Beyond Bias ─ Exploring the Cultural Contexts of Health and Well-being Measurement

The WHO Regional Office for Europe convened the first expert group on the cultural contexts of health and well-being in January 2015. When adopting Health 2020, the European policy for health and well-being, WHO Member States agreed to a framework for measuring and reporting on objective and subjective well-being. This work still faces practical challenge, particularly with respect to the influence of cultural factors on well-being and well-being measurement. The Regional Office asked the expert group to advise on how to consider the impact of culture on health and well-being, and how to communicate findings from data on well-being across such a culturally diverse region as Europe. This report outlines the expert group's detailed recommendations on each of these objectives.