Lecture 1 - Models of Health: Competing or Complementary? Flashcards
Biomedicine/Biomedical Model of Health
The conventional approach to medicine in Western societies, based on the diagnosis and explanation of illness as a malfunction of the body’s biological mechanisms. This approach underpins most health professions and health services, which focus on treating individuals and ignores social origins of illness and its prevention.
Cartesian Dualism
Mind/body dualism. Named after philosopher Rene Descartes, it refers to a belief that the mind and moody are separate entities. This assumption underpins medical approaches that view disease in physical terms and thus ignore the psychological and subjective aspects of disease.
Epidemiology
The statistical study of patterns of disease in the population. Originally focused on epidemics, or infectious diseases, it now covers non-infectious conditions such as stroke and cancers.
Epidemiological transition
A change in disease patterning in countries, from infectious diseases to chronic or lifestyle diseases.
Health
There is no definite meaning of health. It’s meaning can be different depending on individuals, social groups and cultures, and can differ at different times.
World Health Organisation definition of health 1946
A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
The social gradient of health
A continuum of health inequality in most countries from high to low, where the poorest group of people have the worst health status.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948
The first significant international human rights agreement made by United Nations. 30 human rights.
Human rights
Rights held to be justifiably belonging to any person.
Social Model of Health
A model of health that focuses on social determinants of health such as the social production and construction of health and illness, and the social organisation of health care. It directs attention to prevention of illness through community participation and social reforms that address living and working conditions.
The social determinants of health
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms and political systems.
Socio-Economic status
A statistical measure of relative inequality that classifies individuals, households, or families into one of three categories. Low, middle or high, derived from a combination of income, occupation and education.
Public health infrastructure
The buildings, installations, and equipment necessary to ensure healthy living conditions for the population.
Equity
Fairness
Health Equity
The absence of avoidable differences in health.
