Life and health effects

A2.46 Health affects the ability to produce and consume goods or services and the ability to derive welfare and well-being directly. The impact pathway approach is a way of structuring analysis of the effects of external factors from causes to consequences for health and life. A general model which, is used to structure this approach, is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. The Impact Pathway Approach

A2.47 An example of a biological change could be hypertension (high blood pressure). This can be caused by human exposure to hazards such as lead in petrol, sustained environmental noise, salty food, high consumption of alcohol, smoking, and lack of exercise. Hypertension is a cause of angina, heart attacks and stroke, typically affecting life expectancy, QoL and the consumption of healthcare resources. These then affect participation in paid and unpaid production, paid for consumption and not paid for consumption (such as informal care), and the health or welfare of others (e.g. family members). Interventions at any point in the pathway may have health and longevity consequences. At whatever stage the intervention occurs, consequential impacts along the pathway should be considered, including:

  the opportunity cost (or benefit) of shifts in the consumption of healthcare resources alongside other costs of the intervention

  the direct value of the change in health or longevity

  indirect and consequential impacts