WHO Definition of Health and Illness

Questions and Answers

Degrees of illness

Reliance on symptoms of disease is insufficient

Awareness, education, and growth

Not having certain vaccinations Signup and view all the answers

Physiological risk factors Signup and view all the answers

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being Signup and view all the answers

A feeling or experience of unhealth Signup and view all the answers

Illness refers to the patient's experience, while disease impairs normal body functioning Signup and view all the answers

An illness with severe symptoms but short duration Signup and view all the answers

Chronic illness lasts for an extended period while acute illness is short-duration Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The left side of the Illness-Wellness Continuum reflects high levels of illness and low levels of wellness.
Travis proposed a shift in the medical approach from solely focusing on disease to demonstrating wellness.

The continuum proposes that individuals can move towards high levels of wellness and low levels of illness.

Modifiable risk factors can be eliminated or reduced through lifestyle or behavioral choices.
Intrinsic risk factors are those relating to an individual’s body or biology.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.

Illness refers to the individual’s personal experience of their symptoms and suffering.
Disease refers to the medical diagnosis or labeling of an individual’s condition.
A key difference between illness and disease is that illness is subjective, while disease is objective.

An acute illness is a short-term illness with a definitive end-point, often treatable and curable.
Chronic illness differs from acute illness in that it is a long-term condition, often incurable but manageable, and requires ongoing medical attention.