The Importance of Health
Health is a complex concept with many dimensions. Historically, the focus of health has been on sickness and disease and its prevention through medical and public health care. This approach has contributed to the improvement of life expectancy but has often overlooked other important aspects of health such as mental and social wellbeing. There are multiple definitions of health ranging from a precise biomedical or physical definition (absence of negative biologic circumstances such as altered DNA, abnormal physiologic states, abnormal anatomy, disease, disability or death) to the broad definition used by the World Health Organization: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
The current understanding of health reflects a move away from narrow medical and clinical perspectives to one that encompasses the range of human experiences. While this broader perspective challenges traditional health policy and practice, it also offers new opportunities for promoting good health. It is also a more powerful tool for improving health outcomes and increasing people’s sense of control over their lives.
A person’s health is determined by a multitude of factors including genetics, environmental influences and lifestyle choices. The contribution of each of these factors to a person’s health can vary widely and may even change over time as individuals adapt to their environment. For example, a person who eats a healthy diet and exercises regularly may experience a heart attack or become anemic as their body adjusts to living at sea level rather than the higher altitude of their former home.
Despite these complex and interrelated factors, there are a number of common elements that have been identified as essential for good health. These include:
The current view of Health is a process based on a balance between internal and external resources and adaptation to changing circumstances. In the context of health services, this has implications for both how we measure and how we provide support to improve health outcomes. For example, while it is important to have accurate data about the status of a person’s health today, it is equally important to understand how this has changed over the course of their lifetime and what may be driving those changes. This requires measurement approaches that use a combination of contemporary and time series data. It also requires a greater emphasis on understanding the impact of a wide variety of determinants on health, and recognizing that individual responses to these will be largely unique and variable.
Health is a complex concept with many dimensions. Historically, the focus of health has been on sickness and disease and its prevention through medical and public health care. This approach has contributed to the improvement of life expectancy but has often overlooked other important aspects of health such as mental and social wellbeing. There are multiple definitions of health ranging from a precise biomedical or physical definition (absence of negative biologic circumstances such as altered DNA, abnormal physiologic states, abnormal anatomy, disease, disability or death) to the broad definition used by the World Health Organization: “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The current understanding of health reflects a move away from narrow medical and clinical perspectives to one that encompasses the range of human experiences. While this broader perspective challenges traditional health policy and practice, it also offers new opportunities for promoting good health. It is also a more powerful tool for improving health outcomes and increasing people’s sense of control over their lives. A person’s health is determined by a multitude of factors including genetics, environmental influences and lifestyle choices. The contribution of each of these factors to a person’s health can vary widely and may even change over time as individuals adapt to their environment. For example, a person who eats a healthy diet and exercises regularly may experience a heart attack or become anemic as their body adjusts to living at sea level rather than the higher altitude of their former home. Despite these complex and interrelated factors, there are a number of common elements that have been identified as essential for good health. These include: The current view of Health is a process based on a balance between internal and external resources and adaptation to changing circumstances. In the context of health services, this has implications for both how we measure and how we provide support to improve health outcomes. For example, while it is important to have accurate data about the status of a person’s health today, it is equally important to understand how this has changed over the course of their lifetime and what may be driving those changes. This requires measurement approaches that use a combination of contemporary and time series data. It also requires a greater emphasis on understanding the impact of a wide variety of determinants on health, and recognizing that individual responses to these will be largely unique and variable.