Background

The challenge of understanding and measuring wellbeing is a theme that runs through much of the work of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health. In particular, measures which reflect the wider community aspects of health and wellbeing are required, to supplement established, more individually-focused measures of health such as the SF36 and the GHQ .

The capability approach is a conceptual framework developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum , which emphasises functional capabilities (substantial freedoms which people have reason to value, such as the ability to engage in economic transactions or political activities) over utilities (such as happiness and choice) or access to resources. The focus is on measuring what people can do/have the opportunity to do rather than what they actually do. Advances have been made in further defining key areas of capability that are important for wellbeing, and in work to develop an index of use in measuring capabilities (Anand et al 2005).

Aim

This project aims to yield a set of indicators which measure an individual’s wellbeing by eliciting his/her capabilities, and which could form a validated generic measure for use in future evaluations of public health interventions. It will:

• further develop and refine the survey instrument as proposed by Anand et al
• validate the instrument for use in public health interventions, and
• propose how future evaluations might employ the capability approach.

Milestones

Links

Anand P, Hunter G & Smith R (2005). Capabilities and Wellbeing: evidence based on the Sen-Nussbaum approach to welfare. Social Indicators Research, 74:9-55

Alkire S (2005) Capability and Functionings: Definition & Justification, Human Development and Capability Association Briefing Note

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