INTRODUCTION
Understanding of health is basic of all health are.
Health cannot be perceived the same way by all the members of community including various professional groups (e.g. – biomedical scientist, social science specialist, health administrator, ecologist, etc) giving rise to confusion about the concept of health.
Health has evolved over the centuries as a concept for an individual concern to a worldwide social goal and encompasses the whole quality of life.
A brief account of the changing concepts of health is as follows,
1.BIOMEDICAL CONCEPT
Traditionally health has been viewed as an absence of disease and if one was free from disease then the person was considered healthy. This concept known as “biomedical concept” has the basis in the germ theory of disease, which eliminated medical thought at the turn of the 20th century.
The medical profession viewed the human body as a machine, disease as a consequence of breakdown of the machine and one of the doctor’s tasks as repair the machine. Thus, health in this narrow view became the ultimate goal of medicine.
The criticism that is levelled against the biomedical concept is that it has minimised the role of the environmental, social, psychological and cultural determinants of health.
The biomedical model, for all its spectacular success in treating disease was found inadequate to solve some of the major health problems of mankind (e.g. – malnutrition, chronic disease, mental illness, environmental pollution, population explosion) by elaborating the medical technologies.
Development in medical and social sciences led to conclusion that the biomedical concept of health was inadequate.
2.ECOLOGICAL CONCEPT
Deficiencies in the biomedical concept gave rise to other concepts.
The ecologist put forward an attractive hypothesis which viewed health as a dynamic equilibrium between maladjustment of the human organism to environment.
Dubos defined health saying, “Health implies the relative absence of pain and discomfort and a continuous adaptation and adjustment to the environment to ensure optimal function”.
Human ecological and cultural adaptations to determine not only the occurrence of disease but also the availability of food and population explosion.
The ecological concept raises two issues, viz. imperfect man and imperfect enviroment.
History argues strongly that improvement in human adaptation to natural environment can lead to longer life expectancy and a better quality of life even in absence of modern health delivery system
3.PSYCHOSOCIAL CONCEPT
Contemporary development in social sciences revealed that health is not only a biomedical phenomenon but one which is influenced by social, psychological, economic and political factors of the people concern.
The factors must be taken into consideration in defining and measuring health and both a biological and social phenomenon.
4.HOLISTIC CONCEPT
The holistic concept model is a synthesis of all the above concept.
3. INTRODUCTION
Understanding of health is basic of all health care.
Health cannot be perceived the same way by all the members of community
including various professional groups (e.g. – biomedical scientist, social
science specialist, health administrator, ecologist, etc) giving rise to confusion
about the concept of health.
Health has evolved over the centuries as a concept for an individual concern to
a worldwide social goal and encompasses the whole quality of life.
4. HEALTH
The most widely accepted definition of health is that given by the World Health
Organisation (1948) in the preamble to this constitution, which is as follows,
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely an absence of disease or infirmity ability to lead a socially and
economically productive life”.
Operational definition of health was devised by World Health Organisation in 1957,
which is as follows,
Health can be seen as “a condition or quality of the human organisms
expressing the adequate functioning of the organism in given conditions,
genetic or environmental”.
5. BIOMEDICAL CONCEPT
Traditional view: Health is the absence of disease.
as “biomedical concept” has the basis in the germ theory of disease, which
eliminated medical thought at the turn of the 20th century.
Criticized for neglecting environmental, social, psychological, and cultural
factors
biomedical concept of health was inadequate
6. ECOLOGICAL CONCEPT
Health is a dynamic equilibrium between the human organism and the
environment.
Focuses on adaptation and optimal function.
concept raises two issues,
1. imperfect man
2. imperfect environment.
7. PSYCHOSOCIAL CONCEPT
Health is influenced by social, psychological, economic, and
political factors.
It is both a biological and social phenomenon.
8. HOLISTIC CONCEPT
Synthesis of all above concept
Unified or multidimensional process
Considers the well-being of the whole person in their
environment.
Emphasizes the influence of various sectors on health.
9.
10. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the concept of health has undergone significant changes in
recent years. Traditionally, health was primarily seen as the absence of
disease or illness. However, a broader understanding of health has
emerged, emphasizing a holistic approach that encompasses physical,
mental, and social well-being. This shift recognizes that health is not merely
the absence of illness, but a state of complete physical, mental, and social
well-being
11. REFERENCES
1. K. Park. Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 26th Edition,
Madhya Pradesh: M/s Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers; 2021.
2. Soben Peter. Essential of Public Health Dentistry (Community Dentistry).
7th Edition, New Delhi: Arya Medi Publishing House PVT. Ltd.; 2022
3. SS Hiremath. Textbook of Public Health Dentistry. 2nd Edition, Chennai:
Elsevier Publication; 2011
