Understanding the importance of concepts of health
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Understanding the importance of concepts of health

Ruth Cross Course Director, School of Health and Community Studies, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To understand the various lay concepts of health

  • To understand how lay concepts of health can inform people’s experiences of treatment and influence their attitude to self-care

  • To update your knowledge of the importance of person-centred care

Health is a concept that is central to nurse education and nursing practice. It remains a dynamic concept, however, that has evolved over time and can be examined from contrasting perspectives. This article explores the various perspectives of health, for example lay concepts of health and factors such as happiness and well-being and their effect on people’s perceptions of health. It is recommended that nurses use a person-centred approach to explore patients’ concepts of health, which can influence their capacity to self-care.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2020.e11539

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

r.m.cross@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Cross R (2020) Understanding the importance of concepts of health. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2020.e11539

Published online: 12 October 2020

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more