Lay Perspectives on Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of all human beings, without distinction of any kind. It is essential to the full development of the individual and the harmonious co-existence of peoples in a changing total environment. Health is dependent on the availability of adequate medical and other facilities and the free provision of these to all by their governments.
Many factors influence health, including genetics, environment, lifestyle choices and life events. Health can be maintained or improved by engaging in health-promoting activities, such as regular exercise and proper diet, as well as avoiding unhealthful behaviors, such as smoking and excessive stress. Moreover, the health of a population can be affected by environmental and other factors, such as access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.
A person’s definition of health may be as broad as “being comfortable and able to cope with life” or as narrow as “having a normal blood pressure and not having a fever.” The variety in definitions is partly due to the fact that, like other concepts, the notion of health makes sense mostly within its home context. A concept’s home context is the social, cultural or ideological framework in which a phenomenon is elaborated and understood.
Generally, there are three qualities that characterize the lay perspective on health: wholeness, pragmatism and individualism. Wholeness refers to the view that health is a holistic phenomenon that is interwoven with all aspects of a person’s life, such as work and family functions. This perspective also emphasizes the importance of being able to choose the way one lives and the quality of relationships.
Pragmatism, on the other hand, refers to the idea that health is a relative concept. A person can be healthy at one point in time, but not so at another. For example, if a person develops an allergy to a certain substance at one stage in his or her life, this substance can trigger an allergic reaction at a later stage in the same person.
Finally, individualism refers to the belief that everyone has a different opinion about what constitutes health. This perspective is reflected in the different definitions of health that exist in today’s society, and it is also a feature of the digital environment. This is because different perspectives can co-exist at the same time, without any hierarchy or precedence. This is often called syncreticity and is a characteristic of the digital environment. The variety of approaches to health in the digital environment is an important aspect for analyzing health policy and practice. The Zagreb Andrija Stampar School of Public Health is proud to be part of this process. The school is committed to maintaining its position on the cutting edge of health understanding in present-day society. Its mission is to advance knowledge, understanding and education in public health.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of all human beings, without distinction of any kind. It is essential to the full development of the individual and the harmonious co-existence of peoples in a changing total environment. Health is dependent on the availability of adequate medical and other facilities and the free provision of these to all by their governments. Many factors influence health, including genetics, environment, lifestyle choices and life events. Health can be maintained or improved by engaging in health-promoting activities, such as regular exercise and proper diet, as well as avoiding unhealthful behaviors, such as smoking and excessive stress. Moreover, the health of a population can be affected by environmental and other factors, such as access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. A person’s definition of health may be as broad as “being comfortable and able to cope with life” or as narrow as “having a normal blood pressure and not having a fever.” The variety in definitions is partly due to the fact that, like other concepts, the notion of health makes sense mostly within its home context. A concept’s home context is the social, cultural or ideological framework in which a phenomenon is elaborated and understood. Generally, there are three qualities that characterize the lay perspective on health: wholeness, pragmatism and individualism. Wholeness refers to the view that health is a holistic phenomenon that is interwoven with all aspects of a person’s life, such as work and family functions. This perspective also emphasizes the importance of being able to choose the way one lives and the quality of relationships. Pragmatism, on the other hand, refers to the idea that health is a relative concept. A person can be healthy at one point in time, but not so at another. For example, if a person develops an allergy to a certain substance at one stage in his or her life, this substance can trigger an allergic reaction at a later stage in the same person. Finally, individualism refers to the belief that everyone has a different opinion about what constitutes health. This perspective is reflected in the different definitions of health that exist in today’s society, and it is also a feature of the digital environment. This is because different perspectives can co-exist at the same time, without any hierarchy or precedence. This is often called syncreticity and is a characteristic of the digital environment. The variety of approaches to health in the digital environment is an important aspect for analyzing health policy and practice. The Zagreb Andrija Stampar School of Public Health is proud to be part of this process. The school is committed to maintaining its position on the cutting edge of health understanding in present-day society. Its mission is to advance knowledge, understanding and education in public health.