Introduction

Quality of life（QOL）is an offshoot of the social indicators movement first originated in economics and sociology.^[1] The impetus behind the social indicators movement is the fact that many economists and sociologists grew increasingly dissatisfied with traditional economic measures（e. g.，Gross National Product，Gross Domestic Product）as indicators of societal development. Social indicators researchers coined the term “quality of life” as a construct of societal development，and many social measures of QOL were developed.

Nor is the quality of life concept any easier to work with because of its all-embracing nature. In terms of human well-being it is an objective of development，while in terms of human resources it is a measure whereby development may be pursued. In this regard，basic，secondary and tertiary human needs，a hierarchy that remains open to challenge，can be considered. Basic needs，which some identify as “food，clothing and shelter”，are primary biological concerns；their satisfaction is a universally accepted condition for a minimally acceptable quality of life. Secondary needs include such common social concerns as employment，education，safety and security. Tertiary needs include more abstract and intangible considerations，of widely varying interpretation，such as freedom，justice，opportunity，fulfillment and comfort.

Three types of measures are generally used for monitoring the QOL：（a）the gross national product（GNP）and related monetary measures，as derived from the System of National Accounts；（b）measures of social conditions，or “objective social indicators”；（c）and measures of people’s perceptions or assessments of well-being，or “subjective social indicators”. The Sy