THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ON QUALITY OF LIFE VARIATIONS IN RURAL COMMUNITY

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic characteristics on quality of life variations in. fifteen (15) purposively selected communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. To achieve set goal, three key objectives and a hypothesis was formulated. Survey method was used to collect primary data: a questionnaire was administered on 120 respondents extracted through the simple random sampling technique, where key socioeconomic factors such as age, income, education and occupation and their influence on overall quality of life were reviewed. Data collected were analyzed using both descriptive and statistical methods. The results of the descriptive analyses showed that socioeconomic characteristics largely influenced quality of life variations, with lower communities facing greater challenges in accessing health care, education and economic opportunities. Also, results of the statistical analysis of ANOVA showed that F-ratio value 822.935 was greater than tabulated value 3.84 and also the P-value 0.000 was less than the significant 0.005; suggesting that socioeconomic characteristics significantly influenced quality of life. Similarly, the coefficients revealed that all t-values were greater than tabulated value 1.645 and the p-value 0.000 was less than 0.05 level of significance, thus agreeing with the decision of the ANOVA test. The study results underscored the need for targeted interventions and policies that address the unique needs or diverse communities, promoting more equitable access to resource and opportunities for improved quality of life