title: [Health--people's perspective].
abstract: In 1997--2000, we conducted a study of people's concept of health.  80 persons aged 16 - 93 years were invited to a qualitative interview taken on five different locations in Norway.  Included in the material was a group of former and present top athletes.   We identified six essential elements in people's conceptualization of health: well-being,  function, nature, a sense of humour, coping, and energy.  The lay perspective on health is characterized by three qualities: WHOLENESS:  Health is a holistic phenomenon.  Health is related to all aspects of life and society.   PRAGMATISM:  Health is a relative phenomenon.  Health is experienced and evaluated according to what people find reasonable to expect, given their age, medical condition and social situation.  INDIVIDUALISM: Health is a personal phenomenon.  Every human being is unique, and health and strategies for health must be individualized.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fugelli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ingstad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003210:Concept Formation; D006262:Health; D006304:Health Status; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic