- Information
- AI Chat
Edapt wk Defining health and wellness
Pathophysiology (NR-283)
Chamberlain University
Recommended for you
Preview text
Introduction to Defining Health
and Wellness
Healthcare professionals have the unique responsibility to assist individuals, families, and communities to become or remain healthy. As caregivers, advocates, and educators, we promote health and wellness in all care settings throughout the lifespan. Healthcare professionals:
Use assessment skills to identify actual and potential risk factors that predispose an individual to illness. Use various strategies to help clients modify risk factors to prevent illness. Understand that clients react to illness in different ways. Assist clients to return to the highest level of functioning possible.
In this lesson, you will discuss health, health promotion, and holism. Let’s take a look at how we define health. Click on the arrows at the bottom of the page to learn more. Reference
World Health Organization. (n.). Constitution.
who/about/governance/constitution
Defining Health
Health, in a general sense, is an ability to function with many competing factors. It encompasses the body (e., your physiological state), what it is made up of (e., genetics), and emotional well- being (e., psychological or mental health). Various definitions of
“health” can include many things: family beliefs, cultural background, social interactions, lifestyle choices, physical environments in which we live, economic factors, spiritual well- being, and subjective experiences (e., self-perception in how we think about our own health and healthcare experiences). Health refers not only to the absence of disease or illness as identified by the WHO (WHO, n., para. 1), but also the ability to recover from illnesses and live a life free from preventable diseases, disabilities, injuries, and premature death.
Defining Wellness
A similar term related to health is known as wellness. Although no universal definition of wellness exists, we can describe it as a positive or optimal state of health of an individual, family, or community that is continually changing.
A person’s state of health and wellness depends on individual values, personality, and lifestyle. Wellness encompasses many of the same variables as stated within health. Most specifically, wellness includes physical, mental, social, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, occupational, and financial components.
The Eight Dimensions of Wellness
breath, and pain. Objective data includes blood pressure and lung sounds. Emotional factors influencing health include the degree of stress, depression, or fear. For example, a person who is typically very calm may have little emotional response to illness. However, a person who struggles to manage stress in everyday life may overreact to illness or deny the presence of symptoms. Spiritual factors influence a person’s ability to find hope and meaning in life. Spirituality often provides motivation to engage or not engage in health promotion activities. For example, some religions restrict the use of certain forms of medical treatment.
External Variables
External variables influencing health include family practices, psychosocial and socioeconomic factors, and cultural background.
The roles and organization of a family influence how each member defines health and embraces healthy practices. Perceptions about the seriousness of illness and the history of preventative care are influenced by both family and culture. For example, a child whose caregivers taught the importance of healthy foods and physical activity will likely continue those practices into adulthood.
Health, Wellness, and Illness
Prevention
The concepts of health, wellness, and illness prevention are closely related and often overlap. All are focused on the future.
Health and wellness include health promotion, in which healthcare professionals help clients maintain or enhance their present health by encouraging healthy activities, such as regular exercise and good nutrition. This involves health education that assists clients in understanding their health and how to better manage wellness.
Illness prevention includes activities such as immunization programs and blood pressure screenings that protect clients from actual or potential threats to health and wellness.
Illness is a functional or structural disturbance. Disease encompasses physical indicators and subjective experiences. Illness, especially chronic illness, increases healthcare costs. Improving self- management and providing preventative care help to reduce those costs and improve overall health.
The Illness-Wellness Continuum
Many consider wellness to be the absence of illness. However, there are degrees of wellness and degrees of illness. The Illness-Wellness Continuum depicts the relationship between the two concepts. Moving from the center to the left demonstrates worsening health. Moving from the center to the right displays increasing levels of health. The treatment paradigm helps to restore health back to the comfort zone, or neutral point (The Wellspring, n.).
Wellness is not a fixed state. High-level wellness does not mean the client is never sick. In fact, the most important part of the continuum is which way the client is facing–towards disease and pre-mature death or towards high-level wellness.
Illness-Wellness Continuum Transcript
External variables affecting health include family health practices and social determinants of health.
Your response is correct!
According to the World Health Organization (n.), health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Reference
World Health Organization. (n.). Constitution. who/about/governance/constitution
Your response is correct!
