This document discusses several models of health and illness that are used in nursing. It describes the Health Illness Continuum Model, Health Belief Model, Health Promotion Model, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Model, and Holistic Health Models. The models provide frameworks for nurses to understand patients' health behaviors and needs in order to deliver effective healthcare.

1. MODELS OF HEALTH AND
ILLNESS
By:
Mr. M. Shivanandha Reddy

2. • A model is a theoretical way of understanding a
concept or idea.
• Models represent different ways of approaching
complex issues.

3. • Nurses developed various health models to
provide effective health care.
• The nursing models allows the nurses to
understand and predict patients’ health behaviour.

4. Nursing models:
• Health Illness Continuum Model
• Health Belief Model
• Health Promotion Model
• Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs / Basic Human
Needs Model
• Holistic Health Models

5. Health Illness Continuum Model
• According to this model, health is a dynamic state
that fluctuates as a person adapts to changes in
the internal or external environments to maintain
a state of well-being.
• Illness is a process in which the functioning of a
client is diminished or impaired when compared
with his/ her previous condition.

6. • In this model, high-level wellness and severe
illness are at opposite ends of the continuum
• The person moves back and forth (forward)
within this continuum day by day
• Wide ranges of health or illness are present.

10. Health Belief Model
• Rosenstoch and Becker and Maiman proposed the
Health Belief Model.
• This model addresses the relationship between a
person’s beliefs and behaviours.
• The Health Belief Model helps to understand the
factors influencing patients’ perceptions, beliefs,
and behaviour to plan the care.

11. • It has got three components:
1. Individual’s perception of susceptibility to an
illness
2. Individual’s perception of the seriousness of
the illness
3. Likelihood of taking preventive action

12. 1. Individual’s perception of
susceptibility to an illness
• The first component of this model involves an
individual’s perception of susceptibility to an
illness.
• For example, a patient needs to recognize the
familial link for coronary artery disease.
• After this link is recognized, particularly when
one parent and two siblings have died from
myocardial infarction, the patient may perceive
the personal risk of heart disease.

13. 2. Individual’s perception of the
seriousness of the illness
• This perception is influenced and modified by
demographic and socio psychological variables,
and cues to action (e.g., mass media campaigns
and advice from family, friends, and medical
professionals).
• For example, if a patient may not perceive his
heart disease to be serious, which may affect the
way he takes care of himself.

14. 3. Likelihood of taking preventive
action
• The third component—the likelihood that a person
will take preventive action—results from a
person’s perception of the benefits of taking
action.
• Preventive actions include lifestyle changes,
increased adherence to medical therapies, or a
search for medical advice or treatment.

15. 3. Health Promotion Model
• Dr. Nola Pender developed the Health Promotion
Model (HPM)
• The health promotion model focuses on helping
people achieve higher levels of well-being.
• It encourages health professionals to provide
positive resources to help patients achieve
desired changes.
• The goal of the HPM is not just about helping
patients prevent illness through their behavior,
but to promote better health or optimal health.

16. • The model focuses on the following three
areas:
(1) Individual characteristics and experiences,
(2) Behavior specific knowledge and affect
(3) Behavioral outcomes
• HPM notes that each person has unique
personal characteristics and experiences that
affect subsequent actions.

17. • These variables can be modified through nursing
actions.
• Health-promoting behaviour is the desired
behavioural outcome and is the end point in the
HPM.
• Health-promoting behaviours result in improved
health, enhanced functional ability, and better
quality of life at all stages of development

18. 4. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Proposed by “Abraham Maslow”

19. • Basic human needs are elements that are
necessary for human survival and health
(e.g., food, water, safety, and love).
• Although each person has other unique needs, all
people share the basic human needs, and the
extent to which basic needs are met is a major
factor in determining a person’s level of health.

20. • According to this model, certain human needs
are more basic than others (i.e., some needs
must be met before other needs [e.g., fulfilling
the physiological needs before the needs of love
and belonging]).
• Self-actualization is the highest expression of
one’s individual potential and allows for
continual discovery of self.
• After fulfillment of the basic needs only the
person aims at higher level needs.

23. • The hierarchy of needs model provides a basis for
nurses to care for patients of all ages in all health
settings.
• when applying the model, the focus of care is on
the patient’s needs rather than on strict
adherence to the hierarchy.
• It is unrealistic to always expect a patient’s basic
needs to occur in the fixed hierarchical order

24. 5. Holistic Health Models
• Health care has begun to take a more holistic
view of health by considering emotional and
spiritual well-being and other dimensions of an
individual as important aspects of physical
wellness.
• The holistic health model of nursing attempts to
create conditions that promote optimal health.

25. • In this model, nurses using the nursing process
consider patients to be the ultimate experts
concerning their own health and respect
patients’ subjective experience as relevant in
maintaining health or assisting in healing.
• In the holistic health model patients are
involved in their healing process, thereby
assuming some responsibility for health
maintenance

26. • Nurses using the holistic nursing model recognize
the natural healing abilities of the body and
incorporate complementary and alternative
interventions such as music therapy, relaxation
therapy, therapeutic touch, and guided imagery.

27. • Nurses use holistic therapies either alone or in
conjunction with conventional medicine.
• For example,
• Music therapy in the operating room creates a
soothing environment.
• Relaxation therapy is frequently useful to distract a
patient during a painful procedure such as a dressing
change.
• Breathing exercises are commonly taught to help
patients deal with the pain associated with labor and
delivery.