The World Health Organization has had a definition of health for almost 75 years (WHO, 1948). The definition is as follows: “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948). Describing health in this manner can be seen as both relevant and irrelevant today. It is relevant because it illustrates health in a multi-faceted dimension which does not only include physical well-being (McCartney et al., 2019). The definition is irrelevant because it states that health is a state of completeness in these facets (McCartney et al., 2019). It alludes that an individual is not healthy unless each aspect of overall health is fulfilled (McCartney et al., 2019). In my opinion, it is nearly impossible for a person to always meet all these facets completely. As many realize, life is not easy and there are moments where we can be struggling mentally, physically, or socially but I do not think that makes us entirely unhealthy. A person can still be healthy even if they are not fully meeting all the facets of health. Another reason the World Health Organization’s definition of health is irrelevant is because it does not consider the social determinants of health (Oleribe et al., 2018). Although the definition is multi-faceted, it may not be all-encompassing. Key determinants that the definition is missing are economic stability, access to education, access to adequate healthcare, relationships with family and friends, and religious views (Oleribe et al., 2018). All these social determinants of health are responsible and are directly correlated to an individual’s overall health and there can be even more determinants to include (Oleribe et al., 2018). Therefore, my main critiques for this definition of health are that it is outdated and not all-encompassing. It does not provide any reasoning for the individual and does not investigate the individual enough to understand why they may not have optimal health. Overall, the definition is highly more irrelevant than relevant in our current society.
pdhpe.net (2018)
Due to the irrelevance of the World Health Organization’s definition of health, other organizations and individuals have tried to re-evaluate health. Huber (2011) states health as “the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges.” By adding a person's ability to health, this definition is more fluid and allows for personal interpretation (van der Linder & Schermer, 2021). Another definition of health concludes that: “Health is the experience of physical and psychological well-being. Good health and poor health do not occur as a dichotomy, but as a continuum. The absence of disease or disability is neither sufficient nor necessary to produce a state of good health” (Card, 2017). Both definitions allow for a personal interpretation of health making them more relevant and more relatable than the original World Health Organization definition.
To have an accurate definition of health, a person’s experience and individual characteristics must be considered. The original World Health Organization definition fails to include these factors. Newer definitions of health encompass the individualistic reality of health and there is hope that the World Health Organization will adapt to some of these definitions.
References
Card, A. J. (2017). Moving beyond the who definition of health: A new perspective for an aging world and the emerging era of value-based care. World Medical & Health Policy, 9(1), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.221
Huber, M. (2011). Health: How should we define it? British Medical Journal, 343,(7817), 235-237. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4163
McCartney, G., Popham, F., McMaster, R., & Cumbers, A. (2019). Defining health and health inequalities. Public Health, 172, 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2019.03.023
Oleribe, O. O., Ukwedeh, O., Burstow, N. J., Gomaa, A. I., Sonderup, M. W., Cook, N., Waked, I., Spearman, W., & Taylor-Robinson, S. D. (2018). Health: Redefined. Pan African Medical Journal, 30. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2018.30.292.15436
pdhpe.net. (2018, April 26). Meanings of Health [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJQ04Af_XxI
Rice University. (n.d.). What is Health Psychology? Department of Psychological Sciences | Rice University. Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://psychology.rice.edu/what-health-psychology
van der Linden, R., & Schermer, M. (2021). Health and disease as practical concepts: Exploring function in context-specific definitions. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-021-10058-9
WHO. (1948, April 7). Constitution of the World Health Organization. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution
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