2. Definition of health and disease

From greek.doctor
  • Biomedical model = health is the freedom from disease
    • Model focuses on physical processes of pathology, biochemistry, etc.
    • Does not take into account social or individual factors
  • Biopsychosocial model
    • = Human functioning depends on biological, psychological, and social factors
    • Health is not purely biological
    • More modern
  • Salutogenic model
    • Model concerned with the relationship between health, stress and coping
    • Instead of focusing on “what causes disease?”, the model focuses on “what causes health?”
    • Health and disease is not a dichotomy but rather a continuum
  • Many definitions of health
    • WHO recent: “The extent to which an individual or group is able to realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living; it is a positive concept, emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities.”
    • Seedhouse: “Health is a state in which people are able to work towards attaining their realistic chosen and biologic potentials”
    • WHO 1948: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
  • Health is one of the basic human rights
  • Mental health: “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community (WHO)”
  • Wellness: A continuum of highest health potential <–> normal health <–> illness <–> death
    • Involves environmental, social, occupational, intellectual, spiritual, physical and emotional factors
  • Indicators of health on a population level
    • Life expectancy
    • Premature mortality (years of potential life lost, YPLLs)
    • Age-specific death rates
    • Cause-specific death rates
  • Indications of health on an individual level
    • Number of days in poor health
    • Self-rated health status
    • BMI
    • Blood tests
    • Etc.