HEALTH

Health: A Contested and Multi-dimensional Concept

Abstract

The easy focuses on the contested and multi-dimensional nature of health. Health is defined differently by different shareholders. Afterwards, the easy discusses two perspectives of health, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, and their contribution in defining health.Health and Wellness Perspectives

Health: A Contested and Multi-dimensional Concept

Introduction

Health is a contested and multi-dimensional concept. It is used differently by health practitioners, commentators, researchers, as well as, by patients. The reason for confusion is that different problems are seen differently by people and practitioners. For some, a reason for disease is solely a medical phenomenon and for another, it may be a result of social phenomenon.

For Example, we have debated perspectives on birthing procedures. Midwifery focuses on pregnancy normalcy, and its effects for health. Birth is seen as a natural process that has deep meanings to people and should be treated as usual until there is proof of an implication. On the other hand, the medical management model rests on the pathologic potential of birth and pregnancy. As a field of medicine, the central focus of obstetrics is treatment and diagnosis of pregnancy problems and managing diseases that concern pregnant women and their foetuses (Rooks, 1997). The easy should include different perspectives of health in order to further clarify the understanding of health.

Perspectives of Health

Medical Model of Health

The medical model of health is perceived negatively. In simple words, according to the medical model of health, health is nonexistence of disease. Despite the definition given by WTO, medical model perspective is mainly concerned with illness and disease. It is not surprising because people seek medical help when they feel unhealthy. The promotion of healthy activities by doctors and health personals is very specific to medical terminologies and technical language. It is quite interesting to notice that people, who have some disease, do not always think of themselves as unhealthy (Brisenden, 1986).

The concept of the medical model emerged during the 18th and 19th century. Let's take an example of medical perspective. The disease of tuberculosis, an infectious infection accountable for a quarter of all deceases in the last half of the 19th century and the leading danger to health at that moment. In the medical representation of disease, tuberculosis is termed as an illness of bodily organs subsequent exposure to the tubercle bacillus. This disease results in pathological alternation in body's system, and is observable through -ray as harm ...