Health

Health has a variety of definitions which have been used for different purposes over time and is a multidimensional concept. It commonly refers to physical and emotional well-being. Good health is associated with normal functioning of the human body in day to day life, absent of disease, pain (including mental pain), or injury.

Health can be promoted by encouraging healthful activities, such as regular physical exercise and adequate sleep, and by reducing or avoiding unhealthful activities or situations, such as smoking or excessive stress. Health be argued to be affected by individual choices, like high risk behaviors, as well as structural determinants, such as racism in healthcare. The latter is to say that society is arranged in a way that makes it easier for some, and harder for others, to receive healthcare or engage in health-promoting behavior. Health can also be affected by biological factors like genetic disorders.

Use of the term

Systematic activities to prevent or cure health problems and promote good health in humans are undertaken by health care providers, such as in diagnostic screening or prescribing, whereas applications with regard to animal health are covered by the veterinary sciences. The term "healthy" is also widely used in the context of many types of non-living organizations and their impacts for the benefit of humans, such as in the sense of healthy communities, healthy cities or healthy environments.

In addition to health care interventions and a person's surroundings, a number of other factors are known to influence the health status of individuals.