Final answer:
Health is defined as a state of total well-being, influenced by various personal, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Class, along with racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, can create significant health disparities. An evolutionary perspective adds that health should align with conditions of life to which humans are genetically adapted.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This holistic view of health takes into account the various factors that contribute to one's overall state of well-being. Disease refers to a biological abnormality, while illness is the individual's sociocultural experience of not feeling well. Sickness concerns the social perception of an individual's health, and malady is a broad term encompassing all the aforementioned aspects.
Maintaining health involves a combination of personal and systemic factors, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, adequate rest, and access to healthcare. Environmental factors such as clean water and air, as well as the absence of excessive stress, also play a significant role in determining one's health. Socioeconomic disparities, like those created by class differences, often lead to unequal access to these health resources, exacerbating health inequalities. Racism, sexism, ageism, and heterosexism further compound these health disparities beyond just class issues.
From an evolutionary perspective, human health is defined by the physical and mental state likely to ensure survival and successful reproduction. The evolutionary health principle suggests that significant deviations from the natural environmental conditions to which our species has adapted may lead to signs of ill health.