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1. The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease or abnormality. 2. A state of dynamic balance in which an individual's or a group's capacity to cope with all the circumstances of living is at an optimum level. 3. A state characterized by anatomic, physiologic, and psychologic integrity, ability to perform personally valued family, work, and community roles; ability to deal with physical, biologic, psychologic, and social stress; a feeling of well-being; and freedom from the risk of disease and untimely death. [A.S. haelth]
- behavioral h. an interdisciplinary field dedicated to promoting a philosophy of h. that stresses individual responsibility in the application of behavioral and biomedical science knowledge and techniques to the maintenance of h. and prevention of illness and dysfunction by a variety of self-initiated individual and shared activities.
- h. education process by which individuals and groups learn to behave in a manner conducive to promotion, maintenance, or restoration of h..
- mental h. emotional, behavioral, and social maturity or normality; the absence of a mental or behavioral disorder; a state of psychological well-being in which one has achieved a satisfactory integration of one's instinctual drives acceptable to both oneself and one's social milieu; an appropriate balance of love, work, and leisure pursuits.
- public h. the art and science of community h., concerned with statistics, epidemiology, hygiene, and the prevention and eradication of epidemic diseases; an effort organized by society to promote, protect, and restore the people's h.; public h. is a social institution, a service, and a practice.
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health 'helth n, often attrib
1) the condition of an organism or one of its parts in which it performs its vital functions normally or properly: the state of being sound in body or mind <dental \health> <mental \health> esp freedom from physical disease and pain <nursed him back to \health> compare DISEASE
2) the condition of an organism with respect to the performance of its vital functions esp. as evaluated subjectively or nonprofessionally <how is your \health today>
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(helth) a state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being; the popular idea that it is merely an absence of disease and infirmity is not complete.Medical dictionary. 2011.