Determinants of environmental domain of quality of life in economically active population living in Silesian agglomeration, Poland.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that determine the environmental domain of quality of life in economically active adults living in the industrial agglomeration in Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS During the cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted among the economically active population aged 45-60, we used a short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Respondents were recruited randomly from selected factories located in the Silesian Agglomeration. The statistical analysis used descriptive and analytical methods available in the Statistica 9.0 software. RESULTS The results confirmed the statistically significant association between marital status, type of occupational activity, declared health status, and the environmental domain of quality of life in economically active inhabitants of the Silesian Agglomeration. The best qualities of life in the environmental domain were those of married people, white collars, and persons who declared their health status to be the best. CONCLUSIONS The major determinants of environmental quality of life in economically active population living in the industrial agglomeration include non-occupational factors, such as marital status and current health status, while a significantly better quality of life was associated with being a white-collar worker and not living in the vicinity of the road with heavy traffic. The results may be useful for future planned activities intended to improve the health and the quality of working life.