Definition of health: a wellness model

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (1948). In theory this definition of health has shed light on some very valuable health concepts. The WHO definition allowed us to think of health as not just merely the traditional concept of absence of disease and that mental and social well-being play a huge role in one’s overall health and wellness and in order to achieve this we need to establish an environment that supports both of these concepts.

Although the WHO definition has provided an excellent foundation to define health, it has been under criticism in a number of pieces of literature and by healthcare organizations. Some of the major criticisms of the WHO definition that were identified by Huber included the use of the word complete, the changes in population demographics since 1948, and the operationalization of the definition. (Huber, 2011)

One of the major criticisms of the WHO definition is the use of the word “complete”. The use of the word complete provides a very rigid definition that is difficult to achieve and measure. In essence the use of the word complete would indicate that the majority of the population would be considered unhealthy most of the time. The use of the word complete also compounds the concerns around the operationalization of the definition because it deems the definition impractical and impossible to measure. (Huber, 2011)

Huber’s criticism of the change in population demographics was also expressed in Jambroes et al. (2016) as they made note of the large number of people who are living with chronic illness that by the WHO definition would be considered ill. By being so rigid the WHO definition does not allow for people to apply their own definition of health or what health means to them. An example of this would be the large number of people who live with chronic disease but some of them would still consider themselves to be healthy. Take into consideration the 35 year old man who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 12. He has played competitive sports his whole life, has a successful career, is married with two children, volunteers in his community, enjoys life to the fullest, and has no other health concerns. Would you consider them to have good health? Or would you allow the Type 1 diabetes to determine him to be unhealthy by virtue of the WHO definition because he does not have “complete” physical state of health.

Nordqvist (2015), discussed a definition of wellness rather than a definition of health. A definition of wellness allows for incorporating individuals definition of health, eliminates the sense of perfection that is implied by the use of the word complete in the WHO definition and takes into consideration the people who live with chronic illness. McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois IL (2019) defines wellness as “a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being”.

I also feel that a more appropriate approach to defining health would be to look at it through a wellness model. This would align well with recent work being done in health promotion, health education and by taking a wellness approach to many diseases and treatments it would allow for people to be more engaged and take ownership in their own health and well-being.

References

Brook. R. H. (2017). Should the definition of health include a measure of tolerance? JAMA,

317 (6), 585-586. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.14372.

Huber, M. (2011). Health: How should we define it? British Medical Journal, 343,(7817), 235-

237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4163.

Jambroes, M., Nederland, T., Kaljouw, M., van Vliet, K., Essink-Bot, M.-L., & Ruwaard, D.

(2016, 6 1). Implications of health as ‘the ability to adapt and self-manage’ for

public health policy: a qualitative study. The European Journal of Public Health,

26(3), 412-416.

McKinley Health Center. (2019). Retrieved June 2, 2019, from

https://mckinley.illinois.edu/health-education/wellness

Nordqvist, C. (2017, July 31). Health: What does good health really mean? Retrieved June 2,

2019, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php

Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the

International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July,

1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health

Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April, 1948.