral to living a full, satisfying, and productive life. Thus, it is of utmost importance that you explore health-related quality of life (HRQOL) on your survey/questionnaire.

quality of life health survey

Examples of health-related QOL survey questions

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how healthy do you consider yourself?

2. In your opinion, in what capacity can you perform everyday activities?

Excellent capacity
Moderate capacity
Severely impaired capacity
Completely impaired capacity

3. Do you have any hereditary conditions/diseases?

Yes. If yes, specify
No

4. Are you habituated to drugs and alcohol?

Yes to both
Only to drugs
Only to alcohol
Neither

5. How often do you get a health checkup?

Every three months
Every six months
Once a year
Only when required

6. Overall, how do you rate the local hospitals in your area?

7. How would you evaluate your overall health?

8. Which health insurance coverage provider are you currently enrolled with?

9. Has a lack of health insurance coverage made you consider one of the following?

Skip/postpone a doctor’s appointment
Cancel a doctor’s appointment
Not purchase medicine
Delay treatment

10. Have you ever been dropped out of coverage after a diagnosis of any illness?

Yes
No

#4. Recreation and Social Interaction

The role of recreation activities and social interaction is indispensable as far as quality of life is concerned. It has been found that people who engage in social activities build positive relationships, acquire additional skills, and experience higher levels of perceived quality of life.

Examples of recreation/ social interaction QOL survey questions

1. How far are you from the nearest settlement area?

Less than 5 km
5-10 km
10-15 km
20-25 km
25-30 km
30km or more

2. Are you currently involved in a socially active environment? Check all that applies

School
Active Work Environment
Gym
Recreational Club
Other, please specify

3. How often do you meet new people on average per month?

All the time
Sometime
Occasionally
Not often
Very rarely

4. What types of leisure activities do you participate in? (check all that apply to you )

Dance/ Fitness
Sports/ Coaching
Creative Arts Hobbies
Volunteering
Gardening
Swimming
Theatre/Drama
Walking/Hiking
Cycling
Other (please specify)

QoL

5. What barriers prevent you from participating in leisure activities? (Select all that applies)

Not enough time at disposal
Cost involved
Not interested
Other (please specify)

#5. Physical safety

It is critical that we have a safe and secure environment that is free from any immediate hazards or acts of violence. To thrive and connect meaningfully with the people around us, we also require an absence of harm or injury.

Examples of physical safety-related survey questions

1. Rate how strongly you feel about security in your community

2. In the past year, have you been a victim of any crime in your community

3. Which of these contributes to your top three security concerns?

4. What if anything, do you think, could be done to increase your physical safety?

#6. Governance and basic rights

Good governance is key in determining the quality of life. Having a government that is transparent, accountable, and responsible ensures effective and sustainable utilization of available resources.

More specifically, it can reduce risks, unlock new opportunities, and foster trust.

Examples of physical safety-related survey questions

1. How satisfied are you with the overall quality of town services

Extremely satisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Not very satisfied
Not at all satisfied

2. What type of infrastructure improvement is your highest priority?

Public Transit Networks
Paths to connect neighborhoods and popular destinations
Bike Trails and Bike Lanes
Parks / Recreation Facilities
Community Centers
Commercial / Business Centers
Water / Sewer Systems
Other

3. Overall, how well informed do you feel about what protections and obligations you have under laws in your city?

Very informed
Somewhat informed
Not very informed
Not at all informed

4. How important is using “green initiatives,” which focus on maintaining a sustainable, natural environment, in the long-term planning process?

Very Important
Somewhat Important
Not Very Important
Not At All Important

#7. Natural and living environment

Everything from the house, city, and the state you live in, to the weather in your area, the social climate, and your work environment can affect your quality of life.

These have a significant impact on your well-being—both physically and mentally. So, it makes sense to take a closer look at how the environment affects an individual.

