The meaning of health

The definitions that people have attributed to health have changed over time and today there are many ways of viewing health, which makes measurement difficult. Health in Western Societies tends to be defined as simply “the absence of illness and disease” because of the dominance of medicine in these societies (Naidoo & Wills, 2001). However, this definition has been criticised as being incomplete by many health professionals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) agree that health no longer refers to the mere absence of disease and illness, but it is a dynamic lifelong process in which the physical, mental, social, environmental and spiritual dimensions are considered essential (Donatelle & Davis, 1994). Rene Dubos added to this WHO definition of health by stating “Health is a quality of life, involving social, emotional, mental, spiritual and biological fitness on the part of the individual, which results from adaptations to the environment” (Donatelle & Davis, 1994).

As a ...