Health as a social concept (SOCIETY & HEALTH) Flashcards
What factors influence health?
Social, economic and environmental factors, not just personal choices.
Health is a complex interplay of various influences, indicating that individual behavior alone does not determine health outcomes.
How does the WHO define health?
A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.
This definition emphasizes that health is more than the absence of disease.
What is a disease?
A physical or mental disturbance involving symptoms, dysfunction or tissue damage.
It is important to differentiate between disease and illness.
What is the difference between disease and illness?
Disease is a physical or mental disturbance; illness is a subjective experience related to disease.
Illness reflects how individuals perceive and respond to their disease.
What are the two main categories of diseases that cause ill health?
- Infectious diseases
- Chronic diseases
Each category encompasses a variety of specific diseases with different characteristics.
What is the Indigenous approach to health?
Health is not separate from life, social and spiritual relations and the environment.
This approach highlights the holistic view of health in Indigenous cultures.
How do spiritual approaches view health outcomes?
As actions of God, beyond control of the individual.
This reflects a belief in divine influence on health and illness.
What do cultural approaches emphasize regarding health?
Every culture has its own health-related practices and beliefs.
This diversity influences how health is perceived and managed across different populations.
What do sociological approaches examine in relation to health?
Health and illness from a social, political, economic and spiritual dimension.
This perspective considers how societal factors can impact health outcomes.
