CONCEPT OF HEALTH Samreen Afzal
AND DISEASE
CONCEPT OF HEALTH
Health is NOT mainly an issue of doctors, social services and
hospitals.
It is an issue of social justice
Health is the "absence of disease“- Oldest definition
Health and harmony are considered equivalent
Harmony being defined as "being at peace with the self, the
community, god and cosmos"
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HEALTH AS DEFINED BY THE
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
(WHO)
"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.“
Health has evolved over the centuries as a concept
From an individual concern to a worldwide social goal
Encompasses the whole quality of life
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CHANGING CONCEPTS OF
HEALTH
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CHANGING CONCEPTS-
BIOMEDICAL CONCEPT
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CRITICISM
NO Answers to the
followings;
Environ
Populati
Chronic nement
Malnutri Acciden Drug Mental on
disease al
tion ts, abuse illness explosio
s pollutio
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CHRONIC DISEASES
Chronic diseases tend to become more common with
age.
A chronic condition is a human health condition or
disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its
effects or a disease that comes with time.
The term chronic: the course of the disease lasts for
more than three months.
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EXAMPLES- LEADING
CHRONIC DISEASES
In developed countries include:
Arthritis, cardiovascular disease such as heart
attacks and stroke,
cancer such as breast and colon cancer
Diabetes, epilepsy and seizures, obesity, and oral
health problems.
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ECOLOGICAL CONCEPT
Viewed health as a dynamic equilibrium between man and
his environment, and disease a maladjustment of the
human organism to environment
"Health implies the relative absence of pain and discomfort
and a continuous adaptation and adjustment to the
environment to ensure optimal function“
Imperfect man and Imperfect environment
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PSYCHOSOCIAL CONCEPT
Not only a biomedical
phenomenon
Rather influenced by social,
psychological, cultural, economic
and political factors of the people
concerned
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HOLISTIC CONCEPT
A sound mind
Recognizes the strength of
IN A SOUND
Social BODY
Economic Health implies
Political and
In a sound family
Environmental influences on health
In a sound
environment
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ALL SECTORS OF SOCIETY HAVE
AN EFFECT ON HEALTH
Commun Agricultu
ication re
Emphasis is on
the promotion Public
Animal
husbandr
Works
and protection Holistic
Approach
y
of health
Housing Food
Educatio
Industry
n
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HOLISTIC CONCEPT
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DEFINITION OF HEALTH
WHO definition 1948
"Health is a state of complete
physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely an
absence of disease or infirmity"
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OPERATIONAL
DEFINITION OF HEALTH
Health can be seen as "a condition or quality of the human
organism expressing the adequate functioning of the
organism in given conditions, genetic or environmental
Measuring purposes - health means:
a. No obvious evidence of disease, and that a person is functioning
normally
b. Organs of the body are functioning adequately in themselves and in
relation to one another
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NEW PHILOSOPHY OF
HEALTH
Health is a fundamental human right
Health is the essence of productive life, and
not the result of ever increasing expenditure on
medical care
Health is intersectoral
An integral part of development
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NEW PHILOSOPHY OF
HEALTH
Health is central to the concept of quality of life
Health involves individuals, state and international
responsibility
Health and its maintenance is a major social investment
Health is a worldwide social goal
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DIMENSIONS OF Concept of Health
HEALTH
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WHO DEFINITION-
DIMENSIONS
Three specific dimensions
Physical Mental Social
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PHYSICAL DIMENSION
“Perfect functioning" of the body
Health biologically as a state in which every cell and
every organ is functioning at optimum capacity and
in perfect harmony with the rest of the body.
However, the term "optimum" is not definable
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PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS-
INDICATORS
Miscellaneous Indicators: "a good complexion, a clean
skin, bright eyes,
Lustrous hair with a body well clothed with firm flesh, not
too fat, a sweet breath, a good appetite, sound sleep,
Regular activity of bowels and bladder and
Smooth, easy, coordinated bodily movements
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PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS-
INDICATORS
All the organs of the body are of unexceptional size
and function normally
All the special senses are intact
The resting pulse rate, blood pressure and exercise
tolerance are all within the range of "normality" for the
individual's age and sex
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PHYSICAL DIMENSIONS-
INDICATORS
This state of normality has fairly wide limits.
These limits are set by observation of a large
number of "normal" people, who are free from
evident disease.
