Keywords/ Questions What Does Health Mean to Individuals?

 Meanings of health

- Definitions
o 1913: The state of being hale, sound or whole, in body, mind or
soul; especially, the state of being free from physical disease or
pain.
o 1947: World Health Organisation: A state of complete, physical,
mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease infirmity.
o 1957: WHO: Health is a condition or quality of the human
organism which expresses adequate functions under given
genetic and environmental conditions.
o 1986: Australian Better Health Commission (In ‘Looking Forward
to Better Health’) To the community, good health means a
higher standard of living, greater participation in making
implementing community health policies and reducing health
costs.

- Dimensions
o Physical
o Social
o Spiritual
o Mental (can go with emotional)
o Emotional

- Relative and dynamic nature

o Relative to different communities
o Relative to another time period
o Relative to a person with different abilities/age etc.

 Perceptions of health
- Perceptions of own health and others
o Highly subjective conception
o Influencing factors:
 Peers & family attitudes towards health
 Media’s thoughts on health
 past experiences with health issues and injuries
 environment we live in, geo., political and social
 education
 personal beliefs of health

- Implications of different perspective of health

o Individual
Perception of their own health and the potential for them to
achieve optimal health -> health related choices and behaviors
o Societal
Gov. policy, funding and emphasis on health issues -> perception
of health held by governments, health professionals and NGOs
 - Perceptions of health as social constructs 

o Health a product of societal beliefs
o Varies from each society
o Not solely the responsibility of an individual
o Number of factors that contribute to social construct of health
these include:
 economic status
 education

 employment

 cultural background

 religious views

 family and peers
 geographical, social and political
environment in which we live

 individual experience and personality.

o The idea of viewing perceptions of health as something that is
socially constructed means that we can recognise that its
meaning will vary:
 Over time
 From individual to individual
 From context to context
 From culture to culture

- Impact of media, Peers and Family

o Media
 Explicit messages – clear address specific issues.
Bring about change of awareness and positive behavior
EXAMPLE: stories about drunk driving in news reports
 Implicit messages – subtle messages usually show in TV
commercials and movies. These have impact on
perception of health and the behaviors they take to
make change.
EXAMPLE: images of skinny beautiful women in
commercials shows in order to be successful, healthy
and happy must look like this.
o Family
 Earliest influence on our lives
 Shape habits related to nutrition and physical activity in
childhood/adolescence usually stay in adulthood.
o Peers
 Desire approval – motivational force for making certain
health related decisions
 Group has same values of health – group members
aligning with them

 Health Behaviors of Young People
- Protective behaviors and Risk behaviors
o Protective Behaviors – behaviors that enhance persons’ level of
health
o Risk Behaviors – Behaviors that decrease a persons’ level of
health.
Keywords/ Questions What Influences The Health of Individuals?
 The Determinates of Health
- Individual
o Knowledge, skills and attitudes
Significant role shaping our health decisions
Good understanding of health > better protective behaviours
Health Literacy – ability to comprehend and find reliable
sources of health information
Choices not factors of knowledge more of attitudes, beliefs
and SES
Decision making, communication skills etc. all higher level
health
o Genetics
Determined through ancestors
Significant impact on health
- Sociocultural
o Family
earliest influence, teach us habits
o Peers
need for acceptance
o Media
send us messages of health related issues
o Cultures
have different views and practices regarding health
o Religion
send messages on what we should and shouldn’t do and
some can affect our health.
- Socioeconomic
o Employment
Employment correlates to income which general relates to
health. Higher income higher health
o Education
Ability to learn correct protective health behaviours
o Income
Higher income > higher health. Can afford better food, gym
membership etc.
- Environmental
o Geographical location
Pollution levels, population rates, water standards have
effect on health
o Access to health services and technology
Rural areas aren’t as accessible to services and technology
result in higher travel times, which can cause decrease in
health state in emergencies.
 The Degree of Control Individuals Can Exert Over Their Health 

- Modifiable and non-modifiable health determinants
o Modifiable determinants
Can be changed easily
EXAMPLES: employment, education, geographical location
(harder), religion, income, attitude (major one)
o Non-modifiable determinants
Can’t be changed easily
EXAMPLES:
Age, gender, family history and ethnicity

- the changing influence of determinants through different life stages

o impacts of certain dimensions change with age like degree
control have over them
EXAMPLE: parent over child

