There has always been a debate as to whether health is viewed as a right or a privilege. Everyone has a different perspective of health and general wellness. The World Health Organization views health as complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just independence from illness (Rovesti et al., 2018). Overall health means caring for the “whole” individual, while taking into consideration their social, environmental, and financial needs. Multiculturalism is part of the reason why traditional medicine is a pillar of support for healthcare. This considers environment and sociological factors impacting health (Bautista-Valarezo et al., 2020). How does welfare and balance affect the harmony within a general community?
This is like my definition of health and illness, especially in family practice, while I am working with families in the rural suburbs of Pennsylvania. I work with a wide range of age groups and generations. Mental health and awareness have largely affected our view of general health since the COVID pandemic. Mental health awareness, counseling, and healthy coping strategies can improve our general health. Though, the desire for counselors in this rural area outweigh the supply or availability of mental health counselors. Society affects this accessibly. Furthermore, our physical view of health emphasizes generally healthy BMI’s, diet, and exercise to decrease cardiovascular health risk. Caring for the physical and mental well-being of our patients and ourselves, leads to more positive health outcomes. Generationalism, multiculturalism, and society all impact our view and desire to achieve a “healthy state”.
This view can differ pending on age group and generation. With the aging population, general health, and wellness, may not be from merely physical and mental treatment plans and medications, but from absence of pain. The ontological model, views illness as breaking the balance between body and mind (Rovesti et al., 2018). Some geriatric and oncological patients may view their general health as being free from suffering. The goal of health promotion is to combine the approach for addressing social determinants with as commitment to encourage patients to be active towards a healthier lifestyle (Svalastog et al., 2017).
References
Bautista-Valarezo, E., Duque, V., Verdugo Sánchez, A. E., Dávalos-Batallas, V., Michels, N. R., Hendrickx, K., & Verhoeven, V. (2020). Towards an indigenous definition of health: An explorative study to understand the indigenous Ecuadorian people’s Health and Illness Concepts. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-1142-8
Rovesti, M., Fioranelli, M., Petrelli, P., Satolli, F., Roccia, M. G., Gianfaldoni, S., Tchernev, G., Wollina, U., Lotti, J., Feliciani, C., & Lotti, T. (2018). Health and illness in history, science and Society. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 6(1), 163–165. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2018.056
Svalastog, A. L., Donev, D., Jahren Kristoffersen, N., & Gajović, S. (2017). Concepts and definitions of health and health-related values in the knowledge landscapes of the digital society. Croatian Medical Journal, 58(6), 431–435. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2017.58.431