Can be defined as a state of complete mental, physical and social well – being of absence of disease is often confused for health which is not the case.

Mental health on its part is the state of a person’s emotional and psychological well being.  However expects argue that absence of mental disorder doesn’t necessarily imply a sound mental health.  How effectively a person will function with competence along with being able to live independently, control stress and maintain a relationship with other people is key to recognizing mental health.

Physical health on the other hand refers to body fitness.  Physical fitness is determined by regular exercise, nutrition and rest.  These factors affect a person’s growth in height and weight.  Frequent exercise the proper way can help control diseases like heart disease, cancer, back pains, obesity.  These diseases are commonly termed as diseases of affluence.

Exercises that concentrate on flexibility of the body enhance functions of the muscle and joints.  Aerobics e.g. walking/running enhance endurance of the blood vessels and heart as well as strengthen muscles.  Anaerobic e.g. sprints help to maintain healthy muscles, immunity, weight and bones.

Factors Affecting Health:

 • Social factors – Developed countries and cities have less social environments and neighbourliness.  As a result a number of people living here end up obese or with unsocial characteristics.

 • Nutrition – What you eat generally affects your health and performance.  Obesity for instance is majority a result of eating a lot of calories.  When the body doesn’t get enough nutrition starvation occurs and as a result thyroid is produced to assist convert stored reserves of fat for body.  Sometimes this causes body malfunction.

 • Hygiene – This is a habit of being clean and maintaining the same.  Bathing, brushing teeth, washing food and hands before eating and after visiting toilets are key personal hygiene habits.  Eating clean food on clean utensils prepared without contamination are good habits too. Lack of good hygiene has been a big contributor to emerging diseases in the developing countries. Diseases such as cholera have had a tendency to spread fast in poor hygienic environments such as places with poor waste disposal. This year alone Zimbabwe has lost over 1000 people in a cholera epidemic that swept across the country.

 • Stress and its management – Prolonged stress can impact health badly.  Progressive relaxation and developing good skills like confidence, meditation and positive thinking can be helpful in reducing stress.

 • Health care – Getting good medical attention from health professionals like doctors, nurses on preventive, curative or palliative remedies are important.

 • Public health – This involves removal of threats to health through the intervention of authorities or organizations.  Mostly public health aims to prevent outbreaks of disease epidemic.  For example provision of public health facilities e.g. sewerage, toilets, clean water (piped) immunizations, condoms and promotion of healthy habits.

 • Work environments – Improving working conditions of employees e.g. having well lit environment, burning of tobacco, fitness centers, training on health or seminars on nutrition, weight control, and stress management.

 • Income - this is another factor that could affect health adversely especially in the
Developing countries. Families living in the slums of urban centers have in recent times had big problems in affording basic necessities of life like access to clean water, good food, clothing, shelter and education. In some places people who walk in bare feet risk getting contagious diseases like bilharzias (a waterborne disease). People with inappropriate clothing due to being unaffordable can very easily contact pneumonia during cold seasons. Lack of knowledge about grooming, health education and self care has lead to jigger and fleas infections in some communities.

 • Drug abuse - among commonly abused drugs are bhang, cocaine, heroine and alcohol. Consumption of bhang has been linked to many heart diseases, blood pressure irregularity and brain instability. Alcohol on the other hand has also contributed to gout problems, liver dysfunctions and poor emotional states.

Health Science and Research

Health science is the type that study health issues in relation to human and animal function.   Most research on health is aimed to improve it.  Knowledge found through research helps to prevent and cure diseases.  Some of the known practiced health sciences that steer research and study include medicine, psychology, nutrition, pharmacy, public health, biomedicines, biotechnology.