Concept of health – Must knows
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
All members of society, including different professional groups (such as biomedical scientists, social scientists, health managers, ecologists), do not view health in the same way, causing uncertainty about the definition of health.
Over the years, health has developed from the idea of individual interest to a social objective worldwide.
The various CONCEPTS OF HEALTH as follows:
Biomedical concept: – Health has historically been viewed as an absence of illnesses, and if anyone was free of sickness, that person was considered healthy. This CONCEPT OF HEALTH is known as a scientific concept and is based on the “germ theory of disease.” The role of the environment, social and cultural determinants of health has been diminished by this CONCEPT OF HEALTH. Health and social science advances have led to the conclusion that the scientific definition of health is insufficient.
Ecological Concept: – The biomedical CONCEPT OF HEALTH’S shortcomings have given rise to other ideas. Ecologists put forth the idea of the concept of ecology. Health was seen by ecologists as a dynamic balance between man and his environment, and illness was seen as maladjustment of the human body to the environment.
Psychosocial Concept: – Advances in social sciences have shown that health is not only a biomedical phenomenon but also a phenomenon affected by the social, psychological, cultural, economic, and political influences of the individuals involved.
Holistic Concept: – A combination of all the above principles is the holistic model. The power of social, economic, political, and environmental health factors is understood as a holistic term. It has been defined in several ways as a multidimensional process involving the welfare of the individual as a whole. The focus is on health promotion and safeguarding. The holistic approach means that all sectors of society, particularly agriculture, animal husbandry, food, business, education, housing, public works, and other sectors, have an impact on health.
