Sunday, September 10, 2006

Health Status and Will-being

In reading the book "Introduction to applied pharmacoeconomics" by Vogenberg FR, I found the following statement very true.

"We behave as if health status and well-being were synonymous. They are not. ...Heath status is the level of functioning - physical, mental, and social. Well-being, in contrast, may be thought of as happiness, fulfilment, and satisfaction with life. Certainly health status contributes to well-being, but many other factors do so as well. Examples are economic prosperity, spiritual growth, meaningful relationships, and intellectual discovery. A long, disease-free life is not necessarily a fulfilled one."

Also, the author cited the following quote by David Eddy "Keeping a child healthy requires more than periodic physical examinations and vaccinations; it requires good playgrounds, schools, parents with jobs, crime-free neighborhoods, and counseling about drugs, tobacco, and reproduction."