Origins and Definitions of Quality of Life According to Edwards (n.d.) the concept of quality of life (QOL) originally became popular in the 1960s. Its original applications were limited to income, nutrition, and housing. Many people commonly referred to the term "life satisfaction" or asked whether their life was "as good as someone else's." Research has worked to narrow QOL to a more specific definition and to a definition that specifically addresses health care-related quality of life (HRQOL). According to Armstrong and Caldwell (2004) HRQOL began to acquire a definition in the 1970s, but over the past two decades the field has been narrowed to become the definition used by healthcare professionals today. What germinated the debate about what quality of life was and how to improve it were advances in medical care, including chemotherapy and improved survival of disabled children. These people were alive, but their individual QOL was low (Armstrong and Caldwell 2004). This discussion in the 1970s led to the specialized definition of HRQOL developed today by the Center for Disease Control. QOL is a broad term, but researchers have worked to provide the public health community with a working definition that all hospitals, their administrators, and staff can use. Starting with the definition of health may be a better solution, before moving on to QOL in healthcare. The Center of Disease Control (2011, March 17) states that “health is viewed by the public health community as a multidimensional construct that includes physical, mental, and social domains.” Healthcare has begun to move away from simply saving lives, but also improving its quality. HRQOL includes the physical and mental aspects of recovery... half of the document... ff.]. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://beta.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/senate-bill/1030U.S. Home, Home Energy and Commerce. (n.d.). Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship and Quality of Life Research Act of 2011 [HRHR 3015 of the 112th Cong., 1st sess.]. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from beta.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/3015Valencia, C., Canaval, G., Marin, D., & Portillo, C. J. (2010). Quality of life in people living with HIV-AIDS in three health institutions in Cali, Colombia. Columbia Medical, 41(3), 206-214. Verhoof, E., Maurice-Stam, H., Heymans, H., & Grootenhuis, M. (2013). Health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression in young adults with disability benefits due to childhood-onset somatic conditions. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 7(1), 1-9. doi:10.1186/1753-2000- 7-12