Survey Overview

Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) and its partners typically conduct the Quality of Life (QoL) Survey every two years. The survey is sent to up to 15,000 households in Spokane County, and it includes questions about residents’ well-being, lived experiences in their communities, and social determinants of health—that is, the physical, social and economic conditions that affect people’s quality of life and health. Examples of social determinants of health include neighborhood crime and safety, access to healthy foods and health care, positive relationships and support, and the availability of jobs and housing.

How is Quality of Life Assessed?

Quality of life is assessed with two measures: self-rated QoL and a composite QoL score.

• • • The QoL Survey begins by asking respondents, “How would you rate the quality of life in Spokane?” Responses to this question are referred to as self-rated QoL.
    • The composite QoL score is calculated by scoring the responses to 42 of the survey questions. These questions align with six areas of interest that capture aspects of daily life that are critical to QoL. These areas include the following: 1) community vitality, 2) financial stability, 3) physical and mental health, 4) lived experience, 5) social relationships, and 6) time use. A formula is used to assign scores, which range between 0 and 1; higher scores close to 1 reflect better quality of life.

What Else is Measured in the Survey?

Residents also reported on their satisfaction with local institutions and services (Citizen Satisfaction), the number and quality of their social relationships (Social Capital), evaluations of their personal work, housing, and financial situation (Finance), feelings of safety and perceptions of law enforcement in their community (Public Safety), as well as their physical and mental health and health behaviors (Health).

 To view the survey results by year, view the data summary dashboard.