Health-related quality of life in informal settlements in Kermanshah, Islamic Republic of Iran: role of poverty and perception of family socioeconomic status.

Background: Quality of life is an important indicator for measuring health status, and information on quality of life of different groups in society can be used to assess the effect of interventions on health.

Aims: This study aimed to assess the relationship between urban poverty and perception of family socioeconomic status, and health-related quality of life in residents of informal settlements.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 432 residents of two neighbourhoods of informal settlements in Kermanshah in 2015. To measure poverty, the 16 indicators of 2011 Iranian census were used. The neighbourhoods were classified into three groups: high poverty (9.3%), middle poverty (49.2%) and low poverty (41.5%) levels. Health-related quality of life was assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated and regression and ANOVA analyses were done.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the SF-36 scores for the three poverty levels, and no relationship between poverty and the health-related quality of life subscales (P > 0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between perception of family socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life (P < 0.05). In regression analysis, having a chronic illness, perception of family socioeconomic status, age and sex predicted the physical health domain of the SF-36, whereas perception of family socioeconomic status and having a chronic illness predicted the mental health domain.

Conclusions: Subjective perception of family socioeconomic status can explain differences in health-related quality of life of low-income people.