Among adults in Ireland, those under the age of 30 are the most likely to experience a poorer quality of life, a new report suggests.

Researchers at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)investigated how quality of life in Ireland differs by age group and social class. Their findings appear in a report published by the Department of Social Protection.

They looked at 11 specific areas affecting quality of life, including poor health, mental distress, financial strain, housing quality problems and neighbourhood problems.

The findings revealed overall, that one in four adults had problems in at least three of the 11 areas assessed, with young adults, particularly those under the age of 30, most likely to experience multiple problems.

The problems that most commonly affected younger adults were financial strain, crowded accommodation and deprivation.

Those over the age of 70 were least likely to experience multiple problems. Where problems were reported, poor health and lack of safety were the most common ones.

The research also noted major differences in the level of multiple problems when it came to social class. Those in the manual/lower social classes were 2.6 times more likely to have multiple quality of life problems compared to those in the managerial/professional classes.

According to the researchers, these findings highlight the importance of taking into account a range of issues when measuring quality of life, rather than just focusing on income and material living standards.

"Policies aiming to maximise quality of life should consider how numerous issues, including health and housing, are experienced differently across age groups, particularly among those who are most disadvantaged," commented the report's author, Dorothy Watson of the ESRI.