The Definition of Health and Factors That Affect It
Health is an important factor in the quality of life. It influences the person’s ability to perform their social, productive and other essential functions. It is a condition that enables people to realize their aspirations and satisfy their needs, to adapt to changes in their environment and cope with them. It is an innate human right and a fundamental requirement for sustainable development of the individual and society as a whole.
The perception of health differs according to the culture, socioeconomic status and the environment in which a person lives. The most common definition of health focuses on the absence of disease and impairments, but it can also include other elements such as the ability to perform one’s duties and responsibilities and to live a meaningful life.
In 1948, when the World Health Organization was established, its founding constitution included a definition of health that states, “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” It was this idea, developed by Zagreb professor and public health expert Andrija Stampar, that brought about a paradigm shift in understanding the concept of health and its relationship to the human body and society.
Several studies have explored lay people’s perceptions of health and factors that affect it. Some of these studies have used a survey approach, while others use an ethnographic method. For example, Fugelli & Ingstad (2017) interviewed people in five different locations in rural areas, small and big cities, and in fishing-, agriculture-, and industrial communities, to examine their perceptions of the determinants of health. They found that a large percentage of people considered their environment to be the most important determinant of health, which is consistent with scientific knowledge that environmental factors increase the burden of diseases.
Other studies have emphasized that the concept of health is related to people’s values, their lifestyle and other aspects of their lives. For example, it is believed that healthy habits contribute to a positive attitude towards life, a good quality of life and personal relationships. They also support the belief that a person is able to take control of his or her own health.
There is a great variety of definitions of health, which is partly because of the fact that a concept makes sense predominantly in its home context. A concept is localized and attributed meaning by the process of conceptualization, which takes place when a person perceives something and then formulates a concept to explain it.
Health is an important factor in the quality of life. It influences the person’s ability to perform their social, productive and other essential functions. It is a condition that enables people to realize their aspirations and satisfy their needs, to adapt to changes in their environment and cope with them. It is an innate human right and a fundamental requirement for sustainable development of the individual and society as a whole. The perception of health differs according to the culture, socioeconomic status and the environment in which a person lives. The most common definition of health focuses on the absence of disease and impairments, but it can also include other elements such as the ability to perform one’s duties and responsibilities and to live a meaningful life. In 1948, when the World Health Organization was established, its founding constitution included a definition of health that states, “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” It was this idea, developed by Zagreb professor and public health expert Andrija Stampar, that brought about a paradigm shift in understanding the concept of health and its relationship to the human body and society. Several studies have explored lay people’s perceptions of health and factors that affect it. Some of these studies have used a survey approach, while others use an ethnographic method. For example, Fugelli & Ingstad (2017) interviewed people in five different locations in rural areas, small and big cities, and in fishing-, agriculture-, and industrial communities, to examine their perceptions of the determinants of health. They found that a large percentage of people considered their environment to be the most important determinant of health, which is consistent with scientific knowledge that environmental factors increase the burden of diseases. Other studies have emphasized that the concept of health is related to people’s values, their lifestyle and other aspects of their lives. For example, it is believed that healthy habits contribute to a positive attitude towards life, a good quality of life and personal relationships. They also support the belief that a person is able to take control of his or her own health. There is a great variety of definitions of health, which is partly because of the fact that a concept makes sense predominantly in its home context. A concept is localized and attributed meaning by the process of conceptualization, which takes place when a person perceives something and then formulates a concept to explain it.