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This article focuses on researching quality of life in old age. Based on a review of the relevant literature, it argues that research has not reflected sufficiently the multifaceted nature of quality of life and has relied too much on the judgements of professionals rather than older people. It concludes that quality of life research in general has under‐emphasised the importance of material factors in people's lives. With regard to older people, research shows that relatively poor quality of life, as reported by older people themselves, is associated with only a minority and, among this minority, twice the proportion of older women to men. The article ends with an outline of the new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Growing Older Research Programme on Extending Quality Life, which in three years time promises to provide usable information for policy makers and practitioners about the determinants of quality of life in old age.

Although ‘quality of life’ is thought to be an important concept in healthcare, there is a lack of agreement about what this term means. This paper arises from a study which made the idea of quality of life itself the object of enquiry. We report findings from qualitative interviews with 47 healthcare professionals working with stroke and elderly care patients, which sought their views of the meaning and uses of quality of life. Most defined quality of life in terms of happiness/life satisfaction. Poor health and disability were assumed to reduce quality of life; interviewees represented their work as aiming to improve patient quality of life through improving health. Most regarded formal quality of life measurement as a research tool but not feasible or appropriate in routine care. However, conversations and observations of patients and carers were represented as informal ways of judging patient quality of life, and were generally regarded as a useful or essential part of the therapeutic relationship. Such assessments were said to take place routinely and to provide opportunities for patients/carers to express their wishes, and for ‘real’ patient needs to be identified. This runs counter to evidence of low levels of patient/carer participation in decision‐making and discharge. The real value of the quality of life concept remains unproven but we suggest that in the context of our interviews it was used by professionals to reflect on the nature of the therapeutic encounter and to articulate ideas about healthcare practice.

Being awarded world heritage status is a distinguishing factor when it comes to promoting tourism in a city. Tourism in these cities should be developed in a way that does not compromise either the city’s heritage or the inhabitants' quality of life. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of a European city achieving world heritage status on the subjective quality of life of its citizens.

First of all, we classify European cities according to whether or not they have been declared world heritage sites. Then, we analyze the effect of this classification on the main aspects used to measure the residents' perception of quality of life that are available in the Flash Eurobarometer 419.

The results show that achieving world heritage status has a negative effect on residents' perceptions of the noise level, air quality and feeling of safety. However, it does not affect their perceptions of public transport or cleanliness. In addition, world heritage status positively affects residents’ perceptions of the cultural activities in the city and their ease of finding a job. Residents report high levels of happiness in both world heritage and non-heritage cities, although levels are somewhat higher in non-heritage cities.

Residents' perceptions of the influence of tourism on their quality of life are undoubtedly of major importance; however, due to a lack of available data, few studies have examined this subjective quality of life at the city level.

Mega-infrastructure development plans pave the way for policies to upgrade the infrastructure, environmental management and different aspects of locals’ well-being. These developmental dynamics can positively affect rural tourism including heritage sites destinations. The quality of life of local people can be linked to this positive developmental change through long-term and sustainable economic revitalization projects. In terms of this process, developing large-scale infrastructure and incorporating tourism sustainability can improve the quality of life-related to different dimensions that are critical to the community's well-being. Therefore, researchers have attempted to address this issue.

Data were collected between September and October 2020. The study sample size was the residents of Zhabagly village, including Zhabagaly, Abaiyl and 115 Railway settlements. Moreover, the residents were older than 18 years. A systematic random sampling technique was utilised to reach the targeted sample size and the researchers received 243 responses from the locals. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used for analysis.

The findings from the structural equation modelling suggest that sustainable tourism increases due to the positive effect of mega-infrastructure development and positively impacts the locals' quality of life. Notably, no direct effect of mega-infrastructure development on quality of life reveals the pivotal role of sustainable tourism. Therefore, during the COVID-19 period, the dimensions of sustainable tourism – economic, market, socio-cultural and environmental – played a role in securing the positive impact of mega-infrastructure development on the locals’ quality of life.

This research highlighted the fact that when infrastructure projects are implemented to their full potential, they will generate sustainable tourism activities, provide eco-adventure activities, relax, treat signatories and boost the economy of all stakeholders. The study used AMOS to test the hypotheses. Qualitative research methods, including interviews with citizens, government officials and tourism managers, require further study.

The infrastructural development on a mega-scale means building an upscaling tourism ecosystem. This ecosystem is marked by the availability of drinking water, waste and energy management facilities that support the elevation of living material, community, health, safety and emotional well-being. It reflects the policy-level implications for future Belt and Road initiatives (BRIs). The tourism industry's resilience during COVID-19 has practical lessons for other industries.

