Health La Salubridad is a condition of physical, mental and emotional well-being where infirmity and disease are absent. A number of definitions have been employed over the years for the purpose of describing health. These include the five-year American cultural syndrome, the Hippocratic diagnosis of health, the Oxford definition, and others.
The condition of health has also been described in terms of its relationship to psychological well-being. According to the Hippocratic diagnosis, a healthy society is one in which people live longer, healthier lives. In this definition, healthy people are free from mental illness, bodily pain, and public disorder. The Oxford definition of well-being maintains that people have good health when they are physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially fit. The National Health Interview Survey has suggested that low-income people are more likely to be categorized as having poor health than those in higher income brackets.
It has been postulated that factors like race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of diversity may play a role in determining health. However, researchers have disputed this assertion, arguing that there are only a limited number of differences between the health profiles of racial and ethnic groups. Researchers have also pointed out that health and wellness are not solely determined by wealth, but that there are other risk factors associated with poor health, including stress, poor nutrition, and other environmental causes such as pollution. A healthy environment is also necessary to facilitate wellness.
As indicated earlier, public health and wellness are interrelated and dependent on each other. Public health aims at preventing illnesses by preventing infection, improving nutritional intake, and promoting physical activity. On the other hand, wellness aims at maintaining or enhancing good health, promoting physical and mental health, reducing morbidity and mortality, and preventing disability. Prevention is the primary means of improving public health and wellness. The objective of a good diet, exercise, and good nutrition program is to reduce the risk of illness and disability due to poor health, as well as to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Poor diet refers to a diet that is not rich in nutrients, especially nutrients essential for human development and maintenance of health. A poor diet leads to various ill-health conditions, some of which are diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions. Indirect effects of a poor diet include poor performance at school and work, increased use of drugs and tobacco, unhealthy behaviors, and a lower quality of life.
In addition to these indirect effects, biological differences between classes and racial/ethnic groups may lead to greater health disparities. These differences have been shown to exist through environmental factors like poverty, social status, and access to good health services. The emergence and subsequent persistence of these differences in health reflect social and biological context that affects the health of the poor. This context is reflected in current policies that address equity in health, focusing on eliminating social inequities on wellness.