What Is Quality Of Life?

Although there is a lot of talk about quality of life, we do not always have a clear idea of ​​what this means. In fact, there are many expert definitions about it and it could be said that, in one way or another, each person could build their own concept of what a quality life is.

It should also be borne in mind that sociology, anthropology, health sciences, politics and almost each of the human sciences have their own idea about what quality of life is. In general, they have many aspects in common, but they also have differences.

There is no closed agreement regarding the importance of objective and subjective factors in quality of life. Some views give greater relevance to factors such as income level or the availability of public services. Other approaches place greater emphasis on the degree of perceived satisfaction or appreciation of life. Let’s see what this is all about.

What is quality of life?

In a very general way, we could say that quality of life is the set of circumstances that guarantee the well –  being of a person in a given context. These coincide to a large extent with the type of life that each person wants to have, because they perceive that they give them stability.

From a certain point of view, quality of life is something of a synonym for what people call “happiness.” However, this last concept is very abstract and relative. There are no fully defined benchmarks of what it is to be happy.

However, a study, carried out by Harvard University for 76 years and led by psychiatrist George Vaillant, concluded that the factors that make people happy are the following, in order :

• The presence of love in life.
• Have meaningful relationships.
• Do not abuse psychoactive substances.
• Have a job that generates enthusiasm and provides what is necessary to live.
• Stay optimistic.

It must be borne in mind that these are conclusions from a very extensive study, both in years and in people consulted. However, it was done in high-income countries, which could imply bias. Despite this, the items seem to have a good degree of universality.

Well-being and well-being

The word wellness also refers to a concept for which there is no unanimous definition. There is quality of life when there is well-being, but the latter involves several dimensions and there must be a balance between them. The different types of wellness are as follows:

Emotional well-being

Those  who understand their emotions and know how to regulate them have emotional well-being, developing from it a process of personal growth in which inner strength and the ability to make reasonable and autonomous decisions predominate. Under these conditions it is possible to establish relationships of mutual support and interdependence with others.

Material well-being

It is understood that there is material well-being when the level of income allows satisfying significant needs. This is a controversial aspect, as your own needs vary greatly from one person to another. However, well-being exists if a person has access to basic goods, which include housing, food, health, public services and recreation. From then on, the issue goes through personal goals and values.

Social welfare

There is social welfare when links of cooperation and solidarity are established with the groups with which we interact. This involves healthy, peaceful, mutually helpful and supportive relationships that create feelings of security and balance. Everyone needs a support network to have a good quality of life.

physical well-being

It means having the possibility of accessing everything that guarantees health. This includes the health services themselves, good nutrition, physical activity, and healthy habits. Likewise, it implies having knowledge and awareness of the elements and practices that allow the body to function properly.

Personal development

Everyone needs opportunities to grow and unfold their potential in various fields. Among these opportunities is access to education and training, as well as decent work in which skills and knowledge can be applied, and in which there is the possibility of evolving in various ways.

As can be seen, the quality of life is made up of factors of various kinds. They seem like too many, but they are not. In fact, the correct thing is to direct the world towards a state in which all these forms of well-being are accessible to any human being, just because they are.