* “Quality of Life, Well-Being, and Livability” is generally measured by social indicators such as health, economic indices, and subjective experiences.
* The Centers for Disease and Control measures quality of life relative to general physical health, general mental well-being, and activity limitation.
* Quality-adjusted life years, or QALYs, is a measure of the benefit of a medical intervention based on the number of years of life that would be added by the intervention.
* There are over 25 reputable resources measuring the quality of life for children, and 25 separate tools to measure quality of life during terminal and palliative care.
* It is generally accepted that measuring quality of life associated with gender equality, family life, job security, political freedom, social capital, and community life varies according to survey definitions and design.
* The Vanderford-Riley Well-Being Schedule examines per capita full time equivalent hours worked per week, the value of equity in property per person, the ratio of property owners to non-owners, and ratio of self-employment to total employment.
* A country’s well-being is often examined using the Gross National Product (GNP). GNP is the total value of final goods and services produced in a year by a country's nationals (including profits from capital held abroad).
* A country’s well-being is often examined using Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP is defined as the total value of final goods and services produced within a country's borders in a year, regardless of ownership.
* The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) examines well-being as a country’s economic growth in relation to the improvement of the welfare of the people of that country.
* The Gross National Happiness (GNH) index measures quality of life based on whether material and spiritual development of a society occurs simultaneously.
* The United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) is a comparative measure of well-being examining poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, childbirth, and other worldwide factors.
* The Economist measures quality of life according to nine indices: material well-being, health, political stability and security, family life, community life, climate and geography, job security, political freedom, and gender equality. In 2005 the U.S. ranked 13th behind 9 European countries.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Public Life Advocate: The Tracker, Jan. 2006
* Social connectedness is a much stronger predictor of the perceived quality of life in a community than the community's income or educational level.
* Youth volunteering is up since 1995, but the gap in volunteering between children with a college-graduate mother and children with a high-school dropout mother increased by almost 50 percent since 1976.
* 82% of high school seniors volunteered in 2004, a 14% jump from 1986.
* In 2005, 42% of those volunteering became involved because they were asked by someone in the organization.
* Persons age 35 to 44 are most likely to volunteer (35%), closely followed by 45 to 54 year-olds (33%).
* Married persons volunteer at a higher rate (34%) than never-married persons (23%) and persons of other marital statuses (23%).
* Parents with children under age 18 are more likely to volunteer than persons without children of that age, 37% compared with 26%.
* Among volunteers with children under 18 years old, 45% of mothers and 36% of fathers volunteered mainly for an educational/youth service-related organization, such as a school or sports team.
* Employed persons are more likely to volunteer than the unemployed. Part-time workers participate in volunteer activities at a higher rate than full-time workers.
* In 2005, 45% of volunteers age 65 and over performed volunteer activities mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 28% of volunteers age 16 to 24.
* Among volunteers in 2005, people with higher levels of educational attainment were more likely to provide professional or management assistance, tutor or teach, mentor youth, coach, referee, or supervise sports teams, or provide counseling, medical care, fire/EMS, or protective services. They were less likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food, or be an usher, greeter, or minister.
* Participation in clubs and civic organizations has been cut by more than half over last 25 years.
* Joining one group cuts your odds of dying over the next year in half. Joining two groups cuts it by three quarters.
* Youth volunteering is up since 1995, but the gap in volunteering between children with a college-graduate mother and children with a high-school dropout mother increased by almost 50 percent since 1976.
* 82% of high school seniors volunteered in 2004, a 14% jump from 1986.
* In 2005, 42% of those volunteering became involved because they were asked by someone in the organization.
* Persons age 35 to 44 are most likely to volunteer (35%), closely followed by 45 to 54 year-olds (33%).
* Married persons volunteer at a higher rate (34%) than never-married persons (23%) and persons of other marital statuses (23%).
* Parents with children under age 18 are more likely to volunteer than persons without children of that age, 37% compared with 26%.
* Among volunteers with children under 18 years old, 45% of mothers and 36% of fathers volunteered mainly for an educational/youth service-related organization, such as a school or sports team.