Large-scale infrastructure construction must create favourable conditions for the rapid development of tourism. The availability of clean water, waste and energy management facilities contributes to the food production, social cohesion, physical and mental health and general well-being of the ecosystem. This is one of the few studies that used sustainable tourism as a mediator between the impact of large infrastructure projects and their impact on the quality of life of locals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aksu-Zhabagly, a World Heritage Site in Kazakhstan, was the site of this field study.

This study aims to investigate the influence of the built environment of smart cities on citizens’ quality of life in a developing country like India, focusing on the role of citizens’ participation as a moderator.

This study used partial least square-based structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses using data from 542 sample respondents residing in five smart cities of India.

The findings of this study confirmed that the smart city-built environment dimensions of smart governance, smart economy, smart mobility, smart environment and smart living positively relate to citizen quality of life, except for the smart people dimension. This study also confirmed that citizen participation moderates the relationship between all six dimensions of the smart city-built environment and citizens’ quality of life.

This study investigates the relationship between the built environment of smart cities and residents’ quality of life and the moderating effect of citizen participation on this relationship.

Quality of life is a concern of banking customers, but it has received little attention in studies conducted within the banking context. This study aims to investigate the influence of mindfulness on customers’ quality of life and the mediating role of service value, satisfaction and loyalty to the company in this relationship.

Three hundred banking customers participated in the survey. In this study, partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the relationship between the variables. Then, complementary methods were used to assess the robustness of the PLS-SEM results.

In this study, it was found that mindfulness directly influences service value, satisfaction and quality of life. Service value was also found to directly influence satisfaction. Satisfaction directly influences loyalty to the company. In addition, loyalty to the company, but not satisfaction, directly influences quality of life. However, this study did not find any evidence that service value, satisfaction and loyalty to the company mediate the influence of mindfulness on quality of life.

Banking marketing managers need to ensure that their customers have an impressive moment-to-moment experience with the services provided to support improving their quality of life.

The findings help to advance the understanding of how banks can improve their customers’ quality of life while maintaining the well-being of other stakeholders.

La calidad de vida es una preocupación de los clientes de banca, pero ha recibido poca atención en los estudios realizados en el contexto bancario. Este estudio pretende investigar la influencia del mindfulness en la calidad de vida de los clientes y el papel mediador del valor del servicio, la satisfacción y la lealtad a la empresa en esa relación.

Trescientos clientes de banca participaron en la encuesta. Este estudio utilizó la modelización de ecuaciones estructurales por mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS-SEM) para comprobar la relación entre las variables. A continuación, se utilizó métodos complementarios para evaluar la solidez de los resultados del PLS-SEM.

Este estudio halló que mindfulness influye directamente en el valor del servicio, la satisfacción y la calidad de vida. El valor del servicio también influye directamente en la satisfacción. La satisfacción influye directamente en la lealtad a la empresa. Además, la lealtad a la empresa, pero no la satisfacción, influye directamente en la calidad de vida. Sin embargo, este estudio no encontró pruebas de que el valor del servicio, la satisfacción y la lealtad a la empresa medien la influencia de mindfulness en la calidad de vida.

Los hallazgos ayudan a avanzar en la comprensión de cómo los bancos pueden mejorar la calidad de vida de sus clientes al tiempo que mantienen el bienestar de otras partes interesadas.

Los directores de marketing bancario deben asegurarse de que sus clientes tienen una experiencia impresionante en cada momento con los servicios prestados para apoyar la mejora de la calidad de vida de los clientes.

生活质量是银行业客户关心的问题, 但在银行业范围内的研究中, 它很少得到关注。本研究旨在研究正念对客户生活质量的影响, 以及服务价值、满意度和对公司的忠诚度在这种关系中的中介作用。

三百名银行业客户参与了调查。本研究采用偏最小平方结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）来检验各变量之间的关系。然后, 本研究使用补充方法来评估PLS-SEM结果的稳健性。

本研究发现, 正念直接影响了服务价值、满意度和生活质量。服务价值也被发现直接影响满意度。满意度直接影响到对公司的忠诚度。此外, 对公司的忠诚度, 但不是满意度, 直接影响了生活质量。然而, 本研究没有发现任何证据表明服务价值、满意度和对公司的忠诚度可以调解心态对生活质量的影响。

研究结果有助于推进人们对银行如何在保持其他利益相关者福祉的同时提高客户的生活质量的理解。

银行营销经理需要确保他们的客户对所提供的服务有令人印象深刻的时刻体验, 以支持改善客户的生活质量。

This study aims to comprehend the smart city–built environment’s (SCBE) effect on citizens’ quality of life in the smart cities of a developing country such as India. This study also sought to investigate the moderating effect of technological anxiety on the association, as mentioned earlier.

