CONCEPT OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HEALTH

- derived from the old English word for heal which is HAEL.

- it means whole. It concerns the whole person and his/ her integrity, soundness or well-being and that
the body, mind and spirit are one

Holistic nursing intervention focuses on the total care of the individual as a complete being rather than
on fragmented care which focuses only on the part or parts which are not healthy or functional.

Example:

A person who is physically ill may also experience psychosocial imbalance because
he/she is anxious of being absent from work and the resulting loss of income or work back clog. Thus the
patient may appear uncooperative, hostile or even resentful of the care that is being given by the
healthcare provider.

Knowledge of the theory of holism allows the nurse to understand the patient with compassion and
caring and to treat him/her as a family member and not simply a “case” or “room number”.

 Health is holistic (total health) and it includes the different dimensions of health taking into
account the separate influence and interaction of these dimensions (Anggleton and Homans
1987)

The Dimension of Health are Composed of the:

1)Broader dimension of health in outer circle:

(a) social health which is the link between health and the way a society is structure necessary for
health (e.g. shelter, peace, food, income) and the degree of integration or division with

in the society; and

b) environmental health which refers to the physical environment where people live; it involves
housing, transport, sanitation, pollution and pure water facilities

2 Individual dimension of health in the inner circle:

(a) physical health which refers to the state of one’s body like its fitness and not being ill;
(b) mental health referring to the positive sense of purpose and underlying belief in one’s own
worth (self-esteem) like feeling good and feeling able to cope;

(c) emotional health which is the is the ability to express one’s feelings appropriately and to
develop and sustain relationship.
(d) social health which involves in the support system that is available from family members and
friends. Having friend to talk to and being involved with activities in the community or school
contributes to social health. Remember “No Man Is An Island”
(e) spiritual health which is the recognition of a Supreme Being or Force and ability to put into
practice ones moral principles or beliefs;
 (f) sexual health which refers to the acceptance of and the ability to achieve a satisfactory
expression of one’s sexuality
The World Health Organization (WHO, 1946) defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.
Cottrell (2001) claims that the WHO definition is an ideal state which is just a “goal to strive for”
but can never be achieved since no one can ever attain a “state of complete mental, physical,
spiritual and social well-being.
Since there are different levels of ranging from good health to poor health, then the definition of
health should be expressed as “a state of mental, physical, spiritual and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity” where it is conceptualized holistically
KEY WORDS: Good stadt , et al (1987) as cited by Cottrell (2001)
1) physical health- is the biological integrity of an individual where there is optimum functioning of
his physical and physiological abilities and freedom from any disease or disability.
2) Mental health (or psychological health and emotional health)- is the subjective sense of well-
being; may also refer to intellectual capabilities
3) Social Health- is the ability to interact effectively with other people and the social environment;
development and sustenance at satisfying interpersonal relationships; and efficient role fulfillment.
4) Spiritual health or personal health; it may be concerned with one’s belief in a transcending,
unifying force (whether its basis is in nature, scientific law, or a godlike source

Health is considered as the goal of public health in general and a community health nursing in
particular. The modern concept of HEALTH refers to the “optimum level of functioning” (OLOF)
of individuals, families and communities’ w/c is affected by the several factors in the ecosystem

Factors In The Ecosystem Which Affect The Optimum Level of Functioning

(OLOF)
1) Political factor- refers to the power and authority to regulate the environment and social climate
by the politicians and decision makers especially on laws and policies which impact on health, the
health care delivery system and the nursing profession.
Ex:
Safety, oppression, people empowerment, health care that is accessible to all especially the
marginalized sectors of society;
2) Behavioral factor- person’s level of functioning is affected by certain habits, lifestyle, health care
and child rearing practices which are determined by the culture and ethnic heritage;
Ex:
Culture, mores or one’s way of life, ethnic customs and traditions
3) Hereditary factor- factor which are determined by heredity which is the genetic make-up of a
person like inherited diseases and genetic risks:
Ex:
Congenital defects, risks which are familial, ethnic or racial.
4) Health care delivery system- is the totality of all policies, infrastructures, facilities, equipment,
products, human resources and services which address the health needs and concerns of the
people
 Primary health care is a partnership approach to the effective provision of essential health services
that are community based, accessible, acceptable, sustainable and affordable. It is health care that
is provided at the barangay health stations and rural health units that is focused on prevention of
illness and promotion of health.
a) promotive care- which is concerned with the promotion of health through health teachings
and observance of healthy habits and lifestyle which is the primary duty of the nurse and midwife in
the community.
b) preventive care- prevention or avoidance of illness through health teachings, home visits by
nurses/midwives and regular health check-ups, proper implementation of EPI or expanded program of
immunization and other follow-up vaccinations, personal hygiene especially regular and proper
handwashing, observing environmental sanitation;

C) curative care- the secondary level of care given by physicians in privately owned or
government operated health facilities like infirmaries, municipal and district hospitals, and OPDs
of provincial hospitals where sick member of the community go for the consultation or
confinement or are referred to by the primary health facility
d) rehabilitative care- this involves more of the tertiary level of care for patients who have
incurred disability (partial or total) but who are subjective to physical, psychological, emotional and
spiritual therapy or treatment.
5) Environmental influences- menace of pollution, communicable diseases due to poor sanitation,
poor garbage collection, smoking, utilization of pesticides, lack or absence of proper and adequate
waste and sewerage disposal system and management, urban/rural milieu, noise, radiation, and air
and water pollution are just some of the factors or situations which exert negative effects on the
environment and which put a tremendous strain in the environment and the distraction of the
environmental resources;
6) Socio-economic influence- Families in lower income group are the ones mostly served particularly
those coming from the DOPE (depressed, oppressed, powerless, and exploited) sectors of the
society.
Ex:
availability and type of employment, level of education; the availability, type and location of
housing from place of work
Health as A Basic Human Right is embodied in:
1) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Art. 25, Section 1 states that: “Everyone has the right
to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including
food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services and the right to security in
the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, or lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his control
2) Philippine Constitution of 1987, Art. XIII, Sec. 11, state that: “The State shall adopt an
integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make
essential goods, health and other social services available to all the people at the affordable cost,
there shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and
children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical services to paupers
3) WHO (1995) believes that “government have a responsibility for the health of their people
which can be fulfilled only by the provision of adequate health and social measures. It emphasizes
three basic positive concepts of health which are:
a) reflecting concern for the individual as a total person;
 b) placing health in the context of the environment, and,
c) equating health with productive and creative living

Health and Wellness as Conceived in Today’s World

Greenberg (1992) and Donatelle an Davis (1996)- viewed the philosophy of wellness as a
positive quality and visualized it as the integration of the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional,
environmental and social dimensions of health to form a whole “healthy person”

Dunn (1977) emphasized high-level wellness (HLW) as “an integrated method of functioning w/c
oriented toward maximizing the potential which the individual is capable of. It is the ability to
maintain the continuum of balance and purposeful direction within the environment where he/she
is functioning”
Health and Wellness
- two concepts which have been used interchangeably to mean the ability “ to live life fully with
vital and meaning”
Health
- determined by genes, age and other factor that which may be beyond one’s control.
Wellness
- determined by the decisions you make about how to live your life.
Wellness is now the new health goal:
- a state of mind (awareness of the choices available for a healthy lifestyle), a way of life which
involves options that an individual takes to enjoy a healthy life;
- the perception that is capable of achieving one’s full potentials through the options one has
in relation to being well;
- the integration of the mind, body and spirit;
- the level of self-actualization where one feels that he has lived a full and accomplished life.