All of the factors listed in this question contribute towards health.
Your response is correct!
A person’s state of health and wellness depends on individual values, personality, and lifestyle. Most specifically, wellness encompasses physical, mental, social, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, occupational, and financial components.
Your response is correct!
External factors impacting health practices include family beliefs, family practices, and socioeconomic variables. The way that clients’ families use healthcare services generally affects their current health practices. History of preventive care behaviors (or lack of them) can also influence how clients think about their current health practices. A person may seek support from social networks (friends, family, and spiritual advisors). Economic variables may affect a client’s level of health by increasing the risk for disease and influencing how or at what point the client enters the healthcare system. A client’s age, degree of psychological stress, and denying the need for help are internal factors.
Your response is correct!
Healthcare professionals are in a unique position to assist patients in achieving and maintaining optimal levels of health and wellness. Healthcare professionals understand the challenges of today's healthcare system and embrace the opportunity to use wellness activities to promote health and to prevent illness. Healthcare professionals can encourage healthy behaviors, provide health
education, identify actual and potential risks to health, understand the dimensions of wellness, and provide preventative care.
Case Study: Health and Wellness
Jonathan (preferred pronouns he, him) is a student in a healthcare profession program. To help pay for school, Jonathan works full-time in a family practice clinic caring for clients of all ages. Sometimes, Jonathan feels that there are not enough hours in the day to get schoolwork completed, study for exams, and work enough hours to pay the bills.
Growing up, Jonathan’s caregivers taught him how to choose and prepare healthy foods and he is active every day, either running or biking. Though he was taught healthy lifestyle behaviors during childhood, his caregiver was against vaccinations. Therefore, Jonathan currently remains unvaccinated. Despite learning the importance of vaccinations, Jonathan feels good about his state of health, admitting that he is never sick.
Question 1 / 6
Recognizing Cues
Which variables are affecting Jonathan’s health? Select all that apply.
perception of functioning (feelings about health), emotional (degree of stress), and spiritual factors.
External variables influencing health include family practices (childhood experiences), psychosocial and socioeconomic (financial struggles) factors, and cultural background.
Your response is correct!
Based on Jonathan’s situation, he is facing towards high-level wellness as evidenced by healthy eating, regular exercise, overall health, and absence of illness. Based on his childhood experiences and his chosen career path, he has the intellectual knowledge (awareness) to support health.
Many consider wellness to be the absence of illness. However, there are degrees of wellness and degrees of illness. The Illness-Wellness Continuum depicts the relationship between the two concepts. Moving from the center to the left demonstrates worsening health. Moving from the center to the right displays increasing levels of health
Your response is correct!
Essential recommendations for Jonathan to consider are vaccination based on age recommendations (vaccination will help protect Jonathan against several acute illnesses) and exploring stress reduction strategies (emotional factors, such as stress, can impact health and lead to illness).
Though Jonathan may need to reprioritize activities and work on time management skills, it would not be beneficial to quit his job, eat more fast food, or reduce exercise time. These are healthy behaviors that are contributing positively to Jonathan’s state of wellness
Your response is correct!
Health education assists clients in understanding their health and how to better manage wellness. Education promotes lifestyle changes and assists clients in developing health-oriented habits.
Health education does not solve health-related problems. It is up to the client to implement the knowledge gained from health education to promote health and wellness
Your response is correct!
Strategies that will improve Jonathan’s health include:
receiving a seasonal flu vaccine continuing yoga classes reporting reduced stress
Losing sleep to study for an exam will decline Jonathan’s health.
Though socialization with friends can improve health, drinking alcohol regularly as part of socialization will decline Jonathan’s health.
Your response is correct!
Illness prevention includes activities such as immunization programs and blood pressure screenings that protect clients from actual or potential threats to health and wellness.
Health promotion activities include helping clients maintain or enhance their present health by encouraging healthy activities, such as regular exercise and good nutrition.
Your response is correct!
The eight dimensions of wellness are physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational/vocational, financial, and environmental.
Familial is not a dimension of wellness.
Edapt wk Defining health and wellness
Course: Pathophysiology (NR-283)
University: Chamberlain University
- Discover more from:
