Abstract

This brief demystifying paper introduces the concept of health, reviewing some
common understandings of the idea and its usages, introducing key theories and
schools of thought. The paper focuses on health in the UK, how it is protected,
promoted and improved, and how we assess and measure health. The paper
briefly considers how the concept of health relates to other similar linked ideas
such as wellbeing and quality of life. It is written from a predominantly western,
developed world view point and is targeted at the very wide variety of people
and institutions whose activities and interests intersect with or may have some
impact on health but who are not necessarily health professionals.