Hoorcollege aantekeningen - Health in Society
Hoorcollege 1): 03/09/24
What affects our health? Resulting in for example ‘obese’ (overweight) → risk factor for
many chronic issues/diseases.
Pandemic of overweight
→ (bewerkt) food, lifestyle, sleep?, mental unstableness,
Also in relation to bad policies, … knowledge?
Mental health issue → bullying etc
Importance of social factors:
Health as a social issue
,Clockwork view in medicine:
Formal way of looking at health → “health is when the body operates efficiently like a
machine”
→ Absence of illness
How to look at?
● Disability
● Mental Health
● Social isolation
● Chronic illness
Criticisms of the clockwork view:
- Focuses only on bodily processes (diagnose and treatment)
- Health is more than the absence of physical conditions !!!
WHO (World Health Organization): different definition of health
→ “Health is a state of complete?, physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.”
CRITIQUE on this definition:
“Complete” is unachievable…
→ Does not address living with chronic conditions.
The definition is impractical to operationalise
Deel 2:
What is public health?
Health of populations rather than individuals
• Holistic/ecosystems understanding
Focus on prevention rather than treatment
• Protecting/promoting health/wellbeing
Collective rather than personal interventions
• Focus on places, settings, locations !!!
, Difference equity and equality
equality is giving everyone the exact same resources
equity is giving the resources people need given their circumstances
Hoorcollege 1): 03/09/24
What affects our health? Resulting in for example ‘obese’ (overweight) → risk factor for
many chronic issues/diseases.
Pandemic of overweight
→ (bewerkt) food, lifestyle, sleep?, mental unstableness,
Also in relation to bad policies, … knowledge?
Mental health issue → bullying etc
Importance of social factors:
Health as a social issue
,Clockwork view in medicine:
Formal way of looking at health → “health is when the body operates efficiently like a
machine”
→ Absence of illness
How to look at?
● Disability
● Mental Health
● Social isolation
● Chronic illness
Criticisms of the clockwork view:
- Focuses only on bodily processes (diagnose and treatment)
- Health is more than the absence of physical conditions !!!
WHO (World Health Organization): different definition of health
→ “Health is a state of complete?, physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.”
CRITIQUE on this definition:
“Complete” is unachievable…
→ Does not address living with chronic conditions.
The definition is impractical to operationalise
Deel 2:
What is public health?
Health of populations rather than individuals
• Holistic/ecosystems understanding
Focus on prevention rather than treatment
• Protecting/promoting health/wellbeing
Collective rather than personal interventions
• Focus on places, settings, locations !!!
, Difference equity and equality
equality is giving everyone the exact same resources
equity is giving the resources people need given their circumstances
