“SIMPA Quality of Home Life Indicators” Findings Announcement September 15, 2004

Background Commissioned by SIMPA, an appliance brand under Towngas Conducted by the Public Opinion Programme of the University of Hong Kong. The research instrument designed entirely by the POP Team after consulting Towngas /SIMPA Fieldwork operation and data analysis were conducted independently by the POP Team. 各位新聞界o既朋友大家好: 首先十分多謝各位出席我們“簡栢家居生活質素指標” o既調查結果發布會。 我想首先簡介一下今次調查o既背景同我地煤氣公司的角色： 今次嘅調查係我地煤氣公司旗下的一個爐具品牌SIMPA(簡栢）委託香港大學民意調查中心進行o既。整個問卷o既設計係由港大與我地傾過之後得出o既，而有關指標同問卷的統計方法同埋數據分析，就係由Dr. Chung 既team 獨立負責。

Research Objective Investigate the quality of Hong Kong people’s home life, particularly satisfaction levels with various materialistic and non-materialistic aspects of their home life. Discover what are the drivers for satisfaction level and sense of well-being in home life. 好快咁介紹一下點解我地今次o既調查目標。首先，根據我地同港大的了解，有關家居生活質素方面的研究十分有限，過去的研究，好多會側重於臨床社會學或心理學方面，屬較為學術性一點的調查，如研究復康病人的生活質素等。 因此我們主動找港大民意調查中心，進行了這個全港第一次的“簡栢家居生活質素指標”調查，希望就我們日常生活中最重要的一個組成部份－家－提供首次全面的、客觀的和具有趣味性的數據參考。 今次的研究目標主要朝著兩大方面進行： 第一：我地希望了解香港人的整體家居生活質素，特別係環繞住我地物質同埋非物質家居生活方面的滿意程度； 第二：我地希望知道有D乜野因素會提高家居生活中的滿意程度

SIMPA Quality of Home Life Indicator First-of-its-kind indicator to offer quantitative reading and insights into the Quality of Home Life (QoHL) led by Hong Kong people - an area seldom studied in the past. All indicators are constructed scientifically using self-assigned ratings and weightings. Possibility to develop into a yearly survey to keep track of any changes in QoHL in Hong Kong. 咁今日我地公布o既簡栢家居生活指標，究竟係乜野黎呢？ 首先，呢個係一個量化的指標，去透視香港人對整體家居生活質素嘅睇法。正如頭先所講，過往學術界同其他企業好少研究呢方面的範疇，所以呢個指標可以話係第一個、專注於港人家居生活質素的指標 今日發布o既家居生活指標，全部係由被訪者自我評分，以確保調查的客觀性 由於呢個係一個量化o既指標，我地希望將來能夠將佢變成一個年度o既調查，令我地可以監察香港每年o既家居生活質素方面o既變化。 以下，我請港大民意調查中心o既負責人鍾庭耀博士向我們簡介今次的調查方法同埋指標o既得分。

Research Methodology

Contact information Date of survey: August 17-21, 2004 Target population: Cantonese-speaking population of HK aged 18 or above Survey method: Telephone survey with interviewers Sample size: 515 successful cases Response rate: 62.7% Sampling error: Less than 2.2%

Summary of Findings

Self-Assessment on Home Life Quality

Satisfaction rating with home size Mean: 6.35 Standard error: 0.10

Satisfaction rating with Personal space at home Mean: 6.24 Standard error: 0.11

Satisfaction rating with Home entertainment and hi-tech facilities Mean: 6.65 Standard error: 0.10

Satisfaction rating with Kitchen and Bathroom appliances Mean: 6.47 Standard error: 0.09

Satisfaction ratings – Mean for 4 materialistic aspects

Satisfaction rating with Activities and time spent with family members Mean: 7.17 Standard error: 0.09

Satisfaction rating with Family members’ care / attention / love Mean: 7.68 Standard error: 0.08

Satisfaction rating with Activities within community area Mean: 6.03 Standard error: 0.09

Satisfaction rating with neighbours Mean: 5.72 Standard error: 0.10

Satisfaction ratings – Mean for 4 non-materialistic aspects

Overall satisfaction rating with Materialistic aspect of home life Mean: 6.70 Standard error: 0.08

Overall satisfaction rating with Non-materialistic aspect of home life Mean: 6.72 Standard error: 0.08

