Huber et.al state that the WHO definition formulated in 1948 no longer stands in today’s health care system. This paper summarizes the limitations of the WHO definition and proposes changes that would be more useful. The limitations Huber et.al state is the word ‘complete’ in relation to well-being and that the nature of diseases have changed since 1948. Their conclusion is that the definition of health should be more about the ability to adapt and to self-manage when exposed to stressors from a disease, disability or everyday stressors.
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Key Health Inequalities in Canada: A National Portrait. May 2018. Retrieved from. https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/services/publications/science-research/key-health-inequalities-canada-national-portrait-executive-summary/hir-full-report-eng.pdf
Results of this paper are derived from the Canadian Survey on Disability Survey. Survey respondents were 15 years or older and not living in a collective dwelling. The sample group was chosen from a sample who answered affirmative to a series of questions for the National Household Survey. Inequalities were assessed by examining different prevalence of disability according to social stratifiers. The social stratifiers were socio-demographic (I.e. sex, gender or indigenous identity) and socio-economic (I.e income, education and employment status). Results that were found from the survey was that there was increased disability among the unemployed, lower educated and indigenous. There was increased prevalence of disability for women compared to men. However, the survey found there were increased inequalities for men with a disability with respect to employment. Limitations from the survey are the filter questions exclude people with very mild disabilities. Conclusions found from this survey are that the overall well-being of an individual is greatly affected by family and that disability is prevalent across a range of social stratifiers.
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Models of Health. Retrieved from https://www.cdhn.org/factsheets
This article is a fact sheet put forth by the Community Development and Health Network (CDHN) to outline the different models of health. This article outlines the Social Model of Health, Medical Model, Biopsychosocial Model, Salutogenic Model and the Ecosystem Health Model. The CDHN apply the social ecological model to emphasise the importance of understanding the wider determinants of health to improve one's health outcome. This article states that social exclusion has the biggest effect on the wider determinants of health and that community development is essential to concentrate on the root cause of ill health such as poverty and education.
Sartorius, N. The Meanings of Health and its Promotion. (2006) Croat Med J. 47 : 662-664. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080455/pdf/CroatMedJ_47_0662.pdf
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Sartorius states there are three types of definitions pertaining to health. Which are in summary (1) Health is an absence of disease (2) ability to cope with all demands of life and (3) health is a state of balance within oneself and between ones social and physical environment. Sartorius's argument is that the first definition does not pertain to how the individual feels. However, in a positive light it encourages public health to promote healthy living to encourage the absence of disease. The second and third definition Sartorius argues makes us think beyond the individual understand the different dimensions of the disease that one suffers. Sartorius's conclusion from this article is that changing health on the scale of values is not solely on the health system but rather a task for all those involved.