Health is more than simply the absence of disease and illness. It is a dynamic process of balance and adaptation to internal and external stressors.
It can be achieved through a wide range of personal and community activities. These include the choices people make about diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol intake, and sleep patterns.
Definition
The most widely cited definition of health comes from the World Health Organization (WHO). It defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
However, this definition has been criticised for its implication that individuals should aim for perfection and the way it medicalises human lives. For example, someone with Down Syndrome who is a competitive swimmer and has many meaningful relationships may feel healthy even though her body has not yet regenerated from her recent surgery.
In addition, the notion that health includes things that cannot be captured by a simple list of negative characteristics goes back to antiquity. It is a concept of equilibrium and resiliency, which takes into account an individual’s capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. A shift to this perspective has implications for policy and practice. For example, it encourages the recognition that the environment is important for health.
Meaning
In clinical medicine, health is commonly understood to be a condition that exists when an individual does not have any disease. However, this definition is often too narrow because it fails to account for various aspects of health such as wellbeing and functioning.
A broader approach to health has been proposed. This holistic view emphasizes the role of a person’s character and disposition in maintaining health. It also takes into account various circumstances such as social culture and the economic status of an individual. The concept of health also includes genetic traits and behaviours, as well as the physical environment.
This holistic perspective allows us to describe a person’s health in terms of their degree of wellness and functioning. It also enables us to compare the health of individuals. This makes it easier to identify the factors that influence population health. It also helps to explain how health is impacted by the global environment. For example, it can be difficult to maintain good health in times of war and conflict.
Functions
The renewed essential functions of health include: Assessing and diagnosing risk factors and social determinants; communicating effectively to inform and educate; and providing public health services to support people in making healthy choices. Health authorities at all institutional levels are the primary subject responsible for exercising these functions, in cooperation with civil society and other actors.
PAHO provides technical cooperation to strengthen the essential public health functions, especially through assessments, policy development and assurance efforts that ensure everyone in a community can access quality healthcare regardless of their socioeconomic status, gender or religion. These core functions help prevent and control communicable diseases, address the root causes of health issues, and promote overall wellness.
In addition to the three core functions, PAHO focuses on providing communities with the necessary resources to be able to perform these tasks, including training and the acquisition of tools, equipment and facilities. This includes building a diverse and skilled workforce. Medical care also serves important “paracurative” functions, such as assessment and prognosis, segregation of the ill to limit their communication with others, and helping patients and families cope with illness.
Significance
Health has a variety of social and economic implications. A healthy workforce is more productive, students learn better in schools, and communities can meet societal goals more readily. In addition, health can provide a sense of meaning and purpose, and contribute to happiness and wellbeing.
It is also important to consider environmental factors in relation to health. For example, some studies have shown a relationship between a person’s socioeconomic status (SES) and their health. A higher SES is associated with a greater likelihood of getting good medical care, which can protect people from illnesses.
Some studies have found that a person’s genetics, their social environment, and their personal characteristics play an important role in their health. For this reason, it is essential to use a broad model of the determinants of health when making decisions about community-based interventions. The determinants of health include both those factors that are easier to measure and those that are more difficult to measure.