The terms “quality of health” and “clinical wellness” are often used interchangeably; both imply the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and other conditions. Quality of health in the medical community is defined as having a normal range of specific physical and mental health and the ability to cope with daily activities. Health, as defined by the World Health Organization, is “the state of full physical, emotional and social well-being of an individual.” A wide variety of other definitions have also been used over the years.
In recent years, health education and health communication have become increasingly important for the general public. An excellent source of information on the state of health and the ways that the public can contribute to making the nation a better place to live is the World Health Organization’s report on the state of health, titled “Wellness and Health.” According to this report, the definition of health has changed significantly over the past half century. In previous generations, health was understood to mean a set of processes associated with the prevention of disease; today, the focus is more on the quality of health. Health education has been widely recognized as a key element in improving the quality of health in the United States. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the primary goals of pediatric health counseling are to reduce the rates of childhood obesity, promote physical activity, screen for and treat cervical, colorectal, and breast cancer, provide vaccines and encourage children and parents to get their annual flu shots.
Public health promotion initiatives are implemented through a comprehensive strategy, which includes prevention, control, and evaluation. Prevention measures are implemented through public education and message promotion. Control measures are designed to ensure that adverse health events are prevented, while evaluation measures help to determine the effectiveness of these programs in reducing the risk of health problems. By using a variety of public health promotion strategies, we can successfully meet our Nation’s public health objectives.