Page 127 - IJPS-11-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Environmental impact on Ukraine’s quality of life

As an important aspect of quality-of-life issues, this The World Encyclopaedia Britannica defines quality
article focuses on the environmental component related to of life as “the degree to which an individual is healthy,
the concept of sustainable development. Some researchers comfortable, and able to participate in or enjoy life
(Trusina & Jermolajeva, 2021, p. 298) use the concept of events” (Jenkinson, 2016). However, this concept remains
sustainable development to determine the impact of the ambiguous, as it encompasses both an individual’s personal
economic, environmental, and social systems on human experience and overall living conditions.
development. A high quality of life is sometimes linked To provide a more comprehensive understanding
to high natural resource consumption, which led to the of the quality of life and highlight the importance of
introduction of the concept of “sustainable quality of life.” its environmental component, Ryndzak (2021, p. 154)
This concept emphasizes a balance between maintaining a proposed the following definition: Quality of life is a
high standard of living while ensuring ecological and social complex, multidimensional concept that reflects the level
sustainability (Wiesli et al., 2021). Sustainable development, and sustainability of social development and characterizes
therefore, involves protecting, preserving, and conserving population and their living environment, as well as human
the natural environment for future generations. Its success impact on the environment and reflects the assessment of
depends on achieving environmental stability alongside a
high quality of life (Yusoff, 2020). life.
The various components of quality of life—economic,
The primary goal of sustainable development is to
enhance quality of life, which is evaluated using various environmental, social, mental, and political – are
factors and indicators. Among these, the environmental interconnected and influence one another (Figure 1).
However, the strongest link exists between environmental
dimension is recognized as one of the most influential and social factors, particularly health conditions, life
(Štreimikienė, 2015).
expectancy, and mortality. For instance, according to
Modern methodologies for assessing quality of life World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, nearly a
increasingly incorporate environmental indicators quarter of all global deaths are linked to environmental
(Rybalova et al., 2021). Ukrainian researchers (Yeliseyeva & factors (WHO, 2022).
Proshkina, 2021) have studied the impact of environmental
factors on quality of life by comparing economic and One of the most widely used indicators of life quality is
environmental indicators. They also developed the Eco- mortality rate. It provides valuable insights into the health,
Index, a set of indicators tailored to Ukraine’s specific living conditions, and socioeconomic development of the
characteristics (Yeliseyeva & Proshkina, 2021). It is also population (Aimbetova et al., 2022; Liang et al., 2023).
worth mentioning the investigation of the socioeconomic High mortality rates often reflect inadequate healthcare
indicators that affect the quality of life of the population in access, poor nutrition, and the prevalence of diseases, all
Ukraine. Four groups of factors related to the socioeconomic of which degrade quality of life. Lower mortality rates,
situation of Ukrainian households were selected: Economic on the other hand, are typically associated with better
status (11 factors), education (five), health (three), and healthcare, improved sanitation, higher income levels, and
population (three) (Kravets & Didenko, 2022). enhanced education, signaling a higher standard of living.
The analysis of various studies showed that a better quality
One of the earliest assessments of the potential of life is associated with a lower mortality risk (Phyo et al.,
consequences of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine’s quality 2020). Environmental factors, such as pollution and access
of life was conducted by scientists at the Ptoukha Institute to clean water significantly impact mortality rates, serving
for Demography and Social Studies of the National as indicators of both environment conditions and overall
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Drawing on established living standards. As a standardized measure, mortality
trends from past decades, the researchers analyzed the war’s
destructive effects and explored prospects for mitigating its
negative impact (Cherenko et al., 2023). Environmental Social

Despite the significance of the concept of “quality
of life,” there is still no universally accepted definition. Quality of life
Broadly speaking, “quality” refers to an attribute or set
of characteristics inherent in a phenomenon, process,
or object. It also denotes the extent to which an object’s Other (economic,
properties conform to specific standards, scientific norms, political, psychological)
or the expectations and needs of individuals, groups, or Figure 1. Main components of quality of life
society as a whole. Source: Authors’ own representation.

Volume 11 Issue 4 (2025) 121 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.4487