Importance weight allocated to Materialistic aspect Mean: 5.05 Standard error: 0.06

Importance weight allocated to Non-materialistic aspect Mean: 4.95 Standard error: 0.06

(Satisfaction with non-materialistic aspect x weight factor B) Quality of Home Life Indicator (QoHL) concepts & formula behind *Overall rating (Mean) on materialistic aspect = 6.68 *Overall rating (Mean) on non-materialistic aspect = 6.68 *Importance of materialistic vs. non-materialistic aspect= 5.1:4.9 [Valid base=465] Formula for calculating the Overall rating of QoHL: = (Satisfaction with materialistic aspect x weight factor A) + (Satisfaction with non-materialistic aspect x weight factor B) = 3.41+3.33 (i.e.weighted satisfaction ratings for each aspect) = 6.74

Overall Rating of QoHL Mean: 6.74 Standard error: 0.75 SIMPA Quality of Home Life Indicators Mean: 6.74 Standard error: 0.75

QoHL cross-tabulation analysis A statistically higher rating of QoHL is observed for the following demo sub-groups: Average: 6.74 Gender: Female (6.93) Marital status: Married people (6.91) Occupation: Housewife (7.03) Household income: Highest income group i.e. $30k or above (7.26)

B) Home Life Related Supplementary Questions

The most effective way to improve QoHL – Home Size 剛才Dr. Chung介紹過香港人係QoHL 方面錄得6.74 分，咁我地亦都想藉著今次調查，了解番乜野會提升香港人對家居生活的滿意程度 首先，我地問被訪者佢地覺得邊一樣野最能夠改善佢地的屋企環境同家居生活質素．．．． 44%答　屋企面積 [N = 504]

The most effective way to improve QoHL – Kitchen & Bathroom appliances 同樣地，如果比較廚房／浴室、家居娛樂設備同埋電腦／科技設備，最多人選擇廚房／浴室設備，百分比達44% [N = 497]

Most enjoyable moments at home

Preferred dining at home or outside? 我地亦都想知道，如果有得選擇的話，佢地會選擇係屋企定出街食飯呢？ ．．．．． [N = 513]

Reason for preferring to dine at home

Time spent with family members at home On a typical weekday: 4.7 hrs/day (N=473) On a typical weekend: 7.1 hrs/day (N=454) Dining with family members in a week Dine at home: 4.8 days/week (N=477) Dine outside: 1.2 days/week (N=455) 由此可知，家同埋廚房／浴室，對香港人是十分重要的，咁我地平均又花幾多時間係屋企同埋同屋企人食飯呢？ ．．．．．．．

Non-materialistic satisfaction rating v.s. Frequency of dining at home

Overall QoHL v.s. most enjoyable activities at home Private Time Family Interaction

C) Conclusion

Home cooking and dining with family improve QoHL HK passes the mark for overall QoHL (6.74), but more can be done. As human beings, we all enjoy participating in personal and individualized activities But we achieve a higher level of satisfaction when spending time interacting and bonding with family members Home cooking and dining with family would drive a higher level of satisfaction in our home lives

HKU POP Research Team Members Project Director CHUNG Ting-yiu, Robert Project Manager PANG Ka-lai, Karie Project Executive CHAN Ka-man, Carmen Data Analyst TSOI Pui-shing, Tony

Special thanks to: Dr L K Lam Cindy, HKU Mr Leung Kwok Fai, Q.E. Hospital * For their professional and valuable advice on the research instrument. All faults therewith, however, are entirely HKU POP’s.

Survey findings soon be available at http://hkupop.hku.hk

Thank you

Appendix

Demographics of Respondents

Education Attainment: Gender: Female (52%), Male (48%) Age Group: 18-20: 5% 21-29: 17% 30-39: 24% 40-49: 23% 50-59: 13% 60 or above: 19% Education Attainment: Primary or below: 21% Secondary: 56% Postgraduate or above: 23%

Monthly Household Income (HK Dollar) Occupation: Executives and professionals (22%) Clerical and service workers (19%) Production workers (13%) Students (7%) Housewives (19%) Others (19%) Marital Status: Married (67%) Single (31%) Divorced (1%) Widowed (1%) Monthly Household Income (HK Dollar) Below $8,000: 22% $8,000 -$14,999: 29% $15,000 - $29,999: 26% $30,000 or above: 23%