If WHO, the World Health Organization, defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity" (WHO, 2011) and wellness is described as a state of being,
a. What is the relationship of wellness and health in a person's life?
b. How do illness and disease relate to one another?
c. Do you think an individual can have an illness or disease and still be healthy or well? Why or why not?
d. How does chronic illness in an individual's life affect wellness or being healthy or unhealthy?
Students' answers should include the following:
a. The definitions themselves make each other absolute terms. The students can discuss how they feel wellness and health are related to each other.
WHO's definition of health suggests a person should be in his or her optimum condition of function for his or her age and body. This may not necessarily be so if he or she has a chronic illness or disease.
Wellness is an ongoing effort by definition to be healthy or in good health. This requires a lifestyle or a group of behaviors, including a multitude of things such as exercise, diet, and stress management, to maintain wellness or good health. If that's the case, then one may directly be related to the other.
b. The definition of illness is "the state of being sick." The definition of disease is a pathologic condition that has clinical signs and symptoms. The disease process usually changes the body from the normal or healthy state. Disease and illness vary from one another in each person because everyone is an individual and illness is a personal event, where a disease can be measured and may have the same signs and symptoms in a number of people.
c. A discussion on an individual having an illness or disease and still be healthy or well can be discussed both ways. If the health–illness continuum is used, then a person having a disease or illness can possibly still be considered healthy or well if he or she meets criteria on the continuum scale.
Use the continuum scale and have the students give examples of different individuals with different illnesses or diseases to discuss whether or not they are healthy or well.
d. Chronic illness can affect an individual's life in a number of ways. Most of them will be in a negative way because the illness is chronic, which is long lasting. Depending on the individual and the illness, the individual may not be affected in a negative way and may actually be on the healthy side of the health–illness continuum.
Students can discuss how different chronic illnesses may have a positive or negative effect on wellness and health.
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