Health is a state of emotional, physical and social well being where infirmity and illness are absent. Different definitions are used for the purpose of describing the quality of health. There is a wide variety of concepts associated with the quality of health, but a few of the most important ones include physical, emotional and mental health. The term ‘health’ is used to refer to the whole of a person’s well being. It is used as a synonym for wellness, well-being and health. The definition of health may be viewed from the perspective of psychology or medicine, with the former looking at the physical components of health and the latter focusing on the quality of emotions, thoughts and feelings of an individual.
Health has many dimensions like the physical aspect which includes the physiology, anatomy, blood pressure, weight, metabolic rate, blood supply, respiration, breathing, immunity, and psychology and the mental aspects of health which include the ability to enjoy and produce good healthful activities and attitudes, social interaction, motivation, personal values, personality, habits, and communication and the ability to cope with stress, anxiety, frustration, and pain. All these aspects are interrelated and influence each other. In fact, the entire quality of life depends on how well all these aspects are interacting. The word ‘quality of life’ itself is a mere label that is used to define the quality of health. For example, good health would not just mean being physically healthy but also leading a healthy lifestyle in the sense of keeping the body and mind in good working order so that they can perform their functions properly and efficiently for the sake of the people with whom we interact. This type of quality of life, which encompasses the concept of having a balanced lifestyle, is not only influenced by the physical factors but by the social interactions and the attitude of a person towards them.
Several determinants affect the quality of health. Some of these are the determinants of the physical environment wherein how safe or unsafe the place is and the general health status of the people living there have an effect on the quality of health. On the other hand, the determinants of the lifestyle choices the individual makes also have a significant effect. Most people make their own decisions regarding the things they should eat, the amount of exercise they should undergo and even whether they should smoke or drink alcohol. These choices are however, never neutral as they always have some physiological responses that could either intensify or diminish their positive effects.