Quality of life (QOL) is the general well-being of individuals and societies. QOL has a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, politics and employment. It is important not to mix up the concept of QOL with a more recent growing area of health related QOL (HRQOL[1]). When we look at HRQOL we in effect look at QOL and its relationship with health.
Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is based primarily on income.