Health is a complex concept that has multiple meanings. Most people associate it with a state of being free from disease or infirmity. Others view it as a state of well-being, or more generally as a resource that allows us to function as members of society and live our lives fully. Still, for many people, a healthy lifestyle is the main determinant of their health status. These factors include the choices people make in relation to their activities and environment, such as whether they smoke, how much they eat and drink, and how they manage stress levels. Other determinants of health are outside people’s control, such as their genetics or the socioeconomic conditions in which they live.
In 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a definition of health that was revolutionary in its scope and that continues to be influential today. It defined health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
This definition is a useful way to broaden our understanding of what is important for good health. It recognizes the importance of living in a supportive social and physical environment, as well as the importance of having a sense of purpose. It also recognizes the role that medical science has in enabling people to better adapt to their life circumstances and the challenges they face as individuals.
Nevertheless, some people worry that a focus on a social and environmental perspective risks reducing the experience of health to an overly functional or mechanistic phenomenon. Others are concerned that it may obscure the value of health for its own sake, or even to be a means for participation in a community.
These concerns have led some scholars to call for a reconsideration of how health is defined. This article aims to contribute to this debate by describing a new definition that has emerged from recent work.
This revised definition defines health as the dynamic balance of an individual’s physical, mental and social well-being in the context of their adaptation to their life circumstance and the environment. It is designed to foster discussion about the implications for health research and practice and how it can help address the inequalities in people’s health outcomes.
The underlying theme of this definition is that there are a wide variety of factors that influence an individual’s health, but the vast majority of these influences take place outside of formal healthcare systems. These factors are often referred to as risk or protective factors and they include general social, economic and environmental conditions; a person’s behaviours; and their relationships with their family, friends, colleagues and wider community. They are important contributors to an individual’s health, but they cannot be solely addressed by formal healthcare and need to be considered when designing policies for improving population health.