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EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL
HEALTH- INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
Self assessment of overall health
Inquiry into symptoms of ill-health and risk factors
Inquiry into medications
Inquiry into levels of activity (e.g., number of days of
restricted activity within a specified time, degree of fitness)
Inquiry into use of medical services (e.g., the number of
visits to a physician, number of hospitalizations) in the recent
past
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EVALUATION OF PHYSICAL
HEALTH- INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
Standardized questionnaires for cardiovascular
diseases
Standardized questionnaires for respiratory
diseases
Clinical examination
Nutrition and dietary assessment, and
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COMMUNITY LEVEL
ASSESSMENT INDICATORS
At the community level, the state of health may be assessed by
such indicators
Death rate; Infant mortality rate and expectation of life.
Each piece of information should be individually useful
When combined: A complete health profile of individuals and
communities.
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MENTAL DIMENSION
Good mental health is the ability to respond to the
many varied experiences of life with flexibility and a
sense of purpose
"a state of balance between the individual and the
surrounding world, a state of harmony between
oneself and others, a coexistence between the
realities of the self and that of other people and that
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MENTAL DIMENSION-
BIOLOGICAL COMPONENT
Major mental illnesses such as depression and
schizophrenia have a biological component
Inference: a behavioral, psychological or biological
dysfunction and that the disturbance in the mental
equilibrium is not merely in the relationship between
the individual and the society
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MENTAL HEATH
EVALUATION-INDICATOR
The scientific foundations of mental health are not yet clear
Psychological attributes of a mentally healthy person:
1. Mentally healthy person is free from internal conflicts; he is
not at "war" with himself.
2. Well-adjusted, i.e., he is able to get along well with others.
3. He accepts criticism and is not easily upset.
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MENTAL HEATH
EVALUATION-INDICATOR
4. Searches for identity
5. Has a strong sense of self-esteem.
6. He knows himself: his needs, problems and goals (this is known
as self-actualization).
7. Has good self-control-balances rationality and emotionality.
8. Faces problems and tries to solve them intelligently, i.e., coping
with stress and anxiety.
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SOCIAL DIMENSION
Social well-being implies:
Harmony and Integration
Within the individual,
Between each individual and other members of
society
Between individuals and the world in which they live
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SOCIAL DIMENSIONS-
CONTINUE…….
Defined:
"quantity and quality of an individual's interpersonal
ties and the extent of involvement with the
community"
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SOCIAL DIMENSION OF
HEALTH
Levels of social skills one possesses
Social functioning and the ability to see
oneself as a member of a larger society
Positive material environment
Positive human environment
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POSITIVE HEALTH
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POSITIVE HEALTH
"Perfect Functioning" of the body and mind
Biologically: a state in which every cell and every
organ is functioning at optimum capacity and in
perfect harmony with the rest of the body
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POSITIVE HEALTH
Psychologically: A state in which the individual
feels a sense of perfect well-being and of mastery
over his environment
Socially: A state in which the individual's capacities
for participation in the social system are optimal
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HEALTH - A RELATIVE
CONCEPT
Not as an ideal state, but as a biologically "normal“ state
Newborn baby in Pakistan weighs 2.8 kg on an average
compared to 3.5 kg in the developed countries
Health Standards vary from country to country
Health standards vary among cultures, social classes and
age-groups
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CONCEPT OF WELL-
BEING
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CONCEPT OF WELL-BEING
No Universal definition of the term "Well-being”
Psychologically: "Well-being" has Two Components
Objective: "Standard Of Living" or "Level Of Living“
Subjective: "Quality Of Life"
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STANDARD OF LIVING
Refers to the usual scale of
Our expenditure
Goods we consume
Services we enjoy
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STANDARD OF LIVING
The level of Employm
education ent status
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Food Dress 43
WHO- STANDARD OF LIVING
"Income and occupation
Standards of: housing, sanitation and nutrition,
The level of provision of: health, educational, recreational
and other services
Used individually as measures of socio-economic status,
Collectively as an index of the "standard of living"
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WHO- STANDARD OF LIVING
Measured through the comparison of per capita GNP
Total domestic and foreign output:
Consisting of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)+
Plus factor incomes earned by foreign residents,
Minus income earned in the domestic economy by
nonresidents
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QUALITY OF LIFE
"the condition of life resulting from the combination
of the effects of the complete range of factors those
determining
Health, Happiness (including comfort in the physical
environment and a satisfying occupation), Education,
Social, Intellectual attainments
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QUALITY OF LIFE-
ENHANCEMENT
Improving the quality of life by
Reducing morbidity and mortality
Providing primary health care and
Enhancing physical, mental and social wellbeing.
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QUALITY OF LIFE-
ENHANCEMENT
A rise in the standard of living of the people is
not enough to achieve satisfaction or happiness
Increased emphasis on social policy and on
reformulation of societal goals to make life more
liveable for all.
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