Health is the general condition of a person in all aspects. It is also a level of functional and/or metabolic efficiency of an organism, often implicitly human Humans are a species of animal known taxonomically as Homo sapiens , and are the only extant member of the Homo genus of bipedal primates in Hominidae, the great ape family. However, in some cases "human" is used to refer to any member of the genus Homo.

At the time of the creation of the World Health Organization The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health Organization, which had been an agency of the (WHO), in 1948, health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".^[1][2]

Only a handful of publications have focused specifically on the definition of health and its evolution in the first 6 decades. Some of them highlight its lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete." Others declare the definition, which has not been modified since 1948, "simply a bad one." [1]

In 1986, the WHO, in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion is a 1986 document produced by the World Health Organization. It was launched at the first international conference for health promotion that was held in Ottawa, Canada, said that health is "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." Classification systems such as the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC), which is composed of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Diseases The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease. Under this system, every health condition can be assigned to a unique category and given a (ICD) also define health.

Overall health is achieved through a combination of physical, mental, and social well-being, which, together is commonly referred to as the Health Triangle.

Determinants of health

The LaLonde report The Lalonde report is a 1974 report produced in Canada formally entitled A new perspective on the health of Canadians. It is considered the "first modern government document in the Western world to acknowledge that our emphasis upon a biomedical health care system is wrong, and that we need to look beyond the traditional health care system if suggests that there are four general determinants of health including human biology, environment The biophysical environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables that comprise the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories: the natural environment and the built environment, with some overlap between the two, lifestyle Lifestyle is a term to describe the way a person lives, which was originally coined by Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler in 1929. The current broader sense of the word dates from 1961. A set of behaviors, and the senses of self and belonging which these behaviors represent, are collectively used to define a given lifestyle. The term is defined, and healthcare services Health care or healthcare is the treatment and prevention of illness. Health care is delivered by professionals in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and allied health.^[3] Thus, health is maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application of health science There are two approaches to health science: the study and research of the food that we eat; and the study and research of health-related issues to understand how humans and other animals function, and the application of that knowledge to improve health and to prevent and cure diseases, but also through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the individual and society.

The Alameda County Study examines the relationship between lifestyle and health. It has found that people can improve their health via exercise Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness. It is performed for various reasons. These include strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance and for enjoyment. Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune, enough sleep Sleep is a naturally recurring state of relatively suspended sensory and motor activity, characterized by total or partial unconsciousness and the inactivity of nearly all voluntary muscles. It is distinguished from quiet wakefulness by a decreased ability to react to stimuli, and it is more easily reversible than hibernation or coma. Sleep is a, maintaining a healthy weight Although some people prefer the less-ambiguous term body mass, the term body weight is overwhelmingly used in daily English speech as well as in the contexts of biological and medical sciences to describe the mass of an organism's body. Body weight is measured in kilograms throughout the world, although in some countries people more often measure, limiting alcohol In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl functional group (-O use, and avoiding smoking.^[4]

A major environmental factor affecting health is water quality, especially for the health of infants and children in developing countries Developing country is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of material well being. There is no single internationally-recognized definition of developed country, and the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries, with some developing countries having high average standards of living.^[5]

Studies show that in developed countries The term developed country is used to describe countries that have a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue and is surrounded by fierce debate. Economic criteria have tended to dominate discussions. One such criterion is income per capita;, the lack of neighborhood recreational space that includes the natural environment leads to lower levels of neighborhood satisfaction and higher levels of obesity; therefore, lower overall well being.^[6] Therefore, the positive psychological benefits of natural space in urban neighborhoods should be taken into account in public policy and land use.

According to the World Health Organization The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health Organization, which had been an agency of the, the main determinants of health include the social and economic environment, the physical environment and the person's individual characteristics and behaviors. ^[7] Generally, the context in which an individual lives is of great importance on his life quality and health status. The social and economic environment are key factors in determining the health status of individuals given the fact that higher education levels are linked with a higher standard of life as well as a higher income Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings received... in a given period of time.". Generally, people who finish higher education are more likely to get a better job and therefore are less prone to stress by comparing to individuals with low education levels.

The physical environment is perhaps the most important factor that should be considered when classifying the health status of an individual. This includes factors such as clean water Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. Its molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state, water vapor or steam and air The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night. Dry air contains roughly (by volume) 78.09% nitrogen, 20.9, safe houses A house is a home, shelter, building or structure that is a dwelling or place for habitation by human beings. The term includes many kinds of dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures. In some contexts, "house" may mean the same as dwelling, residence, home, abode, lodging,, communities and roads A road is an identifiable thoroughfare, route, way or path between two places which may or may not be available for use by the public; public roads, especially major roads connecting significant destinations are termed highways. Modern roads are normally smoothed, paved, or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel although historically many roads all contribute to good health. ^[8]

Genetics Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. The fact that living things inherit traits from their parents has been used since prehistoric times to improve crop plants and animals through selective breeding. However, the modern science of genetics, which seeks to understand the process of are also part of the system based on which the health of the population can be established. Genetics are closely related to the habits and behaviors individuals develop during their life, particularly in terms of lifestyle choices. For instance, people who come from families In human context, a family is an exclusive group of people who share a close relationship —a unit typically (or "traditionally") composed of a mated couple and their dependent children (procreation) in co-residence. Families create generations—each of which gain in maturity and self sufficiency such as to create and provide for whose members had a more active lifestyle and followed healthier diets, non-smoking and non-drinking are more likely to follow the same pattern in their life. The example set by the family as well as the relationship with friends and family can have a great impact on one's general health. Nonetheless, genetics may play a role in the manner in which people cope with stress.

Moreover, the World Health Organization lists a wide range of other factors that can influence the well being of a person. According to WHO, the gender Gender is the wide set of characteristics that are seen to distinguish between male and female. It can extend from sex to social role or gender identity. As a word, "gender" has more than one valid definition. In ordinary speech, it is used interchangeably with "sex" to denote the condition of being male or female. In the, social support networks and health services in terms of both quality and access to them are to be considered as health determinants. Access to health care is one of the large issues of the nowadays society, maybe even greater than the quality of the service. Individuals in developing countries Developing country is a term generally used to describe a nation with a low level of material well being. There is no single internationally-recognized definition of developed country, and the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries, with some developing countries having high average standards of living are more prone to suffer from different health conditions because their access to the health care system is restricted mostly from financial reasons.

Although many individuals are often criticized for not taking good care of their health based on the presumption that the mirror A mirror is a shiny object with at least one reflective surface. The most familiar type of mirror is the plane mirror, which has a flat surface. Curved mirrors are also used, to produce magnified or diminished images or focus light or simply distort the reflected image's of one's personality is one's health. ^[9], it is now accepted that there are many factors that have a significant impact on one's health and which cannot be controlled.

Maintaining health

Achieving and maintaining health is an ongoing process. Effective strategies for staying healthy and improving one's health include the following elements:

Observations of Daily Living ^[10]

Personal health depends partially on one's active, passive, and assisted observations about their health in their everyday life. The information gleaned from such observations may be used to inform personal decisions and actions (e.g., "I feel tired in the morning so I am going to try sleeping on a different pillow"), as well as clinical decisions and treatment plans (e.g., a patient who notices his or her shoes are tighter than usual may be having exacerbation of left-sided heart failure, and may require diuretic medication to reduce fluid overload) for patients who share their observations with their health care providers.^{[citation needed]}

Social Activity

Personal health depends partially on the social structure of one's life. The maintenance of strong social relationships is linked to good health conditions, longevity, productivity, and a positive attitude. This is due to the fact that positive social interaction as viewed by the participant increases many chemical levels in the brain which are linked to personality and intelligence traits.

Volunteering also can lead to a healthy life. To be a volunteer, while gaining plenty of social benefits, people also take their mind off their own troubles.^{[citation needed]} Volunteering could even add years of life. According to a university study,^{[citation needed]} compared with people who did not volunteer, senior citizens who volunteered showed a 67% reduced risk of dying during a seven-year period.

Hygiene

Hygiene is the practice of keeping the body clean to prevent infection and illness, and the avoidance of contact with infectious agents. Hygiene practices include bathing Bathing is the immersion of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for hygiene, religious or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity, brushing and flossing teeth, washing hands Hand washing for hand hygiene is the act of cleansing the hands with or without the use of water or another liquid, or with the use of soap, for the purpose of removing soil, dirt, and/or microorganisms especially before eating, washing food before it is eaten, cleaning food preparation utensils and surfaces before and after preparing meals, and many others. This may help prevent infection and illness. By cleaning the body, dead skin cells are washed away with the germs, reducing their chance of entering the body.

