Living in uncertainty due to floods and pollution: the health status and quality of life of people living on an unhealthy riverbank

Abstract

BackgroundPeople living on the banks of polluted rivers with yearly flooding lived in impoverished and physically unhealthy circumstances. However, they were reluctant to move or be relocated to other locations where better living conditions were available. This study aimed to investigate the health status, quality of life (QoL), happiness, and life satisfaction of the people who were living on the banks of one of the main rivers in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Ciliwung.MethodsRespondents were 17 years and older and recruited from the Bukit Duri community (n = 204). Three comparison samples comprised: i) a socio-demographically matched control group, not living on the river bank (n = 204); ii) inhabitants of Jakarta (n = 305), and iii) the Indonesian general population (n = 1041). Health status and QoL were measured utilizing EQ-5D-5L, WHOQOL-BREF, the Happiness Scale, and the Life Satisfaction Index. A visual analogue scale question concerning respondents’ financial situations was added. MANOVA and multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze the differences between the Ciliwung respondents and the three comparison groups.ResultsThe Ciliwung respondents reported lower physical QoL on WHOQOL-BREF and less personal happiness than the matched controls but rated their health (EQ-5D-5L) and life satisfaction better than the matched controls. Similar results were obtained by comparison with the Jakarta inhabitants and the general population. Bukit Duri inhabitants also perceived themselves as being in a better financial situation than the three comparison groups even though their incomes were lower.ConclusionsThe recent relocation to a better environment with better housing might improve the former Ciliwung inhabitants’ quality of life and happiness, but not necessarily their perceived health, satisfaction with life, and financial situations.

Quality of Life as A Predictor of Happiness and Life Satisfaction

“…The score was changed to a scale between 0 and 100 for this study, with 0 being the most unfavorable quality of life and 100 being the most favorable (5). Previous studies in Indonesia obtained internal consistency values ranging from 0.57 to 0.78 (Setyowibowo et al, 2018) and the testretest reliability coefficient (Intraclass correlation coefficient) between 0.70 to 0.79 (Purba et al, 2018a). For this study sample, the internal consistency of WHOQOL-BREF ranged from 0.42 to 0.70.…”

“…This measuring instrument is widely used in international surveys such as the Gallup World Poll (Bjørnskov, 2010). Previous studies in Indonesia found an internal consistency value of 0.74 (Purba et al, 2018a). For this study sample, the internal consistency of the life satisfaction scale was 0.47.…”

“…Previous studies had shown that the Happiness Thermometer has an excellent test-retest reliability, a significant convergent validity coefficient, and can find small differences in happiness (Baptista et al, 2016;Fordyce, 1977;Fordyce, 1988). Previous studies in Indonesia had an internal consistency value of 0.78 (Purba et al, 2018a). For this study sample, the internal consistency of the happiness thermometer scale was 0.63.…”

“…This research focused on one aspect that is also influenced by various sociodemographic, namely quality of life (Lubetkin, Jia, Franks, & Gold, 2005;Purba et al, 2018a;Purba et al, 2018b). Quality of life itself is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an individual's perception of his/her position in life, in the cultural context and value system in which he/she lives and about his/her goals and expectations standards, and interests.…”

“…The results of literature exploration on Google Scholar with the keywords 'quality of life' are primarily consisted of studies in patients and marginal groups, including patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (Arifin et al, 2019), cervical cancer patients (Endarti et al, 2015 ), residents of the Ciliwung riverbank (Purba et al, 2018b), women with breast cancer symptoms (Setyowibowo et al, 2018). While the keywords 'happiness' and 'life satisfaction' are more commonly found in studies in the general population, such as World Values Survey participants (Ball & Chernova, 2008), general public (Baptista et al, 2016), women in Germany (Beutel et al, 2009).…”