HEALTH, WELLNESS,

AND ILLNESS

Learning Outcomes

After completing this session, the student will be able to:

1.     Identify influences on person’s definitions of health, wellness and well-being

2.     Describe the components of wellness

3.     Identify variables affecting health status, beliefs, and practices

4.     Differentiate illness from disease and acute illness from chronic illness

Introduction

An individual's health beliefs influence his health practices

Q: what is meant by this statement?

Introduction

•       For many years, the concept of disease was the measure by which health was measured

•       For example, when you examine the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, most of the data relate to disease-specific prevalence rates (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, HIV, etc.), mortality rates (neonatal, maternal, etc.), life expectancy at birth, etc.

Q. What is the disadvantage of that?

Historical development of health

•       Origins of word “health” did not appear in writing until ~ AD 1000; derived from word health: being safe or sound and whole of body.

Change of health concern

Major concern of health professionals differed across time

•       In the late 19th century: “how” of disease or pathogenesis (origin of a disease and chain of events leading to that disease)

•       In the 20th century: finding cures for diseases

•       Currently: increased emphasis on health promotion and wellness in individuals, families and communities

DEFINITIONS

Definition of Health

Traditionally, health was defined in

terms of presence or absence of

disease

WHO Definition of Health

•       World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as,

“a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-

being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity”

This definition has not been amended since 1948

Q. Reflect on WHO definition of health

WHO Definition of Health

•       Reflects concern for individual as total person functioning physically, psychologically, and socially

•       Suggests that mental processes determine people’s relationship with their physical and social surroundings, their attitudes about life, and their interaction with others

•       Places health in context of environment

Thus, people’s lives and their health are affected by everything they interact with-not only environmental influences such as climate and availability of food, shelter, clean air and water, but also other people, including family, loved ones, employers, and friends

Other Definitions of Health

•       Health has also been defined in terms of role and performance; thus a healthy person can perform the requirements of his roles

Q. Name some of the roles that you have in

your life.

Personal Definitions of Health

• Remember, health is a highly individual perception

Q. What is YOUR definition of health?

Personal Definitions of Health

•       Many factors affect individual definitions of health:

•       Previous experiences

•       Age

•       Expectations of self

•       Socio-cultural influences

•       A person’s definition of health influences

behavior related to health and illness

Wellness

•       Wellness is a state of well-being

•       Basic aspects of well-being include self-responsibility with daily decision-making in nutrition, stress management, physical fitness, preventive health care, and emotional health

SEVEN ELEMENTS OF WELLNESS

7 Components of Wellness

Environmental: ability to promote health measures that improve standard of living and quality of life in the community

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7 Components of Wellness

•       Social: ability to interact successfully with people, to develop and maintain intimacy with significant others, and to develop respect and tolerance for others with different opinions and beliefs

•       Emotional: ability to manage stress

and to express emotions appropriately

7 Components of Wellness

•       Physical: ability to carry out daily tasks; achieve fitness; maintain adequate nutrition and proper body fat; avoid unhealthy addictions; and generally practice positive lifestyle habits

•       Spiritual: belief in some force that serves to unite human beings and provide meaning and purpose to

life; includes own morals, values, and ethics

7 Components of Wellness

•       Intellectual : ability to learn and use information effectively; striving for continued growth and learning to deal with new challenges

•       Occupational: ability to achieve balance between work and leisure time

7 Components of Wellness

•       The 7 components of wellness overlap to some extent, and the factors in one component often directly affect factors in another

•       For example, a person with good social life will also have a positive impact on his thoughts and occupation

Well-being

•       Well being is a subjective perception of vitality and feeling well… can be described objectively, experienced, and measured… and can be plotted on a continuum

Variables influencing health status, beliefs and practices

•       Many variables influence person’s health status, beliefs, or practices

•       These variables may or may not be under conscious control

•       Some variables are internal/non modifiable (age, gender, ethnic background, family history, etc.); others are external/modifiable (smoking, diet, exercise, etc.)

Internal Variables

Internal/non-modifiable variables include the following dimensions:

•       Biologic (age, gender, genetic makeup, developmental level),

•       Psychological/emotional (mind-body interactions and self-concept/esteem), and

•       Cognitive/intellectual (lifestyle choices and spiritual and religious beliefs)

Internal Variables

For the most part, these variables cannot be changed; however, when these variables are linked to health problems (ethnic background and hypertension; health

history and cancer); healthcare worker must place more

emphasis with the client to influence external variables

(such as exercise, diet, early screening)

External Variables

External variables affecting health include:

1.     Physical environment (non-polluted resources and safe habitat and occupation)

2.     Standards of living (occupation, income, education)

3.     Family and cultural beliefs, and (pass from parents to children, type of remedies)

4.     Social support networks (family, friends, community, colleagues, facilities) – to confirm illness and to recover

Illness & Disease

Illness is highly personal state in which the person’s physical, emotional, intellectual, social, developmental, or spiritual functioning is thought to be diminished

•       Not synonymous with disease

•       May or may not be related to disease

•       Highly subjective; an individual could have a disease and not feel ill; similarly, a person can feel ill and yet have no disease

Illness and Disease

Disease is an alteration in body functions resulting in a

reduction of capacities or a shortening of normal life span

•       Multiple factors are considered to interact in causing disease and determining an individual’s response to treatment

•       Etiology of disease includes the identification of all causal factors that act together to bring about the particular disease

Illness and Disease

•       Example etiologic factors in hypertension: age, atherosclerosis, diet, stress, smoking, race, family history, body weight, physical activity

•       Many diseases have unknown causes: nodding disease, Morgellons Disease

Classification of Illness & Disease

Most common way of classifying illness and disease is as acute or

chronic

Acute Illness

Characterized by symptoms of relatively short duration

•       Symptoms often appear sharply and subside quickly, and depending on the cause may or may not need interventions by health care workers

Acute Illness

•       Some acute illnesses are serious (appendicitis, may require surgery) others are not (cold requiring no intervention)

•       Following acute illness, most people return to their normal level of wellness

Chronic Illness

•       Lasts for extended period of time, 6 months or longer, and often for life

•       Have slow onset and often have periods of remission (when symptoms disappear) and exacerbation (when symptoms reappear)

•       Examples: arthritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease

Chronic Illness

•       Clients often need to modify their activities of daily living, social relationships, and perception of self and body image

•       Clients must learn how to live with increasing physical limitations and discomfort

Conclusion

•       Health concerns changed through history

•       Definitions of health, wellbeing, wellness, illness and disease

•       Multiple variables affecting health status

•       Multifactorial etiology of illness

Reference

Berman, A., & Snyder, S.J., & Frandsen, G.  (2016).

Kozier and Erb’s fundamentals of nursing. Concepts, process, and practice (10th ed.). Pearson.