1.3. Health, wellbeing and culture

Health

Health can be very different things for different people. Often it is defined as physical, social and spiritual wellbeing. Health is not just about symptoms, or illnesses or not having any illnesses. Health is also a resource and humane value. What is seen as health and healthy is culture-bound. Something that is seen as healthy or normal in one culture might be seen as a health problem and abnormal in another culture.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing is more than health. A healthy person, who does not have any illnesses, may not feel well anyway. A person might also feel well, even if they had an illness or health problems. Wellbeing can be increased even if a person has health problems and illnesses. Definition of wellbeing often covers health, material wellbeing and quality of life. Wellbeing includes social relationships, productiveness and happiness as well.

The idea of health care is different in many cultures. Explanations and reasons for why someone is healthy or falls ill may vary significantly. Reasons may be based on religion, traditions or current science. Views on whether and how a person can affect their health are culture bound as well.

Health care in Finland

Finnish health care increasingly emphasizes health promotion, prevention of illnesses and self-care. It means that educating people on healthy life style prevents or decreases illnesses. People can treat many illnesses by themselves at home. People with chronic illnesses are encouraged and guided to treat their symptoms by themselves at home as well. This way, there is more time and resources to treat acute serious illnesses, traumas and critically ill people. Preventing a health problem or an illness costs less and is better for people than treating an illness. All illnesses cannot be prevented, but healthy life style and self-care can alleviate symptoms and slower the progress of an illness.

Healthy life style means healthy diet, having enough rest and sleep, physical exercise and social relationships. Health care professionals use evidence-based information to guide people on healthy life style. Everyone makes their own choices, and not everyone might be able to make the same choices. Everyone can still think what the things that increase their health and wellbeing are, and what one can do by themselves for their health at that moment. Nurses are often the health care professionals to guide with healthy life style.

Nurses are educated health professionals with their own independent responsibilities. They work with doctors and other health care professionals, but often have their own appointment clinics in health centers and hospitals. Being guided to see a nurse sometimes comes as a surprise for people coming from different kind of health care system. However, it is a common system in Finland, to see a nurse first to assess the situation and then consult a doctor if needed, or refer the patient to a doctor if medical care is needed. Nurses have a bacherlor’s degree in Finland, so they are well educated in health issues.