Dimensions of Health

• Health is multidimensional.
• World Health Organization explained health in three dimensional physical, mental, social and spiritual.
• Besides these many more may be cited, e.g. emotional, vocational, political, philosophical, cultural, socioeconomic, environmental, educational, nutritional,curative, and preventive.

  

1. Physical Dimensions

• Physical health means perfect functioning of the body in which each organ is working in harmony with the maximum capacity.
• Physical health is achieved by the exercise, healthy diet, adequate rest and sleep and no smoking or alcohol intake.
• To maintain proper physical health there is need for taking safety precautions, and regular follow up with the health care providers.

 Signs of physical health

👉 A good complexion

👉 A clean skin

👉 Bright eyes

👉 Not too fatty

👉 A sweet breath

👉 A good appetite

👉 Sound sleep

👉 Regular activities of bowels and bladder

👉 Smooth, easy, and coordinated bodily movements

2. Mental Dimensions

• Mental health is a state of balance between body and mind. Earlier the body and mind were considered two separate entities.
• But these are interrelated as physical illness can result mental illness and vice versa.

How mental illness influence physical health has been shown in figure;

3. Social Dimensions

                                      An individual is socially healthy if he is able to maintain harmonious relationship with other members of society in which he lives.

                                      Social health rooted in "Positive material environment" and "Positive human environment" which is concerned with the social network of the individual.

The social dimensions oh health includes:

• Communication
• Intimacy
• Respect
• Equality
• Social functioning

4. Spiritual Dimensions

• Spiritually means in touch with deeper self and exploration the purpose of life, as people believe in some force that transcend physiology of human beings.
• It includes love, charity, purpose, principles, ethics, intigrity, hope of life.
• Meditations, prayers, or spiritual gatherings are organized to maintain spiritual health.

  

5. Emotional Dimensions

• Emotional health is closely related to the mental health and considered as an important element of health.
• Mental and emotional aspects of health are now viewed as two separate entities for human life.
• Cognition is related to the mental health whereas emotional health is related to the feelings of a person.

Emotional health includes:

👉 An emotionally healthy person has a positive thinking and is capable of coping and adjusting self.

👉 An emotionally health person participates in all the activities which are related to personal growth and his self esteem.

👉 Emotionally well people have the ability to express feelings freely and manage feelings effectively.

👉 They are also aware of and accept a wide range of feelings in themselves and others.

6. Vocational dimensions

• The choice of profession, job satisfaction, career ambitions and personal performance are all important components of this dimension.
• To be occupationally well, a person is ultimately doing exactly with what they want to do in life and are comfortable with their future plans.

Vocational dimension of health can be assessed by:

• Assessing the satisfaction  level at job
• Facilities attached to the job 
• Behaviour of the management and administrator and of colleagues at job

    

7. Other Dimensions

              A few other dimensions also suggested such as:

• Cultural dimensions
• Socio-economic dimensions
• Environmental dimensions
• Educational dimensions
• Nutritional dimensions
• Preventive dimensions