Examples of environment-related QOL survey questions

1. How often do you recycle?

Always
Most of the time
Once in a while
Never

2. Should the government laws restricting pollution be-

Much more strict
Slightly less strict
About as strict as they are now

3. Which of the following alternative energy sources do you think would you be comfortable switching to in the next five years

Wind
Ethanol
Solar
Natural Gas
Other

4. How willing are you to change your lifestyle to reduce the damage caused to the environment?

Extremely willing
Somewhat willing
Not so willing
Not at all willing

#8. The overall experience of life

Quality of life is very much dependent on the level of satisfaction around multiple aspects of living conditions, monetary and mental stability, social belonging, safety and security, and freedom, at large.

Thus, the QOL survey should consist of questions that will ask the respondent about their overall level of satisfaction with the living conditions.

Other Factors that Influence Quality of Life

#9. Ethnicity

Their racial identity and ethnicity very much shape the social experiences of an individual. There still exists racial bias that fuels social exclusion, discrimination, and violence against people from certain social groups.

Hence it’s imperative that while gauging the quality of life, this aspect is taken into account.

1. What is your ethnicity?

American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White

#10. Gender

Believe it or not, an individual’s gender affects their life satisfaction and quality of life at large. Gender roles imposed by society determine how we act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves based upon our assigned sex.

1. Which gender do you identify yourself as

Male
Female
Transgender
Gender variant/non-conforming
Other, please specify
Prefer not to answer

2. In the past year, have you experienced any discrimination or been treated unfairly by others because of…

Age
Sexual orientation
Disability, if any
Political beliefs
Other( please specify)
No, I have never been discriminated against

How is Quality of Life (QoL) Measured?

Quality of Life (QoL) is typically measured using standardized quality of life questionnaires or instruments that evaluate multiple life domains. While the specific domains measured can vary, they often include physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment.

In healthcare, for example, there are disease-specific QoL measures such as the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) or the Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) measure. These are tailored to assess the impact of a particular disease on a person’s quality of life.

In more general terms, the World Health Organization developed the WHOQOL-BREF, a shortened version of the original instrument (WHOQOL-100), which measures QoL across 26 items, giving a broad view of a person’s perceived well-being.

Instruments like the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), which measures overall life satisfaction, and the EQ-5D, a standardized instrument for measuring generic health status, are also available.

Quality of Life Questionnaire: Best Practices

When creating your next quality of life survey questionnaire, keep these pointers in mind –

1. Lay down the purpose of your survey

The first and foremost step in creating any survey is laying down the purpose of your survey. In other words, identify why, exactly, you want to create a survey in the first place. A concise and focused objective can help you ask the right questions and thus, gain better insights.

2. Make every question count

You’re building your survey to obtain important insights. So every question you ask must relate directly to your research goals. Therefore, it’s best to plan your survey well in advance by first identifying the data you need to collect – and then subsequently framing your quality of life survey questions.

3. Ask relevant questions

To ensure good response rates on your survey, it is important to keep your QOL survey short and keep your respondents focused by only showing the questions that directly apply to them. You can make use of Skip Logic to create a more personalized experience for the survey takers.

4. Avoid biased questions

Even though you may not intend to, there’s a chance that certain words and phrases you use end up causing response bias and inevitably skew the survey results. To avoid this, it’s best to keep your questions focused and limited with only as much wording as a respondent needs to give an informed answer.

Related: Want to know some other survey best practices that will nudge your respondents to take your survey and give you accurate answers? Check out this blog post.

Wrapping up

At a time when the quality of life surveys seem to be fast catching on, having a QOL assessment tool such as SurveySparrow will help you craft in-depth questionnaires and drill down the responses to whatever level of domain specificity you want.

If you wish to elevate your research process a step further, an audience panel that offers a custom-profiled audience could be just what you need.

If you’re wondering whether SurveySparrow is the right fit for you and would rather have someone walk you through our platform, reach out to us for a free, personalized demo!

Quality of Life Questionnaire: 35+ Essential Questions & Best Practices