Bringing it all together: The salutogenic response to some of the most pertinent public health dilemmas

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the salutogenic approach to public health challenges. The origin of the theory of salutogenises stems from the -narratives of the survivors of the Holocaust. It was further developed into a life - orientation theory and a model. Based on interviews with people who had survived this -horror, a valid and reliable instrument was constructed, the Sense of Coherence scale. The complex concept of resilience is also introduced. The lack of a generally accepted definition or a common specific theory for resilience is -discussed. Concepts of hardiness, self-efficacy and empowerment are also reviewed. The use of more asset based approaches to measure population health indicators is suggested in the chapter. This includes the introduction of the Resource Adjusted Life Year (RALY), to measure the assets and abilities of the general population. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.