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Construction and analysis of a composite quality of life index for a region of South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Fiona Tregenna
  • Talita Dalton-Greyling

Abstract

This study quantifies and analyses quality of life in the Gauteng City-Region of South Africa. First we adapt and extend a method used in research on market regulations to construct composite indices to the field of quality of life. In the adapted method we employ categorical principal components analysis suitable for the analysis of categorical data typically used in quality of life research. The newly constructed index is a comprehensive quality of life index, which includes objective and subjective as well as economic and non-economic indicators. This is the first composite index of its kind in South Africa. Second, this index is used to compare the quality of life of different demographic and socio-economic groups in the region. The quality of life scores of Africans, low income, female, older and urban informal dwellers are relatively low. Third, the explained variance of the dimensions of quality of life is compared across groups. The dimensions ‘housing and infrastructure’ and ‘social relationships’ explained the most variance for groups with lower and higher quality of life scores respectively. The results shed light on quality of life in this region, including the great unevenness of well-being. The study provides a basis for the measurement and analysis of quality of life in other regions and countries.
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Suggested Citation

  • Fiona Tregenna & Talita Dalton-Greyling, 2014. "Construction and analysis of a composite quality of life index for a region of South Africa," ERSA Working Paper Series 481, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    • Handle: RePEc:rza:ersawp:481
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    Cited by:

    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Rajko Tomaš, 2022. "Measurement of the Concentration of Potential Quality of Life in Local Communities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 79-109, August.
    3. Shinice Jackson & Derek Yu, 2023. "Re-examining the Multidimensional Poverty Index of South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 1-25, February.
    4. Naveen P Singh & Bhawna Anand & Surendra Singh & S K Srivastava & Ch Srinivasa Rao & K V Rao & S K Bal, 2021. "Synergies and trade-offs for climate-resilient agriculture in India: an agro-climatic zone assessment," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 1-26, January.
    5. Jacqueline Moodley, 2021. "Heterogeneity in Disability and the Quality of Life of South African Children," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(3), pages 1227-1249, June.
    6. Natalia Kopylova & Talita Greyling & Stephanié Rossouw, 2022. "Multidimensional Quality of Life of Older Adults in South Africa," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(6), pages 3427-3450, December.
    7. Rosa M. Soriano-Miras & Antonio Trinidad-Requena & Jorge Guardiola, 2020. "The Well-Being of Moroccan Immigrants in Spain: A Composite Indicator," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 635-653, April.
    8. Samy Katumba & Julia Kadt & Mark Orkin & Paul Fatti, 2022. "Construction of a Reflective Quality of Life Index for Gauteng Province in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 373-408, November.
    9. Śmiech, Sławomir & Karpinska, Lilia & Bouzarovski, Stefan, 2025. "Impact of energy transitions on energy poverty in the European Union," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    10. Raquel Lourenço Carvalhal Monteiro & Valdecy Pereira & Helder Gomes Costa, 2019. "Analysis of the Better Life Index Trough a Cluster Algorithm," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 142(2), pages 477-506, April.
    11. María Tomé-Fernández & Christian Fernández-Leyva & Eva María Olmedo-Moreno, 2020. "Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Social Skills Scale for Young Immigrants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-20, August.
    12. Viet Duong Nguyen & Chiara Gigliarano, 2024. "Weight optimization for composite indicators based on variable importance: an application to measuring well-being in European Regions," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 78(1), pages 113-128, January-M.
    13. Odile Mackett, 2022. "Decent Work in the South African Macroeconomy: Who are The Winners and Losers?," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 277-305, October.
    14. Reig-Mullor, Javier & Garcia-Bernabeu, Ana & Pla-Santamaria, David & Salas-Molina, Francisco, 2024. "Measuring quality of life in Europe: A new fuzzy multicriteria approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    15. Mwehe Mathenge & Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld & Jacqueline E. W. Broerse, 2023. "Mapping the spatial dimension of food insecurity using GIS-based indicators: A case of Western Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 243-260, February.
    16. Marta Kuc-Czarnecka & Samuele Lo Piano & Andrea Saltelli, 2020. "Quantitative Storytelling in the Making of a Composite Indicator," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 775-802, June.
    17. Yi Chen & Rong Huang & Yuanping Lu & Kangyi Zhang, 2021. "Education Fever in China: Children’s Academic Performance and Parents’ Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 927-954, February.
    18. Cantone, Giulio Giacomo & Tomaselli, Venera, 2024. "On the Coherence of Composite Indexes: Multiversal Model and Specification Analysis for an Index of Well-Being," MetaArXiv d5y26, Center for Open Science.
    19. Giacalone, Massimiliano & Mattera, Raffaele & Nissi, Eugenia, 2022. "Well-being analysis of Italian provinces with spatial principal components," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    20. Cantone, Giulio Giacomo & Tomaselli, Venera, 2025. "On the coherence of composite indexes of well-being: Multiverse analysis for formative models of measurement," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    21. Ana Garcia-Bernabeu & José Manuel Cabello & Francisco Ruiz, 2022. "A Reference Point-Based Proposal to Build Regional Quality of Life Composite Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 11-30, November.
    22. Seong-Yun Hong & Seonggook Moon & Sang-Hyun Chi & Yoon-Jae Cho & Jeon-Young Kang, 2022. "Local Sparse Principal Component Analysis for Exploring the Spatial Distribution of Social Infrastructure," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-16, November.
    23. Petróczy, Dóra Gréta, 2021. "An alternative quality of life ranking on the basis of remittances," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    24. repec:osf:metaar:d5y26_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    25. Maria Carella & Roberta Misuraca, 2024. "Subjective well-being and heterogeneity in cultural consumption in aging populations," RIEDS - Rivista Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica - The Italian Journal of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Studies, SIEDS Societa' Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica, vol. 78(1), pages 130-141, January-M.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C38 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Classification Methdos; Cluster Analysis; Principal Components; Factor Analysis
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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