Everyday we use the word “Health” to refer to feelings of wellbeing, being free from illness, or financial security; but there is no single definition for Health which applies across the entire spectrum of human experience; instead it remains a highly subjective concept which means different things to different people.
At one extreme, some may consider health to be the state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing, while at another it simply means freedom from disease or infirmity. While the latter definition has become widely accepted by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), this definition doesn’t take into account an individual’s lifestyle choices nor those living with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or back pain that require medications or physiotherapy treatments to manage.
Academics and researchers have also developed other definitions of health that tend to be more practical and pragmatic than the WHO definition, including factors like a person’s ability to function in their environment and work, their capacity for an acceptable standard of living and quality social relationships; adaptability is also prioritized, rather than disease prevention or cure.
These diverse interpretations of health have implications for its promotion and management, for instance the simple definition – that health is the absence of disease – could lead to an emphasis on medical interventions intended to eradicate diseases; but this approach fails to take account of emerging understandings about diseases on a molecular level as well as risky wellbeing.
Salutogenesis provides a deeper understanding of health by attempting to identify those factors which contribute to its creation and maintenance. Contrast this approach with traditional scientific thinking on pathogenesis, which seeks to identify and eliminate causes of diseases. The former viewpoint rests on the assumption that health and disease are both part of life’s cycle, with various influences exerting their own effects. The latter approach rests on the idea that environmental conditions play a pivotal role in disease onset and progression, making changes possible to reduce and manage disease incidence and control. These two methods do not conflict, and can work hand in hand for improved overall quality of life.
