Developing Concepts of Health

Question 1

What is ‘health’?

Answer 1

• Not an absolute state, very fluid
• There are fluctuations along a continuum throughout life
• It is impossible to be (or get) well and stay well forever therefore health professionals are committed to helping people prevent illness and restore or improve their health

Question 2

what is the WHO definition of health

Answer 2

• a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmiry
• the extent to which an individual is able to realise aspirations and satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living, it is a positive concept, emphasising social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities

Question 3

what are the three factors influencing our perception of health?

Answer 3

• Health behavior
• values
• beliefs

Question 4

what are the dimensions of health ?

Answer 4

• Physcial
• Psychological
• Social
• Emotional
• Spiritual
• Sexual

Question 5

What is physical health?

Answer 5

• State in which the body’s organs are functioning normally
• Most common reason for consulting health professional is when physical health is impaired
• Pregnancy is a normal physiological state, not an illness

Question 6

what is Psychological Health?

Answer 6

• A positive sense of purpose and an underlying belief in one’s own work
• Feeling good, ability to cope

Question 7

What is social health ?

Answer 7

• -Sense of having support available from family and friends

- Being involved in activities with other people

Question 8

What is emotional health ?

Answer 8

• The ability to feel, recognise, and give voive to feelings
• To develop and sustain relationships
• Feeling loved

Question 9

What is spiritual health?

Answer 9

• Recognition and ability to put into practice moral or religious principle
• Beliefs and feeling of having a purpose in life
• Sense of fullfillment

Question 10

What is sexual health?

Answer 10

-Acceptance and ability to achieve a satisfactory expression of one’s sexuality

Question 11

What is Hollistic health?

Answer 11

• Focus on the whole body and mind, not just a part of the body and the symptoms of the problem
• It will look at the lifestyle of the individual such as nutritional deficiencies, causes of stress and why there is a lack of good health and wellbeing
• A holistic approach will involve the individual taking responsibility for their health and well-being
• Acknowledgement of the interaction of all six components of health

Question 12

What is the medical model perspective of health?

Answer 12

• Operates within a medical model using a narrow view of health
• Health is a negative term defined by what it is not
• An objective view of health often portrayed by the media therefore society professional definitions become known and accepted by society at large

Question 13

What are perspectives of health characterised by ?

Answer 13

• Biomedical
• Reductionist
• Mechanistic
• Allopathic
• Pathogenic
• Dualistic

Question 14

What are the challenges of medicine in regard to health perspectives?

Answer 14

• Managerialism and challenges to clinical autonomy
• A rise in complimentary therapies
• Consumerism and rise in number of informed patients
• Social movement and advocacy
• Patient centred care and shared decision

Question 15

What are the lay concepts of health ?

Answer 15

• Health as not ill
• Health as physical fitness
• Health as functionality
• Health as social relationships
• Health as psychological wellbeing
• Control and release