Those who are not sick do not necessarily have to be healthy. Whether someone is sick is determined by measuring blood pressure, sugar, etc., but many “ailments” such as eg. B. nervousness, exhaustion or sleep disorders elude such findings. And yet such insidious symptoms are often the harbingers of serious illnesses. For this reason, health is much more than just the absence of illness.
Wellbeing: Being healthy is more than not being sick
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a health concept that is holistically oriented towards people and understands them as a physical, psychological and social being who helps to shape their working and living conditions. It defines health as follows:
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WHO definition of health
“Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just freedom from disease and ailments.”
DIN EN ISO 9241-2 on humane work design also aims to promote well-being in the workplace, among other things.
WHO sets new criteria
In November 1987 the first international conference on health promotion took place. There the Ottawa Charter was adopted, which ties in with the WHO’s comprehensive concept of health. The declaration also highlights the importance of work for health :
“Health promotion aims at a process that enables all people to have a greater degree of self-determination about their health and thus empower them to strengthen their health. (…) The changing living, working and leisure conditions have a decisive influence on health The way a society organizes work, working conditions and leisure should be a source of health, not disease. Health promotion creates safe, stimulating, satisfying and comfortable working and living conditions. “
In plain language, this means that it is not just about disease prevention and prevention, but about the health-promoting design of working and environmental conditions.
Comprehensive understanding of health
In the 50s and 60s, health education aimed to convey health-friendly behavior through education and knowledge transfer. Health promotion, on the other hand, is a relatively new concept. In relation to the workplace, it means that it is not just the place where accidents and illnesses have to be avoided. Rather, well-designed work that is satisfactory in terms of content makes an active contribution to promoting health and personality.
Workplace health promotion includes
- Social prevention through the creation of health-promoting working conditions,
- Behavioral prevention through appropriate behavior.
Workplace health promotion has to be based on the conditions under which people not only stay healthy, but can also develop their personality and social skills as well as practical life skills. The Ottawa Charter also expressly includes the opportunity to exert influence and change everyday work and life
