M1S1 Introduction To Health, Disease And Wellness Flashcards
Definition of health
WHO’s definition of health developed after World War II. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Functional definition “health is the capacity of people to adapt to, respond to, or control life’s challenges and changes” Frankish 1996
Sickness definition
-social acknowledgment of impairment or affliction
Disease definition
-biological or physical malady affecting the body
Illness definition
-perception of dysfunction by the afflicted individual
Relationship between disease, illness and sickness
Disease without illness: hypertension
-high blood pressure can lead to heart attack or stroke but person does not feel ill, does not seek medical care or comply with therapy
Illness without disease: the “hypochondriac”
-person feels ill but doctors can’t find anything wrong despite extensive medical testing
Illness without sickness: headache
-person feels ill and stays home from work, but employers requires a doctor’s not in order to excuse a sense
Relationship between disease and health
There is a complex relationship between health and disease
Overlap but not same thing
Have disease and healthy- well managed type 1 diabetes
-“I have type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease but I am still very healthy because I have resources to manage it well”
Have disease and unhealthy- late stage cancer
-“I have late stage cancer, which is a disease. It cannot be cured and makes me feel weak and fatigued. My body is very unhealthy”
Don’t have disease and unhealthy- overworked teacher
-“I am an overworked teacher. I don’t have a disease but I am unable to sleep or eat well, so I am unhealthy”
Don’t have disease and healthy- vibrant neighbour
-“I am a vibrant neighbour. I don’t have a disease and I am very healthy”
Disease term can refer to what
-convectional disease ex. Pneumococcal pneumonia or cystic fibrosis
-“short hand” for different kinds of health problems ex. Obesity
Factors that cause disease
Germs
The germ theory of disease:
Became prominent in late 19th century
Robert Koch (German physician) postulated:
-germs present in Thisbe with diseases and absent in those without
-germs can be isolated/cultured from those with disease
-germs cause diseases when introduced into healthy host
-germs can then be re-isolated from the newly-diseased host
*this ignores the social context and potential genetic origins of many diseases
Joseph Lister (British surgeon) reasoned:
-sepsis (infection) might be caused by pollen-like dust contaminating surgical wounds
-antiseptic conditions including application of carbolic acid, should therefore logically prevent wound infections
-surgical mortality fell from 45% to 15% after Lister’s intervention
Louis Pasteur (French Chemist and microbiologist):
-first postulated the the germ the Rory of disease
-discovered principles of microbial fermentations and sterilization
-first discovered heat treatment methods for milk and wine (“pasteurization”)
Genetics
Genetic theories
-linked to advances in biology
-shift responsibility for disease to interplay between genetics and environment
Ex. Genetic theories emphasize hereditary vulnerability and focuses on individual rather than society
Lifestyle
Lifestyle theories
-behaviourally-driven
Ex. Smoking, consuming alcohol, eating fatty foods
-emphasize individual behaviour change as the route to good health
Multifactorial Disease Causation (epigenetic or environmental factors)
-epigenetics most obvious example where specific gene raise risk for a disease (ex. BRCA and breast cancer) not is not completely deterministic
-some environmental trigger is needed
-essentially “necessary but not sufficient”
The germ theory of disease
-currently accepted scientific theory for many diseases
States that microorganisms known as pathogens or germs can lead to disease
-these small organisms too small to be seen without magnification invade humans, other animals and other living hosts
Well-being definition
-a broader concept compared to health and encompasses other areas of our lived Experince like our sense of financial security, level of work stress, or satisfaction with family life
-the state of feeling well (not ill or sick)
-sometimes used as synonym for “healthy” but not same thing
Well-being factor examples
-learning
-financial security
-social participation
-work
-leisure
-housing
-health
-security
-environment
-family life
