Dimensions of Health

 Health is made up of a number of interacting

dimensions.
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)

 There are 5 dimensions of health that are considered

when measuring ones level of health and wellness, these
dimensions include:
1. Physical Health
2. Social Health
3. Emotional/Mental Health
4. Cognitive/Intellectual Health
5. Spiritual Health
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)
Physical Health
 Physical health is best described as the efficient
functioning of the body. It’s the body’s capacity to
participate in everyday activities and the absence of
signs of disease, such as asthma, epilepsy or diabetes.
This dimension includes characteristics such as body size
and shape, level of fitness, energy level, weight and
ability to recover from illness.
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)
Social Health
 Social health refers to the ability to form and maintain
satisfying interpersonal relationships. It includes the
ability to relate to parents, teachers and friends in a way
that is accepted by our community. It also involves being
able to accept standards of behaviour (such as waiting in
a queue) and interacting positively in group situations.
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)
Emotional/Mental Health
 Emotional/Mental health refers to the ability to adapt to
change and cope with adversity. It also includes a
knowledge and acceptance of one’s feelings and
emotions, the ability to manage stress in an appropriate
manner, the ability to be resilient in tough times and
having a well-developed sense of self.
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)
Cognitive/Intellectual Health

 Cognitive/intellectual health includes being able to

access, process and use knowledge to assist in decision
making, reasoning, weighing up the consequences of
actions, life planning and career development.
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)
Spiritual Health
 Spiritual health involves finding a purpose and meaning
to life. While it can include a belief in a higher being, it
can simply mean having a sense of one’s self as part of a
bigger picture and is closely related to one’s personal
value system. It often involves finding a sense of inner
peace or strength, a connection with nature, or optimism
for the future.
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)

 The key to good health is exercising each of the dimensions and maintaining
a balance between them.
 Balancing the different dimensions of one’s health may not necessarily mean
devoting equal time and energy to each dimension but rather combining
them in such a way that a person gains an overall sense of wellbeing
(feelings of happiness, contentment and satisfaction).
 Many health-enhancing behaviours that a person can incorporate into their
lifestyle fall into each of the dimensions of health (see table on next slide and
handout).
Dimensions of Health (cont.)
 Dimensions of Health (cont.)

 Activity
Explain each of the dimensions of health and provide
examples of good health to illustrate each area. (5 lines for
each).
a) Physical health
b) Social health
c) Mental/emotional health
d) Cognitive/intellectual health
e) Spiritual health
 Relative and Dynamic Nature of Health
 Relative Nature of Health
- Relative means in relation to another
period of time, in relation to your
potential or in relation to others.
- One person’s description of good health
might be quite different to the
description of another persons.
- For example: A child with asthma enjoys
a healthy, active lifestyle but
experiences events that a non-asthmatic
child might interpret as restrictive on
health.
 Dynamic Nature of Health
- Dynamic refers to the constant fluctuations
that occur in our level of health.
- Our health is never static (remaining the
same). Our health varies over time,
fluctuating from minute to minute, day to
day, year to year.
- Illness, accidents, personal experiences or
environmental factors can move our level of
health any number of time during our lives
from very well to well, off-colour to ill, very
unwell to critically ill and then back to full
health. These changes are known as
dynamic.
 Relative and Dynamic
Nature of Health (cont.)
Health Continuum

 The health continuum ‘measures’ our health status at

any moment in time. We are continually moving along
this continuum.
 It enables us to rank our level of wellness or illness at
any given point in our lives.
Activity
Referring to the dynamic nature
of health, and the dimensions of
health, explain why health may
be viewed as a continuum. (10
lines)