Urban quality of life
Introduction
Quality of life is a concept that refers to various levels of generalization, ranging from society, community, to the physical and mental aspects; Therefore, the meaning of quality of life is complex, since it has definitions that range from psychology and sociology to political science, medicine, development studies, etc. The living conditions of people and societies as a whole vary over time, since, for example, social policies, within a welfare state, can improve the living conditions of the population: employment plans, unemployment insurance, community kitchens, housing plans, etc.[1].
There are many types of living conditions:
Quality of life is evaluated by analyzing five different areas: physical well-being (with concepts such as health, physical safety), material well-being (referring to income, belongings, housing, transportation, etc.), social well-being (personal relationships, friendships, family, community), development (productivity, contribution, education) and emotional well-being (self-esteem, mindset, emotional intelligence, religion, spirituality).
An indicator commonly used to measure quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI), established by the United Nations to measure the degree of development of countries through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), whose calculation is made from the following variables:
The countries with the highest HDI are Norway, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Canada and Japan.
Industrial production and economic growth were, in the past, the only elements considered in the level of development of a country. Although this perspective left aside other not so directly material aspects, which the HDI does consider. Although the HDI is considered more appropriate for measuring development, this indicator does not incorporate some aspects considered important for measuring development, such as access to housing, good food, culture and the arts; inter alia.
In addition, it is worth observing the level of satisfaction of the population with working conditions. The ease of transportation, benefits, recognition, hours of rest and leisure, closeness to family and other elements help reduce stress and contribute to the well-being of everyone.[2].
Health
The World Health Organization in its Quality of Life study group has defined it as "an individual's perception of their life situation, in the context of their culture and value systems, in relation to their objectives, expectations, standards and concerns." It is a broad concept that has been operationalized in areas or domains: physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs and their relationship with the most salient characteristics of the environment.