 Health as a Social Construct

- Recognise the Interrelationship of Determinates
o Determinants interact in many different ways, often
intricately linked
o AIHW – determinants casual pathways that affect health

- Challenges the Notion that Health is solely an individual’s

responsibility
o Recognizing health socially constructed ->acknowledges
external influences individual’s health
o Individual view health doesn’t account for biological, social,
economic and environmental factors that stop individuals
making positive health choices.
o Health as social construct - explains why some people have
lower health than others
o Doesn’t eliminate individual’s role but creates better
understanding of role of government and society
o Balance is needed not just individual not just gov. and
communities
Keywords/Questions What strategies help to promote the health of individuals?
 What is health Promotion
o Aims to ensure that determinates of Health contribute to health in
a positive way, achieving better health for all.
o ‘The process of enabling people to increase control over their
health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health’ –
WHO
o individual’s fullest health potential
 Responsibility for Health Promotion
- Individuals
o Significant role in promotion of own health
o Personal choices ultimately affect health (many factors
influence choices made)
- Community Groups/ Schools
Schools
o Schools major role in shaping health related attitudes in
adolescents and children that will live with them for the rest of
their lives.
EXAMPLES
Education: Compulsory PDHPE k-10
School Polices: no hat no play, zero bullying tolerance
Implementation of health promotion initiatives: HPV
vaccinations and Fresh Tastes Healthy Canteen Strategy
Community Groups
o V effective, close connective groups have with citizens
o Have best idea what community needs and how to go about
this
EXAMPLE
women-only swimming sessions in community pools for areas
with high Muslim population
- NGO’s
o Focus on Particular issue, disease etc.
o Address issues in different ways: education, awareness,
research
EXAMPLES
Cancer Council
Heart Foundation
- Government
o Element Responsibility lies with each level of Gov.
Commonwealth
o Directive and coordinating role
EXAMPLES
Funding to NGO’s
Developing national Health Policies/campaigns
State
o Each state manages health-related services and provides
health promotion strategies and programs through
department of health.
o EXAMPLES
o Implementation of policies – e.g. Department Edu. Making
PDHPE compulsory
o NSW depart. Health – funding within state
 Local
o Regulation and management local infrastructure
EXAMPLES
Inspection of swimming pools
Planning that encourages physical activity (cycle ways, play
equipment, parks)
- International Organisation
o World Health Organisation
o Creates policies and initiatives that will benefit and be relevant
to all countries associated.
o E.g. Ottawa Charter
 Health Promotion Approaches and Strategies
- Lifestyle/Behavioral Approaches
o Target an individual’s lifestyle and behaviour in order to
empower them to make healthier choices
o Provide people with information and skills
o Develop understanding of consequences of life choices
o Equip skills to make positive health choices
o Encourage to take responsibility for health
o Develop skills to cope with change
EXAMPLE
Measure up campaign
- Preventative Medical approaches
o Protects from developing certain illness’
o Takes measures before illness arises
o Take three levels
 Primary – generalized
 Secondary – at risk people
 Tertiary – prevent reoccurrence
EXAMPLE
Childhood immunisations
- Public Health Approaches
o Holistic approach to health care
o Health promoting schools
EXAMPLE
School curriculum, ethos, environment and policies
o Health promoting workplace
EXAMPLE
Healthy Workers Initiative (promotes weight loss in obese,
encourages healthy diet etc.)
 Ottawa Charter as an effective health promotion framework
- Developing personal skills
o Maintenance of positive health behaviours limiting risk
behaviours
EXAMPLE: education of healthy living mandatory PHDPE
- Creating Supportive Environments
o Environments that take care of each other, community and
the natural environment
EXAMPLE: no smoking inside restaurants and cafes
 - Strengthening Community Action
o Identifying how community members can improve health and
coming up for solutions for action
EXAMPLE: Clean up Australia day, walk to school day
- Reorienting Health Services
o Going beyond traditional healthcare of curing. Promotion of
illness and disease
EXAMPLE: Healthy Harold teaching students to make positive
life choices
- Building Healthy Public Policy
o Taking into account health when laws are being made and
changed
EXAMPLE: speeding and drink driving laws

 Principles of Social Justice

- Equity
o Taking action reduce inequality
o Ensure resources distributed evenly
o Allows all to achieve optimal health
- Diversity
o Recognizes differences in individuals and groups
o Difference direct the development of health promotion
strategies and campaigns
- Supportive Environments
o Impact environment has on people’s health