NCERT Textbook: Concerns and Needs in Diverse Contexts | Home Science for Class 11 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

 Page 1


91
UNIT II 
Understanding Family , 
Comm Unity and s o Ciety The chapters in Unit I were all addressed to you 
for the understanding of self and of the factors 
that influence your decision making. Let us 
now move on to understanding the family, the 
community and the society that you are a part of. 
Chapter 7 will discuss concerns and needs, such 
as those of health, work, resources, education  
and textile tradition in the adolescent’s  
diverse social contexts.
Unit 2.indd   91 2/8/2023   14:32:38
2024-25
Page 2


91
UNIT II 
Understanding Family , 
Comm Unity and s o Ciety The chapters in Unit I were all addressed to you 
for the understanding of self and of the factors 
that influence your decision making. Let us 
now move on to understanding the family, the 
community and the society that you are a part of. 
Chapter 7 will discuss concerns and needs, such 
as those of health, work, resources, education  
and textile tradition in the adolescent’s  
diverse social contexts.
Unit 2.indd   91 2/8/2023   14:32:38
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
92
7
Concerns  
and Needs in 
Diverse Contexts
A. Nutrition, Health 
and Hygiene
Learning Objectives 
After completing this section the learner is able to—
•	 discuss	the	 importance	of	 health 	 and 	its	dimensions.
•	 understand	the	 interr elationship	 of 	nutrition 	and	 health.
•	 identify	 the	consequences	 of	 under nutrition	and	
over nutrition.
•	 select	 appr opriate 	and	 healthy 	 food 	 choices.
•	 identify	 the	interr elationship	 between	 nutrition	and 	 
disease.
•	 explain	the	importance	of 	hygiene 	 and 	sanitation 	for	
pr eventing	food- 	bor ne 	 diseases.
7A.1 Introduction
Every	 person	 wants	 to	 live	 a	 good	 quality 	 life 	 and 	 have	 a	 sense	 of	 well-
being.	 As	 far	 back 	 as	 1948, 	 the	 Universal	 Declaration 	 of	 Human	 Rights 	
stated: 	 “Everyone 	 has	 the	 right	 to	 a	 standar d 	 of 	 living 	 adequate 	 for 	 the 	
health	 and 	 well-being	 of 	 oneself	 and	 one’s	 family 	 including 	 food”.	 Y et,	 many 	
of 	 the 	 envir onmental 	 conditions	 and 	 our	 own	 lifestyles	 af fect	 our 	 health,	
sometimes	 having	 har mful	 ef fects.	 At 	 the	 outset	 let 	 us	 define 	 “health”.	
The	 world’s 	 pr emier	 or ganisation	 concer ned	 with 	 health, 	 the 	 W orld	 Health	
Or ganisation	 (WHO)	 defines 	 health	 as 	 “a	 state 	 of 	 complete	 mental,	 physical	
and	 social	 well-being	 and	 not	 mer ely 	 the 	 absence 	 of 	 disease”.	 Disease 	
means 	 impair ment 	 of 	 body 	 health,	 alteration/disruption/derangement	 in	
function 	 of 	 some	 part	 or	 or gan	 of	 the	 body, 	 interrupting 	 nor mal	 functions	
and	 deviating	 fr om	 a 	 state	 of	 complete	 well-being.	 Health	 is	 a 	 fundamental 	
human 	 right.	 All	 persons,	 irr espective 	 of	 age, 	 gender , 	 caste,	 cr eed/r eligion,	
place	 of	 stay 	 (urban,	 rural, 	 tribal)	 and 	 nationality, 	 thr oughout	 their	 lives, 	
Unit 2.indd   92 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
2024-25
Page 3


