Abstract
ABSTRACT A measure of health based on exact sciences is not considered by social sciences to evaluate human development. We propose the H measure of information of Shannon ([1948]. “A Mathematical Theory of Communication.” The Bell Systems Technical Journal 27 (3): 379–423, 623–656), renamed as H cto , as a general indicator of human health which can be subsequently aggregated at any statistical level. Several advantages of H cto are explained: (i) connections with thermodynamics and information theory; (ii) combination of physical and statistical elements; (iii) measurements of entropy and/or information depending on the reference point, and (iv) a collection of examples based on the scientific literature that supports the application of H cto . Simplified graphical models of the ontogeny of health condition are also shown. The empirical feasibility of using H cto is also analysed, by concluding that it could be a tangible reality in the near future.
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