This study’s hypotheses were tested using data from 494 sample respondents who lived in the top five smart cities of India using partial least square-based structural equation modeling.

This study validated five dimensions of an SCBE, including smart governance, smart economy, smart people, smart transportation, smart environment and smart living, and demonstrated a favorable connection between a SCBE quality of life. This study confirmed that technology anxiety strongly moderates the relationship between the built environment of smart cities and citizens’ quality of life.

This study is a pioneering effort that explores the relationship between SCBE and the quality of life of its residents and the moderating effect of technology anxiety on this relationship.

The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of thermal, acoustic and HVAC upgrades on the perception of the quality of life among residential building occupants.

The present study used a quantitative research approach, utilizing a questionnaire as the research instrument. A survey was conducted with 1,119 residential apartment building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo, using a stratified random sampling method for selection of participants.

The present study used quantitative research with a questionnaire as the research instrument. The survey was conducted with 1,119 residential apartment building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo, using stratified random sampling. The study found that thermal retrofits, acoustic retrofits and HVAC upgrades as a whole model affect the perception of the quality of life of residential building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo. However, the study found that not all dimensions of the constructed research model (thermal, acoustic and HVAC) affect the perception of the quality of life of residential building occupants. Specifically, thermal retrofitting seems to strongly influence the perception of quality of life, while HVAC upgrades do not seem to have an impact on the quality of life of occupants. Finally, acoustic retrofits also influence the perception of the quality of life, although not to the same degree as thermal retrofitting.

The present study contributes to understanding the role that thermal retrofits, acoustic retrofits and HVAC upgrades play in the perception of quality of life by building occupants in an understudied region with a booming real estate sector such as Kosovo. The study also highlights the need for further analysis to understand why HVAC upgrades do not seem to influence the perception of quality of life by residential building occupants in Kosovo.

The present study is the first to quantify the impact of thermal, acoustic and HVAC upgrades on the perception of the quality of life of residential building occupants in Prishtina, Kosovo.

The aim of this study is to assess the perceived quality of life of Bahraini patients with heart failure.

A sample of 250 patients aged 18 years and older was recruited using a cross-sectional design. Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire version three was employed to obtain data from participants on their socio-demographic characteristics and their perceived quality of life.

The mean age of patients was 69.0 ± 8.1 years and 78% were males. Almost half of the patients with third/fourth degree heart failure had difficulties in earning a living (48.4%) since they had long periods of hospital stays (49.2%). The quality of life is inversely proportional to the age of the patients with third/fourth degree heart failure (p < 0.001). Most of the patients had a poor quality of life (74.8%); about 21.6% had a moderate quality of life, while only few patients (3.6%) had a good quality of life.

The quality of life among Bahraini patients diagnosed with third/fourth degree heart failure is generally poor. Further, advanced age, low level of education, not currently married and low income were shown to be associated with poor quality of life. A need exists to include a quality of life assessment tool as part of the management of these patients.

This study aims to examine the relationship between aging anxiety, self-esteem, physical symptomology and quality of life in early and middle adults as well as to explore the mediating role of self-esteem.

A cross-sectional study was designed, and a sample of N= 700 educated men and women aged between 35 and 65 years were taken through purposive sampling. Anxiety about Aging Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, The World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF and Somatic Symptom Scale-8 were used for assessment.

Research suggests that an increase in aging anxiety leads to poor quality of life and lower self-esteem. Additionally, a negative relationship was observed between aging anxiety and physical symptomology. Self-esteem plays a mediating role significantly in these relationships.

The study highlighted the adverse effects of aging anxiety on the basis of which strategies can be devised to cope with it as well as to improve the self-esteem and quality of life in transition age. These findings can also aid in providing health care and public services in later adulthood. This study also emphasizes on aging as a human right rather than merely a process such as the human right for physical health and mental health.

This study provides a new outlook and perspective toward how the phenomenon of aging impacts the lives of adults who are about to enter older adulthood in a few years. The fears related to aging influence physical and mental health, due to which it is necessary to investigate the effect of aging anxiety.