Concept of Health

Concept of Health
• Biomedical concept
• Ecological concept
• Psychological concept
• Holistic concept

WHO Definition of Health
Health is a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely
an absence of disease or infirmity
Operational definition:
A condition or quality of human organism expressing the adequate
functioning of the organism in giving condition, genetic or environmental

Dimensions of health
1. Physical 6. Vocational
2. Mental 7. Others:
1. Cultural
3. Social 2. Socioeconomic
4. Spiritual 3. Environmental
4. Educational
5. Emotional 5. Nutritional
6. Curative
7. Preventive

Concept of Wellbeing
• Objective component
1. Standard of living
2. Level of living
• Subjective component
1. Quality of Life (PQLI)
2. HDI

Determinants of health
1. Hereditary
2. Environmental
3. Lifestyle
4. Socioeconomic conditions
5. Health and family welfare services
6. Others…..

Biological
Human rights Behavioural
Equity and
Social justice
Environmental
Communities
Gender Families Health Societies Socio-economical
Individuals
Information and
communication Health system
Science and Socio-cultural
Aging of the
technology population

Responsibility of Health
1. Individual responsibility
2. Community responsibility
3. State responsibility
4. International responsibility

Indicators of health
(Valid Reliable Sensitive Specific)
1. Mortality indicators
2. Morbidity indicators
3. Disability indicators
4. Nutritional Status indicators
5. Health care delivery indicators
6. Utilization rate
7. Indicators of social and mental health
8. Environmental indicators
9. Socioeconomic indicators
10. Health policy indicators
11. Indicators of quality of life
12. Others……….

Health Indicators
Valid, reliable, sensitive and relevant indicators which
determine health development are called health
indicators:
• Mortality Indicators: Death rate, Life span, IMR, Child mortality rate,
MMR, Case fatality rate, proportion mortality rate.
• Morbidity Indicators: Disease rate (incidence, prevalence)
• Disability Indicators: Hospitalization, loss of work, sullivan index DALYs
• Nutritional Indicators: Anthropometric values, LBW
• Utilization Indicators: Fully immunized, bed turn out…
• Socioeconomic Indicators: Per capita income. Family size.

Mortality indicators
1. Crude death rate
2. Expectancy of life
3. Infant mortality rate
4. Child Mortality rate
5. Under 5 proportionate mortality rate
6. Maternal mortality
7. Disease specific mortality
8. Proportionate mortality rate