Sustainability, health & wellbeing
Lectures, literature & interview
Lecture 1 was an introduction, there were no notes.
Lecture 2 (week 1b)..................................................................................................................... 2
Lecture 2 (week 1b)..................................................................................................................... 2
Lecture 3 (week 2a)..................................................................................................................... 8
Lecture 3 (week 2a)..................................................................................................................... 8
Lecture 4 (week 2b)................................................................................................................... 16
Lecture 4 (week 2b)................................................................................................................... 16
Guest lecture Lizbeth Burgos Ochoa (week 2b)....................................................................24
Guest lecture Lizbeth Burgos Ochoa (week 2b)....................................................................24
1b Huber et al (2011) | How should we define health?..........................................................26
1b Huber et al (2011) | How should we define health?..........................................................26
1b Olshansky et al (1998) | Emerging infectious diseases: the fifth stage of the epidemiologic
transition?.............................................................................................................................. 28
1b Olshansky et al (1998) | Emerging infectious diseases: the fifth stage of the epidemiologic
transition?.............................................................................................................................. 28
1b: Vanhoutte (2014) | The multidimensional structure of subjective well-being in later life...30
1b: Vanhoutte (2014) | The multidimensional structure of subjective well-being in later life...30
2a: Marmot (2005) | Social determinants of health inequalities.............................................31
2a: Marmot (2005) | Social determinants of health inequalities.............................................31
2a: Neve & Sachs (2020) | Sustainable development solutions network...............................32
2a: Neve & Sachs (2020) | Sustainable development solutions network...............................32
2b: WHO (2019) | Healthy environments for healthier populations........................................33
2b: WHO (2019) | Healthy environments for healthier populations........................................33
2b: Burgos Ochoa et al (2023) | The impact of extreme temperatures on birth outcomes in
the Netherlands..................................................................................................................... 35
2b: Burgos Ochoa et al (2023) | The impact of extreme temperatures on birth outcomes in
the Netherlands..................................................................................................................... 35
Keivabu (2022) | Extreme temperatures and mortality by educational attachment in Spain.. 37
Keivabu (2022) | Extreme temperatures and mortality by educational attachment in Spain.. 37
Interview | lecturer with Keivabu............................................................................................38
Interview | lecturer with Keivabu............................................................................................38
,Lecture 2 (week 1b)
Health
By far, the most accepted definition is that of the World Health Organization:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1948).”
> Life expectancy is the most traditional indicator.
Health has been traditionally envisioned as a state.
Main limitation of this definition is:
● Does not consider the dynamic nature of health.
● Scholars suggested that health reflects ‘the ability to adapt and to self manage’. (Huber
et al., 2011, p.1)
● This conception is fully in line with the life course perspective.
Education shapes inequalities in health.
We should consider the dynamic nature of health and the differences in life course.
Measures of health, registry data (more objective)
● Mortality, life expectancy, hospitalization, medication use.
● Physical and mental health conditions and symptoms.
● Biomarkers (blood pressure), more and more important.
Self-reported indicators (subjective, survey data)
● Physical health (functional limitation)
● Mental health (depression)
● Health behaviors (smoking)
Mortality and life expectancy:
Global life expectancy has increased dramatically over the last 200 years in all regions.
BUT: differential improvements created substantial international disparities.
Life expectancy (e0)
● One of the best indicators of mortality change over time.
, ● More than doubled in 170 years (1850-2019)
○ From 35 > 70
● Most important achievement in human history.
● But still large divergence between populations (2021)
○ 52y Nigeria
○ 85 Monaco
○ A gap of 33y
On average, one person lives 64% longer in Monaco than in Nigeria!
Reasons limiting the human life expectancy
The re-emergence infectious and parasitic diseases.
● Rapid spread of new and preexistent infectious and parasitic diseases since the last
quarter of the 20th century. (HIV, corona, ebola)
● Most of them preventable with the available technology.
● Limitations are related mostly to
○ Inequality
○ Demographic factors
○ Industrial processes, and deterioration of the environment
Hedonic well-being
● Philosophical roots in Aristippus of Cyrene, Epicurus, Bentham, Mill
○ Wellbeing is maximization of pleasure, minimisation of suffering.
A person's cognitive and affective evaluation of his / her life (Diener, 1984)
● Affective and cognitive aspects.
○ Based on moods and emotions
○ Individual assessment of quality of life, based on internal criteria.
Life satisfaction (also called subjective wellbeing of SWB)
● Thinking about your life in general, please answer the following questions using a scale
from 0 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree).
In most ways my life is close to ideal
● The conditions of my life are excellent.
● I am satisfied with my life
● So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life.
Hedonic well-being
● SWB (life satisfaction)
● Depresion
, One to one relationship? Can one experience heightened symptoms of depression and still
have a high life satisfaction?
Eudemonic wellbeing
Philosophical roots in Aristotle
● Wellbeing is about developing one self and
realizing one potential. (Maslow, 1968;
Erikson, 1959)
Psychological well-being (Ryff & Singer, 1998)
Lectures, literature & interview
Lecture 1 was an introduction, there were no notes.
