The Concept of Health in People with Chronic Illness

Abstract

Health is a key concept in professional nursing. A growing body of studies proves that the absence of illness is not a prerequisite for health, and a definition of health based on the wellness-illness continuum is not appropriate for people with chronic illness. Consequently, the meaning of health among people with chronic illness emerges as an important research issue. This study thus attempted to illustrate how health is conceived by Taiwanese sufferers of chronic illness. Eight Taiwanese diagnosed with a chronic illness were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Qualitative data, namely the words of the participants, indicated how health was conceived by Taiwanese with chronic illness. The findings elucidate that Taiwanese people with chronic illness see health as comprising three dimensions: physical, psychosocial, and spiritual. Additionally, the concept of health contains six factors, namely independence, physical functioning, contentment in social interaction, zest for life, serenity and meaning. These findings contribute to the understanding of the concept of health held by Taiwanese people with chronic illness.