HLTA02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Cardiovascular Disease, Mantra, Biopsychosocial Model
Lecture 2:
Communicable Diseases: Diseases that are infectious and therefore transmittable across
populations
Ex: Flu = Caused by virus
Non- communicable diseases: Diseases that are not infectious and therefore cannot be
transmitted across populations
Ex: Heart disease
Social Capital: Concept defined in a number of ways but essentially refers to the types of
networks and trust that exist within a community and levels of community cohesion
WHO: World Health Organized
Health defined by WHO: State of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence and disease and infirmity (positive holistic view on health)
Positive definitions of health = well-being
Negative definitions of health = absence and disease
Quality of life: Use to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and is a way of describing
an individual’s emotional, social and physical well-being as well as ability to function with
different concepts
Humanism: Humanists believe in human values and concern, suggesting that the world could be
understood through reason, shared experience and values without the need for religious
interpretations and beliefs
• Drawing on a humanist idea health might be also considering as self-actualization, which
links the idea of empowerment
• Empowerment: Process by which people are able to identify their needs and then take
action in order to meet them
Classification & sub classification of Health:
Dictionary Definition: Describe common everyday ways in which health is defined
Assumption Definitions: Health is assumed to exist if certain conditions are achieved
Includes the:
• Conceptually Relative
• The aspiration
• The description
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Determinist Definitions: Based on a range of determinants that can be measured and recorded
• Measures mortality rates
• Health as the ability to function
• Includes Statistical and functional
Spiritual Definitions: based on a degree of faith, a degree of affinity in “other existence or any
other mantra” (important to holistic ideas about health)
• Health linked with the “moral” and with faith components
• Definitions center on “holistic” ideas about health or “wholeness”
• Can be highly subjective and very personal
Includes: religious, alternatives and humanist
Models of Health:
Biomedical Models:
• A negative definition of health
• Reductionist: body as machine with parts
• Disease: a deviation from the norm especially a normal range of measurable biological
variables
• Positivist: influenced by scientific and expert knowledge
• Progress through advances in (medical) science and technology
Pathology: Simply study of the diagnosis of disease
• Pathologists diagnose disease through laboratory methods
• Pathogenic refers to the presence of disease cause by a pathogen (a virus or disease)
Critiques:
Decontextualizing:
• disregards contextual factors
Simplistic:
• view of biological processes and remedies
• Body is still often treated as a machine during practices
Depoliticizes Health/ Diseases and their determinants:
• Biomedicine, science, health and disease are not value free because they are
embedded in larger society
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Communicable diseases: diseases that are infectious and therefore transmittable across populations. Non- communicable diseases: diseases that are not infectious and therefore cannot be transmitted across populations. Social capital: concept defined in a number of ways but essentially refers to the types of networks and trust that exist within a community and levels of community cohesion. Health defined by who: state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence and disease and infirmity (positive holistic view on health) Negative definitions of health = absence and disease. Quality of life: use to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and is a way of describing an individual"s emotional, social and physical well-being as well as ability to function with different concepts. Dictionary definition: describe common everyday ways in which health is defined. Assumption definitions: health is assumed to exist if certain conditions are achieved. Includes the: conceptually relative, the aspiration, the description.