Life is more than good health

 Life is more than good health

The 'health' tendency, when people want to expect to get sick in any way, is problematic, according to a RUC researcher. One should focus less on the contradiction between illness and good health, and more on equal access for all people to a healthier and healthier life.

Betina Dybbroe, associate professor and researcher at RUC, has a very different approach to the concept of health than the health and wellness policy that prevails today in Denmark and Scandinavia.

A prominent health promotion project will promote disease control, risk prevention, spending, and individual responsibility for health promotion.

Betina Dybbroe believes we need to explore other aspects of life.

“We see life as a possibility. Both as something that people have inside, as something local communities and workplaces as opportunities, "explains Betina Dybbroe, who is affiliated with the RUC Center for Health Promotion.

Quality of life is far more important than longevity

“I would like to know how people can improve their environment so that they can live a happy life and their goals for a‘ good life. ’Their ability to help themselves improve their health and well-being should be supported. It requires both the welfare and the people to have power beyond their circumstances and opportunities, "said Betina Dubroe, adding:

"Today there is a trend towards so-called 'healthism', in which life is considered dangerous and the person appears to be ill. Predicting and preventing disease is more important than improving health, and the highest hope of survival is ultimately the goal."

“For me, it has much to do with the quality of life; the standard of health and the level of health promotion of community efforts, ”he explained.

unseen conditions

Health promotion is also about eliminating some of the obvious and invisible issues related to health, explains Betina Dybbroe.

He did research on occupational health and well-being, among other things:

"What causes poor health and dissatisfaction are often 'invisible' situations that we take for granted in everyday life."

External standards are oppressive

“For example, our research shows that caring for others can be a health hazard where employees are unable to perform tasks due to their professionalism,” says Betina Dybbroe, adding:

"It is becoming increasingly common today with external domination of norms and standards across the social and social care system, and it is causing a great deal of pressure."

Teamwork and project work is also often required by each employee, despite the fact that it is a comprehensive and modern way of managing work processes. We need to investigate this in a new research project, among other things. "

More respect and trust.

"What I'm doing is that the employees have to be in charge of how the jobs are resolved."

"For example, they have to decide for themselves how tasks are solved and who they will sit within groups to solve a particular task."

"It's about recognizing the art of the people, involving them, and showing great respect and confidence in the work of the people."

"This leads to more enthusiasm, fewer illness days, and better well-being," explains Betina Dybbroe.

How do children deal with obesity?

Another example of the undeniable 'truth' in the health sector is efforts in the field of obese children. He is a medical student at RUC who conducts research:

“Today obesity is likened to a life of misery and failure. It can be pathogenic in itself. "

“It has to be said: Depending on how good those children are they are overweight. Perhaps the first thing they need to do is fix their feelings for their peers. Then it is possible that they too have lost weight. "

"When children come to these classes, it may be the first time they have been told they are 'very wrong', 'different' or 'failed.' and certain health ideas. But for us, life is about how people want to earn a living. ”

A wonderful idea that we will never achieve

The task of research is to participate in the search for and contribute to the goals of human health and to understand how buying health is related to different aspects of daily life and living conditions. And then, it shows how these conditions can be changed. ”

In medicine, health is normal, Dybbroe emphasizes. Anything that can lead to disease is dangerous to health. It also means that life is a good thing that no one can get 100 percent:

“There is a difference between health and mental illness. We can never reach an ideal. And that's what's dangerous. The work you put into the individual and the community is endless', he emphasizes.

"But from the path to illegal living, you can have an incurable disease and live a healthy, healthy life."

Western health standard

Betina Dybbroe believes that one of the dangers of Western society's approach to health is that we are changing the medical perspective of health and medical solutions in a third world, where living conditions are different:

“People in poorer countries can live for 50 or 60 years. For them, health promotion is all about access to health care. Getting water, getting something to eat. "

“At the same time, we must respect our lack of knowledge of their culture and how life is a part of it.

"In that case, it's a tragedy to want to decide how other people should live."

Standards of health cannot be exported

"Now, for example, people all over the world are suffering from diabetes because it is so prevalent and have improved self-examination in remote areas over the last few years. There is a very expensive solution to that, but isn't it?"

“The basic problem is that people have no control over their health,” explains Betina Dybbroe, who gives another example of how Western health care may not be able to export:

»See smoking ban, for example. In the Middle East, social gatherings, smoking, and having a cup of coffee are very important parts of the culture. The quality of health we have here will not simply be limited to restrictions when circumstances are completely different and challenges to improving health are completely different. 

Failed campaigns

Betina Dybbroe also criticizes the various campaigns that make us healthy.

"The guide is good, but we have information that shows that most Danish people have good health knowledge."

"The problem is motivation and opportunities for walking, healthy eating, and shopping, having kids' time, etc. if you have hard work and don't make a lot of money."

"It is very important if you want to connect with the health system, taking it as a starting point for, for example, how youth culture is formed in Denmark today."

"Your start with alcohol is important to your drinking habits for the rest of your life. We need to ask ourselves how we can support youth culture where alcohol does not play the role you have today."

»Another example: now, over the past 20 years, efforts have been made to reach more young people in education. Interestingly, the number of young people who do not pursue studies remains at the same percentage. Because it's about the way people live. You need to know the target audience as well as the cultural and social aspects of their daily lives. "

What will development look like in the next ten years?

“The unfortunate situation is that people in our part of the world will increasingly accept that the mantra 'health', as a medically defined concept as a way of life, should govern their lives and they should not doubt it.

"At the same time, I am afraid that life will help in the coming years to become a clear indication of the social class from which one emerges."

"I would also be afraid that people's health in developing countries will not improve by one ota, because the focus is not on creating the right conditions for life: water, food, maternal care, and power over human conditions."

“The ideal situation would be that people are revolting against sanitation on the one hand and poor health care on the other, and they want more attention to improve health. And that the knowledge and experience of the people is taken seriously. "