Dr. Pedzisai Ndagurwa attends the 2024 ISQOLS conference

Dr. Pedzisai Ndagurwa attended the 22nd International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah state, on the beautiful island of Borneo, Malaysia. The conference was held over four days, 25-28 June under the theme Human Happiness and Wellbeing in an Uncertain World, which reflects both post-pandemic changes and the unique capacity of the world for post-traumatic growth and quality of life improvement.

At the conference, Dr. Pedzisai presented a study titled ‘Pandemic penalties and resilience: Decomposition of change in the Quality of Life of an urban population in South Africa’. The study, co-authored with Shamsunisaa Miles-Timotheus, investigates the underlying demographic, socioeconomic, and spatial characteristics that explain the unequal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of Gauteng residents. Using the Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder (KOB) decomposition model to analyse the Quality-of-Life V Survey (2017/18) and Quality of Life VI Survey (2020/21), the study finds that the decrease in the levels of satisfaction with government (national, provincial and local), and proportions reporting good health were the most significant drivers of the reduction in the Quality of Life Index in Gauteng during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ISQOLS (International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies) conference attracted researchers and scholars from diverse academic backgrounds, including psychology, economics, sociology, and population studies. Professionals from all over the globe came together to share their expertise and insights on the multifaceted aspects of quality of life.