What is Health?

When I think of health, I automatically think it is not being sick with a cold, flu, or virus. However, the term health is so broad that it can be perceived from a personal to a public level. Health can be described differently by adolescents, adults, geriatrics, and groups of health authorities.

Health can be described in many ways, especially by the younger generation, where socialization is critical to good health. This directly affects their mental well-being and future success, according to a qualitative study of what being healthy means to adolescents’ (Borracino, Pera, Lemma, 2019).

The 1948 definition by World Health Organization (WHO) describes “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (Langmaid, 2021). The three criticisms of WHO’s definition by Huber (2011) can be summed as not accurately describing the health of the population today because adults have long-term illnesses; however, they have longevity, and the classification is outdated on all three physical, mental, and social aspects and people’s overall well-being has changed since 1948.

The definition that the University of British Columbia is “Health is an attribute of individuals, communities, and societies and is a fundamental resource for daily living” (UBC, 2023). This viewpoint from the University is obliged with other health authorities to which future research studies are conducted through public health, policy, and prevention in collaboration with health stakeholders. This comparison of definitions reveals that the term health needs to be changed and is being promoted by advocates in health policies and ongoing health research.

References

Borracino, A., Pera, ., & Lemma, P. (2019). “What being healthy means to me”: A qualitative analysis uncovering the core categories of adolescents’ perception of health. PloS ONE, 14(6), 1-11. https:doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218727

Huber, M. (2011). Health: How should we define it? British Medical Journal, 343,(7817), 235-237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4163

Langmaid, J. (2021, May 19).What is the definition of Health? [Video] YouTube. https://youtu.be/deBntVAMgFI

The University of British Columbia (2023, Feb 02). Definition of Health. UBC Health.https://health.ubc.ca/what-ubc-health/definition-health