“Quality of life” is a phrase that is frequently used in various contexts, but is seldom well defined. A high quality of life provides people with the freedom to attain their needs in ways that they choose. Indices that are used to measure quality of life are commonly developed using weighted measures of economic growth, health, and environmental quality. The quality of people’s lives is subjective, due to the fact that it is personal in nature, filtered by their perceptions, and related to all of their needs.
In order to understand and track the quality of life on Maui, the values of our Maui community need to be understood, and measurable indicators that reflect policy implementation based on those values need to be tracked. A high quality of life depends on fulfillment of both long term and immediate needs; this is an important factor when considering the suitability of indicators for quality of life measurement and tracking. Short term needs generally pertain to the attainment of basic life-sustaining elements, such as food, water, shelter, and immediate safety. Long term needs include the attainment of goals such as sustainability, health, and social well-being.
