An objective analysis of the relationship between quality of life and socio-economic characteristics in Kumasi,Ghana

Increasing urbanisation and the growth of urban areas in cities in developing countries present major challenges for local governments, policy makers and urban planners even though the phenomenon offers opportunities. Studies focusing on the quality of life (QoL) help in assessing objectively, urban conditions which inform urban policy and planning. Using Kumasi as a case study, this paper investigates the relationship between quality of life and socio-economic characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, educational background, household income and housing type. To this end, the paper uses data from 500 households to examine the relationship between urban dwellers socio-economic characteristics and quality of life index in Kumasi. Findings indicated that objective QoL varied considerably with some of the socio-economic variables (household income and housing type) in the study area and these variables contributed significantly to the objective quality of life in Kumasi. The paper concludes that there are six (6) dimension of quality of life in Kumasi.