Concepts of Good Health. Health can be defined negatively and positively an example of a negative approach to health is the holistic concept of health considers the whole person
Health is the state of complete physical mental and social well being it is not just being absent from illness. Health can be defined negatively and positively an example of a negative approach to health is the holistic concept of health considers the whole person rather than just concentration on the one problem that they may have. It recognises that every aspect of health can impact on another. For example mental health can affect our physical health.
Holistic concept of health is becoming increasingly used in mainstream medical practice as part of a broader view of patient care as it looks at the person as a whole. For example if you are emotionally upset, you're mental, social, spiritual and physical health can be affected.
"It is very difficult to separate the aspects of health as they are interrelated and interdependent"
(Textbook)
Another negative approach to health is known as the medical model or the biomedical model of health. This looks at people as if they are machines. The body parts can be replaced or repair due to the fact that the body is seen as one big system. This means that if we ever become ill we go straight to the doctor and let the doctor diagnose what is the problem. The doctor will then provide a medication or recommend other ways to fight the problem. People who fall into this category are people who look for biological reasons for their sickness rather than looking at the other aspects of health. These people confront and handle the illness and ill-health when it is put upon them rather than promoting good health. In conclusion the biomedical model of health is the negative approach to health and health is seen as an absence of disease.
The positive approach to health is known as the social model of health. The Social model of health realizes that illness can be caused by factors such as housing lifestyle and education. The social model of heath recognizes that there could be more than just one factor and that ill health can be cured by taking time to look at social conditions such as damp which could lead to colds, having carpet in your house if you have asthma can lead to flu and low income which can affect your health too as the amount of income you ...
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The positive approach to health is known as the social model of health. The Social model of health realizes that illness can be caused by factors such as housing lifestyle and education. The social model of heath recognizes that there could be more than just one factor and that ill health can be cured by taking time to look at social conditions such as damp which could lead to colds, having carpet in your house if you have asthma can lead to flu and low income which can affect your health too as the amount of income you receive effects your diet, as it can be costly to buy good fruit and vegetables. Income can also limit the exercise you get as it can be costly to join a gym. Social model of health is the complete opposite of biomedical. It is a positive approach to health. It realizes that peoples own lifestyle choses can affect their health and that there are many factors in society can affect their health.
People think health is a personal responsibility; this is a positive concept of health. In this model people feel that they are responsible for looking after their own health and thereby ensuring they are well. They are very careful on what they are eating so they can take in the nutrients they needs. These can come from various foods like: fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain, cereals, lean protein foods, few processed and takeaways meals. People will limit their alcohol intake to the recommended glide lines for men and women (men are 3-4 units a day and women are 2-3 units a day), they will also make sure they do regular exercise.
"Screening glide lines will be followed, for example regular smear teats every 3-5 years, this is belief that actions, such as screening, have a positive action in maintaining their health." (Textbook)
Some people think that health is an absence of illness; this is a negative concept of health. This view, is being absence of any symptoms of illness, such as aches or pains, this is seen as good health. Anybody who believes in this view does not take good health for granted and feel they will not have to take any measures in order to be healthy. These people will not consider they are ill if they have a hangover or they have a cold. People with this negative view of health are more likely to ignore the health advice as they think it does not make much difference.
Most of us think of wellness in terms of illness; we assume that the absence of illness indicates wellness. There are actually many degrees of wellness, just as there are many degrees of illness. The Illness-Wellness Continuum illustrates the relationship of the treatment paradigm to the wellness paradigm.
Moving from the centre to the left shows a progressively worsening state of health. Moving to the right of centre indicates increasing levels of health and wellbeing. The treatment paradigm (drugs, herbs, surgery, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and so on) can bring you up to the neutral point, where the symptoms of disease have been alleviated. The wellness paradigm, which can be utilized at any point on the continuum, helps you move toward higher levels of wellness. The wellness paradigm directs you beyond neutral and encourages you to move as far to the right as possible. It is not meant to replace the treatment paradigm on the left side of the continuum, but to work in harmony with it. If you are ill, then treatment is important, but don't stop at the neutral point. Use the wellness paradigm to move toward high-level wellness.
Ill health means different things to different people. How people view ill health depends on a variety of factors; if they've been seriously ill before, how knowledgeable they are about illness and also what they would class as a "severe" or "mild" illness etc. There are three main concepts of ill health: ill health as a subjective sensation of illness; ill health as disease symptoms, and finally, ill health as a disorder or malfunction within the body.
The first concept is ill health as disease symptoms. This concept focuses on the symptoms associated with ill health, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, pain and also visible symptoms, such as rashes and lumps on the skin. This is a common concept among patients, rather than health professionals, as it is about what the sufferer feels, rather than what the doctor or nurse is classifying those symptoms as. This concept of health is beneficial as people who have this concept will pick up on symptoms much quicker, and therefore will more readily seek medical advice. However, a fixation or overuse of this concept may develop into hypochondria, where people constantly panic over very mild symptoms, believing they may have a serious or fatal illness when, in most cases, they are perfectly fine, or have a very mild infection or illness, such as a cold.
The second concept is ill health as a subjective sensation of illness. This is a general feeling of being ill or unwell, also known as "Malaise". Malaise is a general feeling of uneasiness or discomfort, and is often an initial stage of an illness or disease. It is a general term for all sorts of non-visual symptoms (symptoms that are not physically apparent), such as fatigue, depression, and the general feeling of being run-down and exhausted. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals view malaise as being a "warning light" to the brain, telling it that something is not quite right within the rest of the body.
The final concept of ill health is ill health as a disorder or malfunction. This usually relates to more serious and life threatening diseases illnesses, such as heart disease, intestinal blockage or a brain tumour.
Dan Smith AO1 Promoting Good Health
