We have mostly discussed conceptual and theoretical considerations pertaining to quality of life. We now turn to a discussion of what we mean by health. In accordance with the conceptualization of quality of life that we put forth, we suggest that health can be viewed as pertaining to certain conditions that may contribute to a person's quality of life. Although further specification of this definition might seem desirable, it is widely acknowledged that the specifics of what constitutes health vary considerably across history and as a result of different cultural perspectives. Any attempt at a universally applicable definition of health could therefore only be stated in non-specific terms. However, our primary concern here is to distinguish health from quality of life. We therefore use the term health to refer to various health-related conditions including: (a) the presence or absence of disease, (b) the presence of symptoms of disease or side effects of related treatments, (c) the degree of physical or mental functioning, and (d) perceptions of physical or mental health status. The term health outcomes often has been used to refer to this broad range of health-related conditions. The presence of disease essentially refers to conditions that are defined by alterations of biological functioning. Standardized diagnostic criteria that are based on observable signs and laboratory tests are used to determine the presence of disease. Symptoms can be seen as “a patient‟s perception of an abnormal physical, emotional, or cognitive state” (Wilson & Cleary). Physical and mental functioning refers to the ability of a person to perform particular activities that require physical action and cognitive processing. Such activities may include daily tasks (i.e., activities of daily living) or social activities to do with employment or other responsibilities. And, perceived physical and mental health status can be defined as a person's global perception of his or her physical and mental health. Thus, health status does not reflect whether individuals are satisfied with their physical and mental health, but rather the degree to which individuals perceive themselves to be physically and mentally healthy.
A conceptualization of health
We have mostly discussed conceptual and theoretical considerations pertaining to quality of life. We now turn to a discussion of what we mean by health. In accordance with the conceptualization of quality of life that we put forth, we suggest that health can be viewed as pertaining to certain conditions that may contribute to a person's quality of life. Although further specification of this definition might seem desirable, it is widely acknowledged that the specifics of what constitutes health vary considerably across history and as a result of different cultural perspectives. Any attempt at a universally applicable definition of health could therefore only be stated in non-specific terms. However, our primary concern here is to distinguish health from quality of life. We therefore use the term health to refer to various health-related conditions including: (a) the presence or absence of disease, (b) the presence of symptoms of disease or side effects of related treatments, (c) the degree of physical or mental functioning, and (d) perceptions of physical or mental health status. The term health outcomes often has been used to refer to this broad range of health-related conditions. The presence of disease essentially refers to conditions that are defined by alterations of biological functioning. Standardized diagnostic criteria that are based on observable signs and laboratory tests are used to determine the presence of disease. Symptoms can be seen as “a patient‟s perception of an abnormal physical, emotional, or cognitive state” (Wilson & Cleary). Physical and mental functioning refers to the ability of a person to perform particular activities that require physical action and cognitive processing. Such activities may include daily tasks (i.e., activities of daily living) or social activities to do with employment or other responsibilities. And, perceived physical and mental health status can be defined as a person's global perception of his or her physical and mental health. Thus, health status does not reflect whether individuals are satisfied with their physical and mental health, but rather the degree to which individuals perceive themselves to be physically and mentally healthy.
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