Four Components of the Health Field Concept

The Health Field Concept was developed to provide a conceptual framework for the health care field. The division of the field into separate components gives researchers and analysts the ability to better analyze and evaluate the performance of the segments. The concept first appeared in a 1974 Canadian government paper by Marc Lalonde, "A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians," which identified four broad elements that make up the health field: human biology, environment, lifestyle and health care organization.

Human Biology

• The aspects of health based on the organic makeup and biology of the individual are part of the human biology component. This component encompasses not only the physical parts of our nature, but those psychological and mental processes that are affected by our individual biology. Things like genetics, the makeup of the body's internal systems and the aging process are all part of this component.

Environment

• Things that impact health, are outside the body and more or less beyond the control of the individual are part of the environmental component of the concept. For instance, the purity of the things we eat and drink, the cosmetics we apply, the drugs we take and the air we breathe are all vitally important to our health, yet we have little or no individual control over their safety. In addition, we may be exposed to toxic substances during the course of our daily lives.

Lifestyle

• Lifestyle includes decisions made by the individual that affect health.

  The individual decisions we make about how we live our lives are part of the lifestyle component of the health field concept. These decisions are more or less within our control and include such choices as whether or not to smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs or engage in promiscuous sexual activity. In addition, it includes choices about diet, occupation, social activities and exercise.

Health Care Organization

• Healthcare organization refers to healthcare facilities and people.

  The health care organization component of the health field concept includes quality and availability of health care people and facilities. Sometimes called the health care system, this component includes doctors, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, ambulances, pharmacies, dentists and any other type of health care professional or facility.