Love of life as a measure of quality of life
Mental Health and Social Inclusion
ISSN: 2042-8308
Article publication date: 25 July 2024
Issue publication date: 3 December 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Love of life (LOL) is a new construct in positive psychology. LOL is defined by a generally positive evaluation of one’s own life, positive regard towards life and a pleasurable attachment to life. The purpose of this study is that LOL is associated with quality of life (QOL) and could be predicted by some of its subscales.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of Alexandria University undergraduates took part in this study (n = 298). They responded to the WHOQOL Brief and LOL scales.
Findings
Men obtained significantly higher mean total scores than did women for general health, and the physical and psychological domains of QOL. All the Pearson correlations between LOL and QOL were significant except for two correlations for women. The strongest correlation with LOL is for the psychological QOL domain. Principal components analysis extracted one component for men which was labeled “QOL and LOL.” For women, two components were extracted, which were labeled “QOL and LOL” and “General and physical health.” Predictors of LOL were psychological and social QOL domains (men), and psychological, social and environmental QOL domains (women). It was concluded that LOL is associated with QOL, in particular, the psychological subscale. Furthermore, LOL can predict QOL, in particular, the psychological and social domains.
Research limitations/implications
This study used nonprobability sampling with a sample of students drawn from only one university. So, it may be difficult to generalize the findings.
Originality/value
LOL is a comparatively new concept in the field of positive psychology.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author thank Professor David Lester for editing the manuscript, the participants for their co-operation, the assistant researchers for the collection of data and Ms Yomna Kamal, PhD. candidate, for conducting the statistical analysis of the data.
Declaration of conflicting interests: The author declares no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding: The author received no financial support for the research, writing and publication of this article.
Citation
Abdel-Khalek, A.M. (2024), "Love of life as a measure of quality of life", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 28 No. 6, pp. 1399-1410. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-04-2024-0061
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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