Meanings of Health An Overview

Meanings of Health An OverviewDefinitions of wellnessThe concept of wellness means antithetical things to diverse bulk.Early meanings of health prior(prenominal) to World War II, health was viewed as the opposite to illness.If there was no evidence of disease or somatic illness, we were considered healthAny breakdget in the body system meant it was not healthy this view suggested if you were ill medicine, drugs and doctors could return you to a healthy stateUsing this approach health has some strangleations withal narrow and one dimensionaldisregards individuals with mental, social or spiritual illnesse.g. a person may not be suffering a physical illness, but may be experiencing depression or emotional stress.World Health Organisation (WHO) definition of healthHealth is a state of go off physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmitydefinition gave greater recognition to a more holistic concept of healthcomplete suggests that you a lways have to have no problems with yourself at all times otherwise you ar not considered healthy surreal and unachievableDimensions of HealthPhysical health is the wellness of the body and the absence of chronic pain or discomfortSocial health is our ability to interact with other people in an interdependent and cooperative wayMental/emotional health is a state of well-being where we can realise our abilities, supervise with the normal stresses of feel, work productivity and make a contribution to the communitySpiritual health relates to a sense of purpose and meaning in our life and to feeling connected with others and societyHealth is a result of complex interactions between each of the 4 dimensions. As one dimension improves, so in any case might another in an indirect way and vice versa.Relative and dynamic nature of healthHealth is dynamic and relativeDynamic health the health status of an individual is continually changing e.g. an individual go to bed feeling fine then wake up with the flu the bordering dayRelative health the persona of others to compargon the health status of a particular person e.g. an individual decides that an elite sports person is healthier than their lifter who is into tennisAn individuals circumstances affect their healthOur health status changes in relation to our circumstances.Factors that can impact on health status include heredityExperiences environmental factorsAbility to make informed health decisions (SES)Opportunities to access health services (Location) acquaintances of Health Focuses on how health is regarded, understood and interpreted. It relates to peoples opinions of health and how these opinions are formed.Perception the way in which something is regarded, understood or interpretedPerceptions of our healthPerceptions of their health how you understand healthHow you interpret your own health is affected by some(prenominal) things includingOur familys perception of healthOur peers understanding o f what health is and how to become itHow health is portrayed in the mediaOur personal beliefs and preconceptions about life in generalThe value we interject on healthOur previous experiences related to health (fitness, sport, injury, illness, disease)Our environment (geographical localisation, access to health information and technology)Our level of health educationOur perception of health bequeath change during our life cycleINSERT TABLEPerceptions on the health of othersThe perceptions of the health of others is largely influenced by your view of health and what you know about the person.We scat to judge others very superficially based on our perception of their health.We may hold stereotypical beliefs about particular groups in the community and this may limit our ideas about their likely health status e.g. We may perceive a model as healthy however this is not considering all health dimensionsImplications of diametrical perceptions of healthIndividual level an individuals perception of their health can have a significant influence on their lifestyle choices and behaviours relating to healthAn accurate judgment of our level of health assists us to be proactive about our health and take appropriate action to address health concerns e.g. an individual who regularly drinks alcoholic drink and recognises that their behaviour is having a detrimental effect on their health is more likely to stop drinking, limit their alcohol intake or seek paid help than someone who does not believe their alcohol consumption is causing them harmAn incorrect or distorted assessment of our health status could breath to health behaviours that are likely to harm our overall health e.g. an individual perceiving themselves to be overweight when their weight fits within a healthy range which leads them to not eatingPolicy level different perceptions held by government, health professionals etc. may drive the health agenda for developing strategies and interventions this coul d influence policies relating to health education, reckon expenditure on certain areas etc.Perceptions of health as social constructsA Social construct is a concept that recognises that people have different view based on their social circumstances and ways of seeing, interpreting, interrelating and interacting with their environmentThe recognition that individuals do not have complete control over their own health has contributed to the acceptance that health is a social construct.A persons health behaviours and health status are significantly determined by factors relating to the social, physical and ethnic environment in which they live.Recognising health as a social construct helps us explain why some individuals or groups experience better or worse health than others. It also helps us understand why improving the health status of particular groups within the community can be a complex and prolonged process.Factors that are likely to play a role in our social construct of hea lthSocioeconomic statusGeographical locationCultural backgroundGenderAgeLevel of educationCommunity values and expectationsAll these factors have an influence onThe expectations we form about our health potentialThe understanding we develop of what good health involvesThe ability we have to act on information and exert control over our own healthour choices about whether we use health products and services and how they are usedhow we respond to challenges to our health and well-beingImpact of the media, peers and familyMediaInvestigate the trends in the health behaviours of young peopleUse textbookPick 3 health behaviourssubstance usesexual and reproductive healthfood habitsIdentify protective and risk behavioursintimate and reproductive healthThe health behaviours of young people relating to sexual activity have found to have both favourable and unfavourable trends in different areas of the behaviour. The sexual and reproductive health is a significant part of a young persons life as adolescence is a time where an individual may contain to begin participating in sexual activity. The Young Australians their health and wellbeing 2008 report profile found that 42.5% of young people in Year 10 and Year 12 have had sexual intercourse and around 45% of the sexually active students reported having more than one sexual partner in the past 12 months and both of these numbers have increased significantly since the previous adopt in 2002. As a result of a higher(prenominal) sexual activity rate there has been a rising number of STI contractions. The survey found that 99.8% of young people in Year 10 and 12 used a form of contraception at their most recent sexual encounter and this number is showing a favourable trend. However, there are rising rates of notifiable sexually transmissible infections among young people aged 12-24 years largely chlamydia, with 1045 per 100,000 having a STI and 945 per 100,000 being chlamydia. This shows that although young people are using contraceptive methods they may not be using barrier methods to prevent STIs.Substance useThe health behaviours of young people relating to drug usePhysical activityThe health behaviours of young people relating to physical activity have found to have unfavourable trends. The NSW schools physical activity and nutrition survey (SPANS) 2010 found that there has been a significant decline in the physical activity level of high school students, with an exception to year 10 girls. exactly 56% of surveyed students met the recommended guidelines in summer and just over 50% in winter. Another finding of the SPANS in relation to physical activity was the significant property of young people participating in in small screen recreation (SSR) where over 60% exceeded the recommended guideline of 2 hours on weekdays, with this increasing to 80% on weekends. This sedentary behaviour in young people will ultimately increase level of health related disease in the future.