Perceptions of their health is asking how you understand health. How you interpret your own health is affected by many things including:

  • Our family’s perception of health
  • Our peers understanding of what health is and how to become it
  • How health is portrayed in the media
  • Our personal beliefs and preconceptions about life in general
  • The value we place on health
  • Our previous experiences related to health (fitness, sport, injury, illness, disease)
  • Our environment (geographical location, access to health information and technology)
  • Our level of health education etc.

Your perception of your own health will change over time as your health changes and as any of the above change. For example, if you become more educated about the five dimensions of health, you may realise that four aspects of your health are great, but you still need to work on your physical health.

As you consider perceptions of their health, you are asked to examine these perceptions of health by considering the following questions

How healthy am I? How healthy do other people think I am?

As you consider how healthy you think you are, you should also consider why you might think this? Especially if you consider yourself unhealthy and others disagree and think you are healthy, or visa versa. It is important for you to consider why such differences may occur. It could be a cultural background or people not knowing what you eat when they are not looking. It could be the impact of family or friends that cause them or you to think differently.

Try placing yourself on the health continuum and asking others to do the same for you and see what the differences are. Make sure you ask them why they have placed you there on the continuum? as this is what is important.

 

Health continuum

Health continuum

Perceptions of their health is all about you. How do you see your health and is this accurate.