Lecture 2 (week 1b)..................................................................................................................... 2
Lecture 2 (week 1b)..................................................................................................................... 2
Lecture 3 (week 2a)..................................................................................................................... 8
Lecture 3 (week 2a)..................................................................................................................... 8
Lecture 4 (week 2b)................................................................................................................... 16
Lecture 4 (week 2b)................................................................................................................... 16
Guest lecture Lizbeth Burgos Ochoa (week 2b)....................................................................24
Guest lecture Lizbeth Burgos Ochoa (week 2b)....................................................................24
1b Huber et al (2011) | How should we define health?..........................................................26
1b Huber et al (2011) | How should we define health?..........................................................26
1b Olshansky et al (1998) | Emerging infectious diseases: the fifth stage of the epidemiologic
transition?.............................................................................................................................. 28
1b Olshansky et al (1998) | Emerging infectious diseases: the fifth stage of the epidemiologic
transition?.............................................................................................................................. 28
1b: Vanhoutte (2014) | The multidimensional structure of subjective well-being in later life...30
1b: Vanhoutte (2014) | The multidimensional structure of subjective well-being in later life...30
2a: Marmot (2005) | Social determinants of health inequalities.............................................31
2a: Marmot (2005) | Social determinants of health inequalities.............................................31
2a: Neve & Sachs (2020) | Sustainable development solutions network...............................32
2a: Neve & Sachs (2020) | Sustainable development solutions network...............................32
2b: WHO (2019) | Healthy environments for healthier populations........................................33
2b: WHO (2019) | Healthy environments for healthier populations........................................33
2b: Burgos Ochoa et al (2023) | The impact of extreme temperatures on birth outcomes in
the Netherlands..................................................................................................................... 35
2b: Burgos Ochoa et al (2023) | The impact of extreme temperatures on birth outcomes in
the Netherlands..................................................................................................................... 35
Keivabu (2022) | Extreme temperatures and mortality by educational attachment in Spain.. 37
Keivabu (2022) | Extreme temperatures and mortality by educational attachment in Spain.. 37
Interview | lecturer with Keivabu............................................................................................38
Interview | lecturer with Keivabu............................................................................................38
,Lecture 2 (week 1b)
Health
By far, the most accepted definition is that of the World Health Organization:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity (WHO, 1948).”
> Life expectancy is the most traditional indicator.
Health has been traditionally envisioned as a state.
Main limitation of this definition is:
● Does not consider the dynamic nature of health.
● Scholars suggested that health reflects ‘the ability to adapt and to self manage’. (Huber
et al., 2011, p.1)
● This conception is fully in line with the life course perspective.
Education shapes inequalities in health.
We should consider the dynamic nature of health and the differences in life course.
Measures of health, registry data (more objective)
● Mortality, life expectancy, hospitalization, medication use.
● Physical and mental health conditions and symptoms.
● Biomarkers (blood pressure), more and more important.
Self-reported indicators (subjective, survey data)
● Physical health (functional limitation)
● Mental health (depression)
● Health behaviors (smoking)
Mortality and life expectancy:
Global life expectancy has increased dramatically over the last 200 years in all regions.
BUT: differential improvements created substantial international disparities.
Life expectancy (e0)
● One of the best indicators of mortality change over time.
, ● More than doubled in 170 years (1850-2019)
○ From 35 > 70
● Most important achievement in human history.
● But still large divergence between populations (2021)
○ 52y Nigeria
○ 85 Monaco
○ A gap of 33y
On average, one person lives 64% longer in Monaco than in Nigeria!
Reasons limiting the human life expectancy
The re-emergence infectious and parasitic diseases.
● Rapid spread of new and preexistent infectious and parasitic diseases since the last
quarter of the 20th century. (HIV, corona, ebola)
● Most of them preventable with the available technology.
● Limitations are related mostly to
○ Inequality
○ Demographic factors
○ Industrial processes, and deterioration of the environment
Hedonic well-being
● Philosophical roots in Aristippus of Cyrene, Epicurus, Bentham, Mill
○ Wellbeing is maximization of pleasure, minimisation of suffering.
A person's cognitive and affective evaluation of his / her life (Diener, 1984)
● Affective and cognitive aspects.
○ Based on moods and emotions
○ Individual assessment of quality of life, based on internal criteria.
Life satisfaction (also called subjective wellbeing of SWB)
● Thinking about your life in general, please answer the following questions using a scale
from 0 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree).
In most ways my life is close to ideal
● The conditions of my life are excellent.
● I am satisfied with my life
● So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life.
Hedonic well-being
● SWB (life satisfaction)
● Depresion
, One to one relationship? Can one experience heightened symptoms of depression and still
have a high life satisfaction?
Eudemonic wellbeing
Philosophical roots in Aristotle
● Wellbeing is about developing one self and
realizing one potential. (Maslow, 1968;
Erikson, 1959)
Psychological well-being (Ryff & Singer, 1998)