* Employed persons are more likely to volunteer than the unemployed. Part-time workers participate in volunteer activities at a higher rate than full-time workers.
* In 2005, 45% of volunteers age 65 and over performed volunteer activities mainly through or for a religious organization, compared with 28% of volunteers age 16 to 24.
* Among volunteers in 2005, people with higher levels of educational attainment were more likely to provide professional or management assistance, tutor or teach, mentor youth, coach, referee, or supervise sports teams, or provide counseling, medical care, fire/EMS, or protective services. They were less likely to collect, prepare, distribute, or serve food, or be an usher, greeter, or minister.
* Participation in clubs and civic organizations has been cut by more than half over last 25 years.
* Joining one group cuts your odds of dying over the next year in half. Joining two groups cuts it by three quarters.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Makin' my daddy proud
Ahh yeah, all you kids on the bikes, get the hell out da way, I'm comin' through!!!!
Moving is such an art, a special way of being, made more the special when you throw your back and you have a hard time standing up....nevertheless, the mover shall not be thwarted in his efforts to move.
Onward vo!!
Monday, November 28, 2005
The Tracker: November 2005
* Kentucky ranks in the top ten poorest states in the United States.
* Rates of smoking are highest in states with higher poverty.
* Medicaid recipients have approximately 50% greater smoking prevalence than the overall U.S. population. In 2002, Kentucky was 1 of 15 states which did not include medication coverage for tobacco dependence treatment under Medicaid.
* In 2004, Kentucky had the highest adult smoking rate in the country at 28%.
* The local adult smoking rate (18 and older) is 26%. The local youth smoking rate (8th-12th graders) is 24%.
* From 2001-2003, the percent of adults that tried to quit smoking in Owensboro-Daviess County was 56%. The state percentage was 48%.
* In 2004, the number of local manufacturers offering smoking cessation programs to their employees was 52%. The state percentage was 48%.
* According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, during 1997-2001, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke resulted in approximately 438,000 premature deaths in the United States, 5.5 million total years of potential life lost, and $92 billion of annual losses in worker productivity.
* In 2003, the percentage of local schools banning smoking on school grounds was 64%. The state percentage was 42%.
* In 2003, the percentage of local restaurants that were smoke free was 57%. The state percentage was 45%.
* In 2002, Kentucky had the fifth highest age-adjusted death rate in the United States. Out of 50 states, citizens in 45 live healthier and longer than Kentuckians.
* The four leading indicators of death in the Kentucky are 1) heart disease; 2) cancer; 3) stroke; and 4) chronic lower respiratory disease.
* Cigarette smoking is the single most common preventable cause of death for the four leading indicators of death.
* Rates of smoking are highest in states with higher poverty.
* Medicaid recipients have approximately 50% greater smoking prevalence than the overall U.S. population. In 2002, Kentucky was 1 of 15 states which did not include medication coverage for tobacco dependence treatment under Medicaid.
* In 2004, Kentucky had the highest adult smoking rate in the country at 28%.
* The local adult smoking rate (18 and older) is 26%. The local youth smoking rate (8th-12th graders) is 24%.
* From 2001-2003, the percent of adults that tried to quit smoking in Owensboro-Daviess County was 56%. The state percentage was 48%.
* In 2004, the number of local manufacturers offering smoking cessation programs to their employees was 52%. The state percentage was 48%.
* According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, during 1997-2001, cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke resulted in approximately 438,000 premature deaths in the United States, 5.5 million total years of potential life lost, and $92 billion of annual losses in worker productivity.
* In 2003, the percentage of local schools banning smoking on school grounds was 64%. The state percentage was 42%.
* In 2003, the percentage of local restaurants that were smoke free was 57%. The state percentage was 45%.
* In 2002, Kentucky had the fifth highest age-adjusted death rate in the United States. Out of 50 states, citizens in 45 live healthier and longer than Kentuckians.
* The four leading indicators of death in the Kentucky are 1) heart disease; 2) cancer; 3) stroke; and 4) chronic lower respiratory disease.
* Cigarette smoking is the single most common preventable cause of death for the four leading indicators of death.
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