91
UNIT II 
Understanding Family , 
Comm Unity and s o Ciety The chapters in Unit I were all addressed to you 
for the understanding of self and of the factors 
that influence your decision making. Let us 
now move on to understanding the family, the 
community and the society that you are a part of. 
Chapter 7 will discuss concerns and needs, such 
as those of health, work, resources, education  
and textile tradition in the adolescent’s  
diverse social contexts.
Unit 2.indd   91 2/8/2023   14:32:38
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
92
7
Concerns  
and Needs in 
Diverse Contexts
A. Nutrition, Health 
and Hygiene
Learning Objectives 
After completing this section the learner is able to—
•	 discuss	the	 importance	of	 health 	 and 	its	dimensions.
•	 understand	the	 interr elationship	 of 	nutrition 	and	 health.
•	 identify	 the	consequences	 of	 under nutrition	and	
over nutrition.
•	 select	 appr opriate 	and	 healthy 	 food 	 choices.
•	 identify	 the	interr elationship	 between	 nutrition	and 	 
disease.
•	 explain	the	importance	of 	hygiene 	 and 	sanitation 	for	
pr eventing	food- 	bor ne 	 diseases.
7A.1 Introduction
Every	 person	 wants	 to	 live	 a	 good	 quality 	 life 	 and 	 have	 a	 sense	 of	 well-
being.	 As	 far	 back 	 as	 1948, 	 the	 Universal	 Declaration 	 of	 Human	 Rights 	
stated: 	 “Everyone 	 has	 the	 right	 to	 a	 standar d 	 of 	 living 	 adequate 	 for 	 the 	
health	 and 	 well-being	 of 	 oneself	 and	 one’s	 family 	 including 	 food”.	 Y et,	 many 	
of 	 the 	 envir onmental 	 conditions	 and 	 our	 own	 lifestyles	 af fect	 our 	 health,	
sometimes	 having	 har mful	 ef fects.	 At 	 the	 outset	 let 	 us	 define 	 “health”.	
The	 world’s 	 pr emier	 or ganisation	 concer ned	 with 	 health, 	 the 	 W orld	 Health	
Or ganisation	 (WHO)	 defines 	 health	 as 	 “a	 state 	 of 	 complete	 mental,	 physical	
and	 social	 well-being	 and	 not	 mer ely 	 the 	 absence 	 of 	 disease”.	 Disease 	
means 	 impair ment 	 of 	 body 	 health,	 alteration/disruption/derangement	 in	
function 	 of 	 some	 part	 or	 or gan	 of	 the	 body, 	 interrupting 	 nor mal	 functions	
and	 deviating	 fr om	 a 	 state	 of	 complete	 well-being.	 Health	 is	 a 	 fundamental 	
human 	 right.	 All	 persons,	 irr espective 	 of	 age, 	 gender , 	 caste,	 cr eed/r eligion,	
place	 of	 stay 	 (urban,	 rural, 	 tribal)	 and 	 nationality, 	 thr oughout	 their	 lives, 	
Unit 2.indd   92 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
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93
should 	 have 	 the	 opportunity 	 to 	 achieve	
and	 maintain 	 the	 highest 	 attainable	
state 	 of	 health. 	
7A.2  Health and Its  
   Dimensions 
Y ou	 must 	 have	 noticed	 that	 the 	 definition	 of	 health	 includes 	 various 	
dimensions–social, 	 mental	 and 	 physical.	 Let	 us	 briefly	 deal	 with	 all 	 thr ee	
dimensions 	befor e	we 	 discuss 	 physical	health	 in	gr eater	 detail.
Social health: 	 It 	 r efers 	 to 	 health 	 of 	 individuals 	 and 	 of 	 a 	 society. 	 	 When 	 we 	 ar e	
concerned 	 with 	 society, 	 it 	 r efers 	 to 	 a 	 society 	 in 	 which 	 ther e 	 is 	 equal 	 opportunity	
and 	 access 	 for 	 all 	 citizens 	 to 	 the 	 goods 	 and 	 services 	 essential 	 for 	 good 	 health.	
When 	 we 	 r efer 	 to 	 individuals, 	 we 	 r efer 	 to 	 each 	 person’s 	 well-being 	 – 	 how 	 well 	 the	
individual 	 gets 	 along 	 with 	 other 	 people 	 and 	 with 	 social 	 institutions. 	 This 	 includes	
our 	 social 	 skills 	 and 	 the 	 ability 	 to 	 function 	 as 	 a 	 member 	 of 	 the 	 society. 	 When 	 we	
ar e 	faced 	with 	pr oblems 	and 	str ess, 	social 	support 	helps 	us 	to 	cope 	with 	them	
and 	 solve 	 the 	 pr oblems 	 facing 	 us. 	 Social 	 support 	 measur es 	 contribute 	 to 	 positive	
adjustment 	 in 	 childr en 	 and 	 adults, 	 and 	 encourages 	 personal 	 gr owth. 	 Emphasis	
on 	 social 	 health 	 is 	 gaining 	 importance 	 as 	 scientific 	 studies 	 have 	 shown 	 that	
persons 	 who 	 ar e 	 socially 	 well 	 adjusted, 	 tend 	 to 	 live 	 longer 	 and 	 r ecover 	 faster	
fr om 	 disease. 	 A 	 few 	 social 	 determinants 	 of 	 health 	 ar e:
–		 Employment 	 status
–	 Safety 	in	workplaces
–		 Access 	to	health	 services
–	 Cultural/r eligious 	 beliefs, 	 taboos 	and	 value	systems
–		 Socio-economic 	 and 	 envir onmental	conditions 	
Mental health: This 	 refers 	 to 	 emotional 	 and 	 psychological 	 well-being. 	 An	
individual 	 who 	 experiences 	 a 	 sense 	 of 	 well-being 	 can 	 utilise 	 his/her 	 cognitive	
and 	 emotional 	 capabilities, 	 function 	 well 	 in 	 society 	 and 	 meet 	 the 	 ordinary	
demands 	 of 	 daily 	 life. 	 The 	 box 	 below 	 lists 	 the 	 indicators 	 of 	 mental 	 health.
    A person who has positive mental health–
•	 feels 	that	he/she	is	capable 	and 	competent. 	
•	 can 	handle	normal	levels	 of	stress	he/she	faces	in	daily	life.	
•	 has 	satisfying	relationships.
•	 can 	lead	an	independent	life.
•	 if	 faced 	 with	any	mental 	or	emotional 	stress 	or	events,	he/she	can	 cope	 with 	 them	
and	recover	from	them.	
•	 does	not	fear 	things.
•	 does	not	feel 	defeated 	or	depressed 	for 	unusually 	long	 periods 	of	time	 when 	 small 	
dif??culties/problems 	are	encountered.
It	 is	 the	 aim 	 of	 every 	 health	
professional 	 (persons 	 who	 deal 	 with 	
various	 aspects	 of 	 health) 	 to 	 promote	
good 	 health; 	 in	 other	 words,	 to 	
promote	 maintenance 	 of 	 well-being	
or	wellness,	 quality 	 of 	 life.
Concerns and Needs in Diverse Contexts
Unit 2.indd   93 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
2024-25
Page 4


