Introduction to concept of health
Introduction
Each individual implicitly values his or her health and wellbeing because without sound health normal activities become impossible. Health refers to a state of being free from diseases and being wholly sound. “It is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Physical health is a state of physical soundness in body because of regular exercises, proper nutrition, and sufficient rest (Seedhouse, 2001). Mental health on the other hand, refers to a state of an individual’s cognitive and emotional wellbeing. Several factors influence whether an individual is healthy or not and they include such factors as education, culture, socioeconomic status, physical environment, gender, and employment conditions among other factors. It is important to achieve and maintain sound health in order to carry out daily activities. People have developed different theories of health in order to understand the cultural aspects of health. This paper compares and contrasts health as a commodity and health as an ideal state to understand the cultural aspect of health.
A broad definition of health means that health is an individual’s state of wellbeing, which could range from a high level of wellbeing to terminal illnesses. From this broad definition of health, different theorists have developed theories to describe the meaning of health. One theory about health states that health is an ideal state (Helman, 2007). This theory provides a holistic and positive meaning to health in different dimensions. According to the World Health Organization, health as an ideal state means a person is healthy on the three dimensions of his or her physical, mental, and emotional being (Seedhouse, 2001). On the physical dimension, a person is free from pain and has a feeling of wellbeing. On the mental level, a person is free from egotism and selfishness while on the emotional dimension; a person feels free from passions and has some dynamic calmness.
This theory aims at achieving a goal of complete wellbeing in every level and it is an end in itself. For this theory to hold, disease, illness, social problems, and disability must be absent. According to this theory, the meaning of health is vague and idealistic because it cannot provide proper guidance to health promoters (Marmot and Wilkinson, 2003). For instance, this theory implies that the sick and those with physical disabilities cannot experience a sound state of health, and thus are incomplete. However, such persons could be free from any symptoms if they follow the right medication and treatment but according to this theory, these people cannot possess health because they have a disease. Therefore, health in this sense is unattainable because no one can be practically free from disease.
Another theory describes health as a commodity, which means that an individual can purchase health (Naidoo & Wills, 2000). This theory holds unrealistic expectations about the meaning of health by assuming that if a person pays a higher price of health care, he or she is guaranteed good health. According to this theory, health can be bought piece by piece without any effort from the patient. This theory describes a healthy person as one that can be able to purchase drugs and treatment (Education Department, 2002). It describes health as something independent that an individual can capture often at the commercial rate, provided the right procedures. The problem with this theory is that it suggests that health is a commercial object that can be purchased according to the amount of money one has.
Determinants of health
Several factors determine if a person is healthy or unhealthy. The socioeconomic status of an individual influences their health. A person with a higher socioeconomic status is likely to enjoy great health compared to one on a lower status. Besides, people with lower levels of education are likely to experience poor health (McGee, 1998). These people have low self-esteem and their stress levels are higher unlike people with higher levels of education. The physical environment that a person is exposed to determines his or her health. If a person enjoys clean and safe water, pure air to breathe, healthy workplace and a comfortable home, then this person experiences good health compared to another one in a contaminated environment.
People with stable jobs and good working conditions are likely to enjoy better health than the unemployed people are. Employment creates a sense of security and sober state of mind, which reduces chances of stress hence promoting health (Marmot and Wilkinson, 2003). In addition, people that enjoy support from other people such as family and friends have better health compared to people isolated from their family and friends. The culture that someone belongs to influences his or her health. Gender is also a determinant of health because diseases such as ovarian and cervical cancer are the preserve for females (Naidoo & Wills, 2000). The determinants of health influence the ability of people to achieve an ideal state of health as described by the theory of ideal. Factors such as employment, education and socioeconomic status support the theory of health as a commodity because the higher these factors are the higher the probability of purchasing health (Wilkinson, 1996).
Cultural examples
Culture is one of the determinants of health because it determines if someone can achieve the proposed ideal state of health. The impact of culture on health can be good or bad depending on the extent of the culture (MacLachlan, 2006). For example, some cultures, especially African cultures, practice female genital mutilation as a health practice. This practice has negative impact on the health of the millions of girls that go through this practice. This tradition hinders the victims from achieving an ideal state of health that includes physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. When the girls undergo the mutilation, it damages their physical wellbeing since consequences such as problems during childbirth occur and other infections (Helman, 2007). The practice also affects the mental state of these girls because it lowers their self-esteem. Since the victims of this practice may not be financially sound, purchase of health is also not possible and hence for them, health is not a commodity. Western cultures such as the way people eat have an impact on health (Helman, 2007). Most people in western societies have high socioeconomic status and hence they are able to achieve an ideal state of health and purchase health as a commodity.
Implications of applying the theories
The theories of health have implications in their application. The theory that health is an ideal state is not true because it is difficult to find someone that is free from disease or infirmity (Seedhouse, 2001). The theory tends to discriminate on people with physical disabilities because it assumes that even if these people are not ill, the fact that they have a physical disability hampers them from achieving an ideal state of health. However, it is possible to be healthy and still one has an illness or disability.
The theory that health is a commodity implies that only the wealthy people can purchase good health, which is not true. The wealthy may seek treatment from the best health care facilities but it is not automatic that these people will have good health. Paying a higher price for health does not guarantee better health. The theory implies that only those people that can be able to purchase health will have an ideal state of health from physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Culture
As suggested by Helman, (2007), different cultures contribute to the state of health of the members of the society. For instance, the Australian aborigines, certain African tribes and Eskimos do not use salt in their diet and hence illnesses such as high blood pressure are not common. Cultures of Finland, for instance, have a lot of animal fat in their diet, which contribute to heart attacks. These cultures prevent the individuals involved from attaining an ideal state of health (MacLachlan, 2006). Other cultures such as from India consider meat, eggs and fish a taboo, meaning that avoiding consuming such foods enables people to avoid certain illnesses associated with the disease. Thus, such culture acts as a preventive health measure.
Conclusion
Theories of health are essential in understanding the meaning of health. Health is an ideal state with a broader meaning other than the absence of disease. However, a person can be health and still have a disability and thus, an ideal state of health is unattainable. In addition, it is not possible to perceive health as a commodity because a person cannot value their health in terms of the amount of money they use to purchase it. Culture is one of the determinants of health and different cultures influence health.
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