Understanding the Concept of Health
The concept of health is a fundamentally important one for the functioning of human societies and the human experience. Health is the condition of the whole person, including body and mind. It includes not only the absence of disease and infirmity but also a positive sense of well-being and a capacity to live life to its fullest.
Health is a complex concept and its understanding can vary greatly among people, depending on individual perceptions, values, and cultural contexts. In general, however, it can be defined as a dynamic state that depends on a person’s ability to function in society. This definition is based on the concept of “Health as a resource for living”, introduced by Zagreb Andrija Stampar School of Public Health’s founder and internationally recognized scholar in social medicine, Dr. Andrija Stampar in 1948.
Different approaches to health have evolved over the centuries. In antiquity, the perception of health was influenced by religious concepts and by medical traditions. After the fall of the Roman Empire, a new understanding was developed, intertwined with the Darwinian concept of survival of the fittest. In the industrialized world, the notion of health was defined primarily in economic terms, as it was perceived to increase working capability and reduce missed work days due to illness.
In the 20th century, there was a shift toward a more holistic concept of health that included not only the absence of disease but also a positive feeling of well-being and the capacity to deal with life’s challenges. The biopsychosocial model of health was a major step in this direction.
Today, the concept of health is still a highly contested topic. There are many ways to define it, and these perspectives are reflected in the different interpretations of health-related concepts in the digital environment. This variety of views on health and its definition should not be underestimated. Having the ability to recognize and appreciate these perspectives can help professionals in the field of public health understand how they can best approach individual people in their efforts to improve their health.
The lay perspective on the concept of health is characterized by three qualities: wholeness, pragmatism and individualism. The quality of wholeness means that health is viewed as a phenomenon that encompasses all aspects of an individual’s life: physical and mental well-being, family functioning, and community involvement. Pragmatism refers to the view that health is a relative phenomenon and that it is not possible to eliminate all diseases or loss of functional abilities. However, it is possible to compensate for these losses by achieving other positive values in life.
Finally, individualism refers to the fact that health is a personal phenomenon. It is experienced and evaluated in the light of an individual’s personal values, desires, goals, and priorities. It is therefore essential that any strategy for improving health be tailored to the uniqueness of every person. In this way, strategies for improving health are able to be used effectively by individuals and communities.
The concept of health is a fundamentally important one for the functioning of human societies and the human experience. Health is the condition of the whole person, including body and mind. It includes not only the absence of disease and infirmity but also a positive sense of well-being and a capacity to live life to its fullest. Health is a complex concept and its understanding can vary greatly among people, depending on individual perceptions, values, and cultural contexts. In general, however, it can be defined as a dynamic state that depends on a person’s ability to function in society. This definition is based on the concept of “Health as a resource for living”, introduced by Zagreb Andrija Stampar School of Public Health’s founder and internationally recognized scholar in social medicine, Dr. Andrija Stampar in 1948. Different approaches to health have evolved over the centuries. In antiquity, the perception of health was influenced by religious concepts and by medical traditions. After the fall of the Roman Empire, a new understanding was developed, intertwined with the Darwinian concept of survival of the fittest. In the industrialized world, the notion of health was defined primarily in economic terms, as it was perceived to increase working capability and reduce missed work days due to illness. In the 20th century, there was a shift toward a more holistic concept of health that included not only the absence of disease but also a positive feeling of well-being and the capacity to deal with life’s challenges. The biopsychosocial model of health was a major step in this direction. Today, the concept of health is still a highly contested topic. There are many ways to define it, and these perspectives are reflected in the different interpretations of health-related concepts in the digital environment. This variety of views on health and its definition should not be underestimated. Having the ability to recognize and appreciate these perspectives can help professionals in the field of public health understand how they can best approach individual people in their efforts to improve their health. The lay perspective on the concept of health is characterized by three qualities: wholeness, pragmatism and individualism. The quality of wholeness means that health is viewed as a phenomenon that encompasses all aspects of an individual’s life: physical and mental well-being, family functioning, and community involvement. Pragmatism refers to the view that health is a relative phenomenon and that it is not possible to eliminate all diseases or loss of functional abilities. However, it is possible to compensate for these losses by achieving other positive values in life. Finally, individualism refers to the fact that health is a personal phenomenon. It is experienced and evaluated in the light of an individual’s personal values, desires, goals, and priorities. It is therefore essential that any strategy for improving health be tailored to the uniqueness of every person. In this way, strategies for improving health are able to be used effectively by individuals and communities.