Stress management

Prolonged psychological stress may negatively impact health, and has been cited as a factor in cognitive impairment with aging, depressive illness, and expression of disease.^[11]. Stress management is the application of methods to either reduce stress or increase tolerance to stress. Relaxation techniques A relaxation technique is any method, process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of anxiety, stress or anger. Relaxation techniques are often employed as one element of a wider stress management program and can decrease muscle tension, lower the blood pressure are physical methods used to relieve stress. Psychological methods include cognitive therapy Cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. CT is one of the therapeutic approaches within the larger group of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and was first expounded by Beck in the 1960s, meditation Meditation is a holistic discipline during which time the practitioner trains his or her mind in order to realize some benefit, and positive thinking Optimism is "an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome". It is the philosophical opposite of pessimism. Optimists generally believe that people and events are inherently good, so that most situations work out in the end for the best which work by reducing response to stress. Improving relevant skills and abilities builds confidence, which also reduces the stress reaction to situations where those skills are applicable.

Reducing uncertainty, by increasing knowledge and experience related to stress-causing situations, has the same effect. Learning to cope with problems better, such as improving problem solving and time management skills, may also reduce stressful reaction to problems. Repeatedly facing an object of one's fears may also desensitize the fight-or-flight response with respect to that stimulus—e.g., facing bullies may reduce fear of bullies.

Health care

Health care ^[12] is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well being through the services offered by the medical Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness. Before scientific medicine, healing arts were practised in accordance with alchemical treatments and ritual practices that developed out of religious and cultural traditions, nursing Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from birth to death, and allied health Allied health professions are clinical and administrative health care professions distinct from medicine, dentistry, and nursing. Allied health professionals make up 60 percent of the total health workforce. They work in health care teams to make the healthcare system function by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct professions.

Workplace wellness programs

Workplace wellness programs are recognized by an increasingly large number of companies for their value in improving the health and well-being of their employees, and for increasing morale, loyalty, and productivity.^{[citation needed]} Workplace wellness programs can include things like onsite fitness centers, health presentations, wellness newsletters, access to health coaching, tobacco cessation programs and training related to nutrition Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary (in the form of food) to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet, weight Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue. It can occur unintentionally due to an underlying disease or can arise from a conscious and stress management. Other programs may include health risk assessments, health screenings and body mass index The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a statistical measure which compares a person's weight and height. Though it does not actually measure the percentage of body fat, it is used to estimate a healthy body weight based on a person's height. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to monitoring.

Wellness programs may also be found in such places neighborhood community centers and schools. These typically require participants to have a greater degree of commitment to themselves, as they are voluntary.^{[citation needed]}

Public health

Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." (Winslow, 1920)^{[citation needed]} It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community based on population health Population health has been defined as “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group.” It is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of an entire population. One major step in achieving this aim is to reduce health inequities among population groups. Population health analysis. The population in question can be as small as a handful of people or as large as all the inhabitants of several continents (for instance, in the case of a pandemic A pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics exclude seasonal flu, unless the flu of the season). Public health has many sub-fields, but is typically divided into the categories of epidemiology Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine. It is considered a cornerstone methodology of public health research, and is highly regarded in evidence-based medicine for identifying risk, biostatistics Biostatistics is the application of statistics to a wide range of topics in biology. The science of biostatistics encompasses the design of biological experiments, especially in medicine and agriculture; the collection, summarization, and analysis of data from those experiments; and the interpretation of, and inference from, the results and health services. Environmental, social and behavioral health, and occupational health, are also important fields in public health.

The focus of public health intervention is to prevent rather than treat a disease through surveillance of cases and the promotion of healthy behaviors. In addition to these activities, in many cases treating a disease can be vital to preventing it in others, such as during an outbreak of an infectious disease. Vaccination schedules and distribution of condoms are examples of public health measures.

Unlike clinical professionals, public health is more focused on entire populations rather than on individuals. Its aim is preventing from happening or re-occurring health problems by implementing educational programs, developing policies, administering services, and conducting research. ^[13]

Public health also takes several actions to limit the health disparities between different areas of the country, continent or world. The great issue this system is trying to solve is the access of individuals to health care which has always been restricted for those who did not dispose of the necessary financial means. Other academic disciplines that are comprised by this field include maternal and child health, health services administration, global health, public health practice, public health policy and nutrition.

The great positive impact of public health programs is widely admitted. Because of the health policies and the actions public health professionals develop, the 20th century has registered a decrease of the mortality rates in infants and children and a constant increase in life expectancy. It is estimated that the life expectancy for Americans has increase with 30 years since 1900. ^[14]

Role of science in health

Health science is the branch of science focused on health, and it includes many subdisciplines. There are two approaches to health science: the study and research of the human body and health-related issues to understand how humans (and animals) function, and the application of that knowledge to improve health and to prevent and cure diseases.

