Describe different concepts of health

Authors Avatar

P2 describe different concepts of health

Health was considered to be a divine gift before the Greek philosopher Hippocrates known as the father of medicine, changed people’s perception and advocated that doctors should use observation as the basis for acquiring knowledge about health. He also advanced understanding of how external factors would impact on health and well-being, for example, sanitation, diet and personal hygiene. He believed that to achieve health four fluids within the body, blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm need to be in balance if they were not ill.

Negative concept of health

People do not consider their state of health or think of themselves as healthy in their daily life. For people being health means not having anything wrong with you, any illnesses, diseases or injuries. Concept of health changes with age with many older people describing being health in these negative terms where younger people talk about health in terms of eating the right thing and taking exercises. The individual’s state of health at any one time will also impact on their health. If they are experiencing symptoms of diseases or illness or are injured, they are more likely to apply a negative definition then a positive one. Gender also has appears to have a bearing concept of health with women conceptualising health as being in control of their physical bodies through taking positive action, such as taking care of themselves by eating sensibly and taking exercise while men in particular tend to consider health as the norm and so do not think they have to play and active part in achieving this state of well-being.

Join now!

Positive concept of health

Positive concept of health are often described in relation to being able to do things being resilient to stress, disease and being able to cope with life rather than an absence of ill-health.  Those who have positive concept of health might describe the feeling of being healthy as having energy to be active and being physically fit. However as well as physical well-being emotional well-being should be considered. Living a health lifestyle including balancing all the factors in our lives which potentially cause stress with those that can help us to relax is a dominant ...

This is a preview of the whole essay