What is Health?

As time progresses, definition of health varies due to constantly changing environment, such as demographic transition (Aging population), increasing diagnosis of chronic diseases, antibiotic resistance, unhealthy lifestyle and other many degenerative risk factors.

Many organisations and scholars have attempted to put an umbrella definition to get as close as possible to a 'one fits all' definition. Most notably, in 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 2020).

In addition to that, the Government of Canada (2008) has adopted the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, which defines "health with the recognition of upstream factors that may influence one’s health such as the environment, economic and social aspects. These can be categorized as the social determinants of health, which also include race, culture, gender, genetics, and access to health care services." (Government of Canada, 2008).

One of the more appropriate definition was outlined by McCartney’s article in 2019, which defines health as the “structural, functional and emotional state that is compatible with effective life as an individual and member in society. (McCartney, G., 2019)

Regardless of various definition of Health, I personally think it is unfair to bracket every dimension of health into one single dimension. An article composed by V.P. Van Druten in 2022, is one of the latest article that specifically discusses about definition of health in a systematic manner.

Most importantly, it has pointed out that "No consensus can be made on one general health concept; all health concepts capture aspects that seem relevant." I think this is a good article to articulate in assisting us to grasp a more general definition of health.

I understand that Health is a multi-disciplinary and an extremely complex topic, a single universal definition is insufficient and does no justice to address the depth of it. We as researchers should continue to apply a categorical approach to dissect variables and aspects within the concept of Health.

Reference

What is Health? (2008, Sept 12). Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/population-health-approach/what-is-health.html

World Health Organization. (2022). Constitution: WHO remains firmly committed to the principles set out in the preamble to the Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution

World Health Organization. (2022). Health Promotion: The 1st International Conference on Health Promotion, Ottawa 1986. Retrieved from .https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced-wellbeing/first-global-conference

Van Druten, V.P., Bartels, E.A., van de Mheen, D. et al. Concepts of health in different contexts: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res22, 389 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07702-2

McCartney, G., Popham, F., McMaster, R., & Cumbers, A. (2019). Defining health and health inequities. Public Health. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2019.03.023