Abstract

GARCIA PEREZ, Rosa Marina; PEREZ GONZALEZ, Raúl  and  LANDROVE RODRIGUEZ, Orlando. Quality of life and health indicators. Cuba, 2001-2002. Rev Cubana Hig Epidemiol [online]. 2004, vol.42, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3003.

Measurement instruments have been developed in Cuba aimed at evaluating the health status and its relation with the quality of life. On October 30, 2000, it was aproved the agreement 3790 of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers that creates the National Program of Health and Quality of Life and the National Commission of Health and Quality of Life. The present paper, with a descriptive design, exposes the evaluation indicators that were established starting from an intersectorial approach and with bodies as coordinators by intervention areas: sedentarism-INDER (National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation), healthy nutrition-MINAL (Ministry of Food Industry), smoking-MINCIN (Ministry of Domestic Trade), accidents-MITRANS (Ministry of Transportation), atmospheric quality-CITMA (Center of Environmental Research and Technologies), working environment-MTSS (Ministry of Work and Social Security), quality of water, liquid wastes-INRH (Institute of Hydraulic Resources), solid wastes-MEP (Ministry of Economy and Planning). Mortality and quality of life related to health, as well as the behavior in 2001-2002, were evaluated, which allowed to give information to the State central management organizations, members of the Health and Quality of Life National Commission, and to attain information of quality to make easy the decision-making for this commission. Proposals of indicators were used by the analysis of specificity, sensitivity and mensurability of the indicator. A total of 83 indicators (41 process and 42 results) was obtained. They were put ot the consideration of the national commission for their final approval. Some results obtained with these indicators are shown. It is an advanced response in the world context that Cuba introduces itself for new approaches in the prevention and control of these problems.

Keywords : Quality of life; indicators; measurement instruments; health.