2.1 : Concepts of Health and Illness

Health is a balance of physical, mental, and social well-being. It is not limited to just the absence of disease.

Similarly, wellness is an active, healthy state which includes practicing a lifestyle that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health.

The concept of health can be visualized through several models.

The health belief model focuses on three components of individual perception: perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, and perceived action.

It is commonly used to explain and predict health-related behaviors, especially regarding the utilization of health services.

The health promotion model also comprises three components: in this case, health education, illness prevention, and health protection.

It notes that each person has unique personal characteristics and experiences that may affect subsequent actions.

The health-illness continuum model views health as a constantly changing state and allows for an assessment of the level of health along a spectrum.

It proposes that an individual can move to the right towards greater health and that this can be achieved by awareness, education, and growth.

Finally, the agent-host-environment model considers the interaction between an external agent, a susceptible host, and the environment.