Key Concepts in Health Promotion

Module Outline

  • Key concepts for NSB105 unit:

    • Health

    • Wellness / well-being

    • Determinants of health

    • Health promotion

    • Prevention of disease

What is Health?

  • Definition of Health:

    • The term 'health' can encompass various ideas that may differ according to individual experiences and contexts.

    • According to the World Health Organization (WHO) (2019), health is defined as:
      > "A state of complete physical, social, and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease."

  • Personal Associations with Health:

    • Consider the following concepts often associated with health:

    • Physical fitness

    • Fresh fruit and vegetables

    • Ability to work

    • Absence of disease

    • Maintaining harmonious social relationships

    • Happiness

Historical Perspectives on Health

  • Through history, health has been conceived in various ways such as:

    • Maintaining balance between body and soul, or person and environment

    • Spiritual balance

    • Ability to work or adapt to change during crises (Svalastog et al., 2017)

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Definition of Health:

    • According to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) (2021):
      > "'Aboriginal health' means not just the physical well-being of an individual, but refers to the social, emotional, and cultural well-being of the whole Community… It is a whole of life view and includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life."

Cultural Determinants of Health

  • Cultural determinants identified by the Mayi Kuwayu study:

    • Domains identified:

    • Global

    • Environmental

    • Societal

    • Physical

    • Mental

    • Emotional

    • Individual

    • Social

    • Spiritual

    • Sexual

Exercise on Health Concepts

  • Note down personal conceptions of health and how they may have changed across various life phases:

    • High School Years

    • Young Adulthood

    • Middle Adulthood

Population Health

  • Defined as:

"The health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group" (Kindig & Greg Stoddart, 2003)

  • Focus:

    • Understanding health and disease in larger populations to improve overall health and well-being.

    • Epidemiology: The study of incidence, distribution, and control of diseases along with health-related factors.

    • Examples of Epidemiological Actions:

    • Public health campaigns

    • Immunization initiatives

What is Well-being?

  • Well-being Definition:

"A positive state experienced by individuals and societies… determined by social, economic, and environmental conditions."

  • Components of Well-being Encompass:

    • Quality of life

    • Contribution to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose

    • Emotional and psychological balance, satisfaction, comfort, connection, etc.

Exploring Relationships Between Health and Wellness

  • Questions for Consideration:

    • How do health and wellness relate to each other?

    • Is there any difference between 'health' and 'wellness'?

What is Wellness?

  • Wellness Definition:

"A dynamic state of health in which an individual progresses towards a higher level of functioning, achieving an optimum balance between internal and external environments" (Mosby, 2016).

Dimensions of Wellness

  1. Environmental Wellness:

    • Focuses on interactions between individuals and their habitats at local, community, and global levels.

    • Symbolizes grateful living and caring approaches towards the environment.

  2. Social Wellness:

    • Encourages ethical contributions to one's environment for the common welfare of one's community.

    • Emphasizes communication skills and relationships.

  3. Cultural Wellness:

    • Encompasses awareness of one’s cultural worldview, attitudes towards cultural differences, knowledge of different cultural practices, and cross-cultural skills.

  4. Occupational Wellness:

    • Involves expressing oneself through paid and non-paid work while balancing various life roles.

  5. Spiritual Wellness:

    • Involves seeking meaning in existence and appreciating natural forces.

  6. Intellectual Wellness:

    • Encourages mental and creative activities to enhance decision-making and problem-solving abilities.

  7. Emotional Wellness:

    • Involves accepting feelings and circumstances while maintaining positive relationships with others.

  8. Financial Wellness:

    • Involves balancing mental, spiritual, and physical aspects of financial resources and equitable distribution of jobs and wealth.

  9. Physical Wellness:

    • Encompasses responsibility for health, fitness, and lifestyle choices within one’s capabilities.

Determinants of Health

  • Definition:

    • Determinants of health are factors influencing the health of individuals and communities.

    • Considered to include:

    • Genetic factors

    • Individual behaviors and coping skills

    • Social support networks and culture

    • Economic and political determinants

    • Physical environmental determinants

  • WHO Definition (2021):

"The range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that determine the healthy life expectancy of individuals and populations."

Types of Determinants of Health

  1. Social Determinants:

    • Conditions of daily life encompassing economic policies, social norms, and political systems.

  2. Individual Characteristics:

    • Includes age, sex, gender, and biological/genetic factors.

  3. Behavioural Determinants:

    • Lifestyle decisions affecting health such as activity levels, relaxation activities, and nutrition.

  4. Environmental Determinants:

    • Physical environments related to housing, transport, pollution, and more.

Prevention of Disease

  • Disease Prevention Definition:

"Approaches and activities aimed at reducing the likelihood that a disease or disorder will affect an individual, interrupting or slowing the progress of the disorder or reducing disability" (WHO, 2004).

  • Levels of Disease Prevention:

    1. Primary Prevention: Preventing disease before it occurs (e.g., Sun Safe campaigns).

    2. Secondary Prevention: Reduces the impact of disease or arrests disease development (e.g., mammograms).

    3. Tertiary Prevention: Manages long-term complex diseases, preventing complications (e.g., targeted exercise programs).

Conclusion

  • The core concepts discussed are foundational for learning outcomes and activities in the NSB105 unit.

  • Recommended to consistently reference these concepts through further learning materials and discussions.

  • Key concepts continue to be:

    • Health

    • Wellness, well-being

    • Determinants of health

    • Health promotion

    • Prevention of disease

References

  • Porter. (1994). The history of public health and the modern state. Rodopi.

  • Mold, A., & Berridge, V. (2013). The history of health promotion. In: L. Cragg, M. Davies, & W. Macdowall (Eds.) Health Promotion Theory (2nd ed.).

  • Svalastog, A. L., Donev, D., Jahren Kristoffersen, N., & Gajović, S. (2017). Concepts and definitions of health and health-related values in the knowledge landscapes of the digital society. Croatian medical journal, 58(6), 431-435. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2017.58.431

  • WHO. (2024). Definitions of Health. World Health Organization (WHO).

  • WHO. (2024). Determinants of Health. World Health Organization (WHO).

  • WHO. (2024). Health promotion. World Health Organization (WHO).​