Pandemic and well-being in Košice. The survey showed who was the most affected
The overall life satisfaction
At the beginning of the project Košice 2.0, it was essential for us to know the initial level of satisfaction with life in our city. Given unexpected situation brought to our lives by the coronavirus pandemic, a question arose about how the pandemic has affected our well-being. The change of lifestyle caused by the pandemic affected each of us differently.
The survey conducted on a sample of 1009 inhabitants of Košice indicated that average life satisfaction in Košice is at a level of 7.03 (on scale from 1 to 10). But how did the coronavirus pandemic affect our satisfaction? The average evaluation of the population fell significantly by 1.1 points during the second wave of the pandemic. The pandemic naturally affected every resident, some more so and some less.
The pandemic hit young people in particular
Different things influence our level of life satisfaction in each period of life. While young people want to have fun and meet with friends, a quieter and more settled life is often more suitable for seniors. This is also one of the reasons why the pandemic affected everyone differently. Our survey indicated that young people live really well in Košice, but the coronavirus pandemic has hit them quite hard, particularly in the 20-29 age group. In contrast, the elderly did not report such a significant decline in life satisfaction.
People with higher education experience higher life satisfaction
Our survey results showed that people with higher education achieve higher values of life satisfaction than people with lower educational attainment. The effects of the pandemic deepened the difference, as they most significantly hit those with lower education (secondary school and lower). This may be caused in particular by the fact that the pandemic most affected those sectors where people with such education levels work.
Will we replace physical contact with technology?
The survey comparing well-being before and during pandemics showed differences in the age structures of the population and based on education. These are the parameters that influence our lifestyle, which changes and forms over the years. It seems that the very existence of technology has at least partially replaced human contact for us during pandemics and showed its own added value in difficult times. However, the challenge rising from the new situation is the social disconnection, which may also affect the quality of life of both younger and older generations.
You can read the full article with graphs and statistics on the Košice 2.0 website.
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