The Conceptualization of Health
Abstract
The meaning of health is complex and subject to change. In this article, four conceptual models of health are presented to summarize the current meanings for health. The medical model is the most widely used definition in the United States, but the World Health Organization model has gained in popularity during the past several decades. In addition, there are other newer models—the wellness model and the environmental model—that are adding new meanings to the definition of health. By understanding and combining these different meanings, the prospects for improving medical outcomes and the quality of care are enhanced. This conceptual work is a prelude to improving health status assessment in a variety of contexts.
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Although biological, psychological, social, economic and spiritual dimensions of well-being have been acknowledged in the literature, the way they are operationalised as dimensions across measures of well-being is largely unstated.
“Although the biological, psychological, social, economic and spiritual dimensions of well-being have been acknowledged in the literature,22–24 the way in which they are operationalised as dimensions across measures of well-being is largely unstated.”
From Review of 99 self-report measures for assessing well-being in adults: exploring dimensions of well-being and developments over time (2016) · cites this paper as [24]
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- Authors
- Larson, J. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
- Corresponding author
- Larson, James S.
- Venue
- Medical Care Research and Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1999-06
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 123-136
- ISSN
- 1077-5587 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-6801
- OpenAlex
- W2007786212
- Cited by
- 358
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 0.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medical Care Research and Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Medicine, History, and Philosophy
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, psychology, and well-being
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
- Keywords
- concept of health, health models, biomedical model, WHO definition of health, wellness model, health assessment, quality of care
- MeSH terms
- Environmental Health, Health, Health Promotion, Health Status Indicators, Holistic Health, Humans, Models, Theoretical, Quality of Life, World Health Organization
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