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

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

Definition of Health

Traditionally, health was defined in terms of presence or absence oF disease

WHO Definition of Health: “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-

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

Reflect on 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

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

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

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

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

•        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

•        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

•        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

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

          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 These variables may or may not be under conscious control

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)

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

emphasis with the client to influence 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: 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

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

Classification of Illness & Disease: Most common way a acute or chronic

Acute Illness: Characterized by symptoms of relatively short duration ,, 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  others are not   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)

Chronic Illness

Clients often need to modify their activities of daily living, social relationships, and perception of self and body image, learn how to live with increasing physical limitations and discomfort