Sources

Health research builds primarily on the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics as well as a variety of multidisciplinary fields (for example medical sociology). Some of the other primarily research-oriented fields that make exceptionally significant contributions to health science are biochemistry, epidemiology, and genetics.

Application

Applied health sciences also endeavor to better understand health, but in addition they try to directly improve it. Some of these are: health education, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, nursing, nutrition, pharmacology, pharmacy, public health (see above), social work, psychology, physical therapy, and medicine. The provision of services to maintain or improve people's health is referred to as health care (see above).

See also

• Environmental health

• General fitness training
  • List of basic exercise topics

• Health care
  • Health care delivery
  • Health education
  • Health profession

• Hygiene
  • Oral hygiene
  • Sleep hygiene

• Longevity
  • List of life extension related topics

• Medicine
  • Adolescent medicine
  • Alternative medicine
  • Traditional Chinese medicine

• Nutrition
  • Healthy diet
  • List of basic nutrition topics
  • Minerals
  • Vitamins

• Public health
  • Population health

• Reproductive health
  • Birth control
  • Maternal health
  • Sexuality education
  • Sexually transmitted disease

Notes

1. ^ WHO.int, 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 1947 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.
2. ^ WHO.int Constitution of the World Health Organization- Basic Documents, Forty-fifth edition, Supplement, October 2006.
3. ^ Lalonde, Marc. "A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians." Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services; 1974.
4. ^ Dorman, Steve (September/October 2005). "The Alameda County Study: A Systematic, Chronological Review" (PDF). American Journal of Health Education (Reston, VA: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) 36 (5): 302-308. ERIC document number EJ792845. ISSN 1055-6699. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ792845. Retrieved 7 June 2010. "The linear model supported previous findings, including regular exercise, limited alcohol consumption, abstinence from smoking, sleeping 7-8 hours a night, and maintenance of a healthy weight play an important role in promoting longevity and delaying illness and death." Citing Wingard DL, Berkman LF, Brand RJ (1982). "A multivariate analysis of health-related practices: a nine-year mortality follow-up of the Alameda County Study". Am J Epidemiol 116 (5): 765-775. PMID 7148802. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&tool=clinical.uthscsa.edu/cite&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=7148802.
5. ^ The UN World Water Development Report | Facts and Figures | Meeting basic needs
6. ^ "Recreational Values of the Natural Environment in Relation to Neighborhood Satisfaction, Physical Activity, Obesity and Wellbeing."
7. ^ "The determinants of health". http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/. Retrieved 2010/06/24.
8. ^ "The determinants of health". http://www.who.int/hia/evidence/doh/en/. Retrieved 2010/06/24.
9. ^ "Health". http://www.wingoodhealth.org. Retrieved 2010/06/24.
10. ^ Health in Everyday Living Robert Wood Johnson Foundation primer
11. ^ McEwen BS (2006). "Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators: central role of the brain". Dialogues Clin Neurosci 8 (4): 367–81. PMID 17290796.
12. ^ "Health Care UK". National Health Service (NHS). March 11, 2010. http://www.nhs.uk/. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
13. ^ "What is Public Health?". http://www.whatispublichealth.org/about/index.html. Retrieved 2010/06/24.
14. ^ "Impact of Public Health". http://www.whatispublichealth.org/impact/index.html. Retrieved 2010/06/24.

Health Tips

References

• BMJ.com, Jadad, AR and O'Grady L. How should health be defined? BMJ 2008; 337:a2900
• WHO (1979) Health for all.
• WHO (1980) WHO Chr., 34(2)80
• WHO (1986) Concepts of Health Behavior Research, Reg. Health Paper No.13, SEARO, New Delhi
• WHO (1978) Health for all.
• UNDP, Human Development Report 1999, Oxford University Press
• UNICEF (2001) State of world's children, 2001
• WHO (1979) Health for all.
• Evang, K. (1967); In health of mankind; Ciba foundation; 100th symposium, Churchill, London
• Last, J.M (1983) A Dictionary of Epidemiology, Oxford University Press
• Raska, K (1966), WHO Chr., 20, 315

External links

• World Health Organization
• Health On the Net Foundation
• OECD Health Statistics
• Health and Medical Information from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Health-EU Portal the official public health portal of the European Union

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