INTERNAL CAPABILITY 1: HEALTH STATUS AND HEALTH FUNCTIONING

Your state of health

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Overview

Functioning 1. Health functioning

Functioning 2. Health conditions

What is it?

Health status and functioning refers to the state of one's health, measured by  one's subjective experience of health as well as objective indicators of health conditions. This is where a biomedical conception of health, such as what gets measured at the hospital, fits in to the health capabilities profile. Health functioning is both intrinsically valuable, as in the value of health itself, as well as instrumentally valuable, as in enabling one to pursue other valued life goals. Measures of self-reported mental and physical health functioning. Measures of health conditions include biomedical markers, biomedical diagnoses, diseases, and risk factors.

Why is it important?

Health status and health functioning is important because it forms a basis for one’s health capabilities and health outcomes. It captures ones lived experiences and indicates where improvement is needed.

What does it look like?

Having a strong capability in health status and health functioning looks like having high subjective reports of health functioning, such as being highly functional in physical and mental health and thinking of oneself as a generally healthy person. A strong capability in health status and health functioning also means that one's state of health is conducive to achieving other valuable life goals. Someone with a strong capability in health status and health functioning also has minimal health conditions and symptoms, including risk factors.

How do I do it?

Health status and functioning is a function of genetics, biology, and environment, and is developed slowly through time from cradle to grave. At birth, we are born with given biological and genetic predispositions, as well as the ability to be healthy. As we progress through life, the development of health capabilities determine whether someone develops their health in a positive direction to be optimally healthy. Some people may be born with lower health status and functioning, but adapt and develop capabilities to flourish. Improving your health status and functioning requires assessing your current and potential health status and functioning – where you are and where you could be – and the skills, daily habits, and external conditions that could help you get there.

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