Key Knowledge 1: Definitions of physical, social and mental dimensions of health and health status. What is Health? World Health Organisation (WHO) (1946) definition: ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’

Discussion Points  Health is not just based on how physically ‘well’ you are  It encompasses how you feel about yourself and how you interact with others  Just because a person has some form of illness or disability does not necessarily mean that they are not healthy  Important to try and form a balance between physical, social and emotional (mental and spiritual) components  This ‘balance’ is one that the individual is contented with and therefore wont be the same for everyone.  Virtually impossible to be fully healthy in all components at once so the ‘best’ health we feel we can be is referred to as optimal health. OPTIMAL HEALTH Being healthy in all three components of health at the same time

D EFINITION OF H EALTH : ‘ A STATE OF COMPLETE PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND SOCIAL WELL BEING AND NOT MERELY THE ABSENCE OF DISEASE OR INFIRMITY ’ PHYSICAL HEALTH How efficiently your body and its systems are able to function SOCIAL HEALTH How effectively you are able to relate to those in the world around you MENTAL HEALTH The link between our thoughts, feelings and behaviours

Component of HealthDefinitionExamples Physical HealthRelates to the efficient functioning of the body and it’s systems. Social HealthHow we act and behave in our relationships with others. Mental HealthThe health of our mind and thought processes. Defining Health Use page 3 for help!

Class Health Interview Interview one other person in class to investigate the following information:  Past injuries  Immunisation history  Childhood illnesses  Hospitalisation  Number of tooth fillings / extractions  Illnesses in past 12 months  Illness right now  Rating of: Smoking / drinking / diet / exercise (1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent) Collate results and discuss the overall health status of our class!

H EALTH AS A CONTINUUM Like temperature, which can be viewed on a scale ranging from hot to cold and various degrees in between, health can be seen to exist in various states, ranging from optimal to good or poor health and finally death. A person’s health status is not static and can vary considerably during a lifetime as a result of changing environments, genetic, lifestyle, behavioural factors. Optimal Health Good Health Average Health Poor Health Death Student activities 1.Complete ‘Exploring health as a continuum’ Page 5 2.Complete ‘Rating health’ Page 5