Operationalization of Concepts of Health and Disability

Abstract

Health is a complex concept. Health covers various domains including physical, mental and social health and each can be defined in different dimensions ranging from positive health, ill health, diseases, impairments, disability, and, more recently, frailty. Constructs of health and its dimensions have evolved over time from a pure medical model to more biopsychosocial models, linked to changes in societal challenges. Since there is no single measure of health, the range of measures tell (in)consistent stories about the health of the population as each cover different dimensions. Due to differences in objectives and settings, the operationalisation of health measures range from complex multiple question instruments to more parsimonious and even single item instruments. Although they vary substantially, most of these instruments are complementary and provide different insights to the health of populations. The chapter reviews existing methods of operationalising the concepts of health, disability, and frailty in population health research.