SHEER Wellbeing: Socio-Economic, Environment, Health and Wellbeing in Ireland

SHEER Wellbeing (Socio-economic, Health, Environmental Research) is an Irish case study designed to explore the integration of three broad strands of data to investigate the complex links between our environment, health and wellbeing and our socio-economic status. SHEER Wellbeing emphasizes how data from different domains is important to decision making, policy development, community developments and indeed, the quality of our lives.

SHEER Wellbeing responds to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 3, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 17 and builds upon emerging EPA/HSE work – NearHealth, GBI Health, EcoHealth along with the CSO/HI Cork Profiling – to explore and improve our emerging understanding of the impacts environments in ‘blue/green spaces’ can have on health and wellbeing.

Aim
The primary aim of this EPA Irish Case Study is to complement the EEA’s broad assessment and to explore possible impact in greater national, regional and local depth through data analytics, visualisation and mapping the key socio-economic, environmental and health forces and patterns at work in relation to Access to Blue/Green Spaces in Ireland.

Methodology
The SHEER Wellbeing case study is grounded in systems, complexity and behaviour change theories together with health and environmental models, tailored to Blue/Green spaces in an Irish context. As a systems-based approach, the SHEER map signals complex structures, dynamic processes, and interconnected exchanges are foundational to a sustainable behavioural change framework. The system methodology adopts a group modelling systems framework, to map value exchanges, stakeholder engagement, system dynamics and feedback relationships between the socio-economic, environmental, health and wellbeing system elements. It concentrates on the “complex social networks of individuals and groups linked through shared participation in the creation and delivery of economic value through exchange … enhancing the perceived quality of life” (Layton, 2015, p.303-305).

SHEER Wellbeing (Socio-economic, Health, Environmental Research) is an Irish case study designed to explore the integration of three broad strands of data to investigate the complex links between our environment, health and wellbeing and our socio-economic status. SHEER Wellbeing emphasizes how data from different domains is important to decision making, policy development, community developments and indeed, the quality of our lives.

This is one of a series of seminars in the Whitaker Ideas Forum. Christine will be representing the SIPPs cluster.