chapter one: understanding health outcomes Flashcards
define health
‘a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO, 1946)
define wellbeing
a complex combination of all dimensions of health, characterised by an equilibrium in which the individual feels happy, healthy, capable and engaged.
define illness
the state of feeling unwell or being in poor health, often due to disease or injury
describe physical health and wellbeing
relates to the functioning of the body and its systems
- it includes the physical capacity to perform daily activities or tasks
- physical HWB is supported by factors such as regular physical activity, consuming a balanced diet, having appropriate rest/sleep, maintaining an ideal body weight, and the absence of illness, disease or injury
describe social health and wellbeing
relates to the ability to form meaningful and satisfying relationships with others and to manage or adapt appropriately to different social situations
- it also includes the level of support provided by family and within a community to ensure that every person has equal opportunity to function as a contributing member of society
- social HWB is supported by strong communication skills, empathy for others and a sense of personal accountability
describe emotional health and wellbeing
relates to the ability to express feelings in a positive way
- it is about the positive management and expression of emotional actions and reactions as well as the ability to display resilience
- emotional HWB is the degree to which you feel emotionally secure and relaxed in everyday life
describe mental health and wellbeing
the current state of wellbeing relating to the mind or brain and its ability to think and process information
- a mentally healthy brain enables an individual to positively form opinions, make decisions and use logic
- mental HWB is about the wellness of the mind rather than illness
- it is associated with low levels of stress, anxiety, positive self-esteem, as well as a sense of confidence and optimism
describe spiritual health and wellbeing
not material in nature but relates to ideas, beliefs, values and ethics that arise in the minds and consciences of human beings
- it includes the concepts of hope, peace, a guiding sense of meaning or value, and reflection on your place in the world
- spiritual HWB can be highly individualised
- e.g. in some spiritual traditions health may relate to organised religion, a higher power and prayer, whereas in other practices it can relate to morals, values, a sense of purpose in life, connection or belonging.
explain the dynamic nature of health, wellbeing and illness
health is an ever-changing entity that’s affected by dynamic interactions with the environment → when something is dynamic, it is changing or moving continually in response to its environment and experiences
- e.g. public transport impacts physical health as it removes the opportunity for an individual to get their body moving, it enables an individual to be faced with sedentary behaviours. individuals could walk home from school or work instead of taking public transportation
explain the subjective nature of health, wellbeing and illness
when something is subjective, it is said to be influenced by personal opinions, experiences and feelings → an individual may have different subjective factors as all people experience illnesses different
- perceived different by different people
- e.g. older people are less strong than how they were when they were younger, in which they may be less confident about how fast they can heal from injuries and if they can heal at all.
importance of health and wellbeing as a resource individually
- increased ability to run a household
- increased ability to maintain independence
- increased self-esteem, feeling good about oneself
- meaningful engagement with the community
- increased energy
- more time to attend school/work
- increased life expectancy
- reduced health care cost
- greater choices
- increased productivity/income
- sense of purpose, fulfilment, success
- send time with friends/family
importance of health and wellbeing as a resource nationally
- healthy populations help to build a productive workforce, increasing national income through taxation
- reduced burden on the healthcare system, resulting in taxation money being able to be spent elsewhere, such as education, infrastructure
- reduced levels of stress in the community
- increased social development
- fewer people relying on social protection
- higher average incomes
- improved life expectancy
- increased economic development
importance of health and wellbeing as a resource globally
- decreased emergence or re-emergence of an infectious disease or other health threat somewhere in the world that can cross borders
- increased global economic development
- increased global sustainability
- increased global security/freedom
- increased access to human rights
- increased global social development
WHO prerequisites of health
- peace
- shelter
- education
- food
- income
- stable ecosystem
- sustainable resources
- social injustice and equity
define self-assessed health status
an overall measure of a population’s health based on a person’s own perception of their health