91
UNIT II 
Understanding Family , 
Comm Unity and s o Ciety The chapters in Unit I were all addressed to you 
for the understanding of self and of the factors 
that influence your decision making. Let us 
now move on to understanding the family, the 
community and the society that you are a part of. 
Chapter 7 will discuss concerns and needs, such 
as those of health, work, resources, education  
and textile tradition in the adolescent’s  
diverse social contexts.
Unit 2.indd   91 2/8/2023   14:32:38
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
92
7
Concerns  
and Needs in 
Diverse Contexts
A. Nutrition, Health 
and Hygiene
Learning Objectives 
After completing this section the learner is able to—
•	 discuss	the	 importance	of	 health 	 and 	its	dimensions.
•	 understand	the	 interr elationship	 of 	nutrition 	and	 health.
•	 identify	 the	consequences	 of	 under nutrition	and	
over nutrition.
•	 select	 appr opriate 	and	 healthy 	 food 	 choices.
•	 identify	 the	interr elationship	 between	 nutrition	and 	 
disease.
•	 explain	the	importance	of 	hygiene 	 and 	sanitation 	for	
pr eventing	food- 	bor ne 	 diseases.
7A.1 Introduction
Every	 person	 wants	 to	 live	 a	 good	 quality 	 life 	 and 	 have	 a	 sense	 of	 well-
being.	 As	 far	 back 	 as	 1948, 	 the	 Universal	 Declaration 	 of	 Human	 Rights 	
stated: 	 “Everyone 	 has	 the	 right	 to	 a	 standar d 	 of 	 living 	 adequate 	 for 	 the 	
health	 and 	 well-being	 of 	 oneself	 and	 one’s	 family 	 including 	 food”.	 Y et,	 many 	
of 	 the 	 envir onmental 	 conditions	 and 	 our	 own	 lifestyles	 af fect	 our 	 health,	
sometimes	 having	 har mful	 ef fects.	 At 	 the	 outset	 let 	 us	 define 	 “health”.	
The	 world’s 	 pr emier	 or ganisation	 concer ned	 with 	 health, 	 the 	 W orld	 Health	
Or ganisation	 (WHO)	 defines 	 health	 as 	 “a	 state 	 of 	 complete	 mental,	 physical	
and	 social	 well-being	 and	 not	 mer ely 	 the 	 absence 	 of 	 disease”.	 Disease 	
means 	 impair ment 	 of 	 body 	 health,	 alteration/disruption/derangement	 in	
function 	 of 	 some	 part	 or	 or gan	 of	 the	 body, 	 interrupting 	 nor mal	 functions	
and	 deviating	 fr om	 a 	 state	 of	 complete	 well-being.	 Health	 is	 a 	 fundamental 	
human 	 right.	 All	 persons,	 irr espective 	 of	 age, 	 gender , 	 caste,	 cr eed/r eligion,	
place	 of	 stay 	 (urban,	 rural, 	 tribal)	 and 	 nationality, 	 thr oughout	 their	 lives, 	
Unit 2.indd   92 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
2024-25
93
should 	 have 	 the	 opportunity 	 to 	 achieve	
and	 maintain 	 the	 highest 	 attainable	
state 	 of	 health. 	
7A.2  Health and Its  
   Dimensions 
Y ou	 must 	 have	 noticed	 that	 the 	 definition	 of	 health	 includes 	 various 	
dimensions–social, 	 mental	 and 	 physical.	 Let	 us	 briefly	 deal	 with	 all 	 thr ee	
dimensions 	befor e	we 	 discuss 	 physical	health	 in	gr eater	 detail.
Social health: 	 It 	 r efers 	 to 	 health 	 of 	 individuals 	 and 	 of 	 a 	 society. 	 	 When 	 we 	 ar e	
concerned 	 with 	 society, 	 it 	 r efers 	 to 	 a 	 society 	 in 	 which 	 ther e 	 is 	 equal 	 opportunity	
and 	 access 	 for 	 all 	 citizens 	 to 	 the 	 goods 	 and 	 services 	 essential 	 for 	 good 	 health.	
When 	 we 	 r efer 	 to 	 individuals, 	 we 	 r efer 	 to 	 each 	 person’s 	 well-being 	 – 	 how 	 well 	 the	
individual 	 gets 	 along 	 with 	 other 	 people 	 and 	 with 	 social 	 institutions. 	 This 	 includes	
our 	 social 	 skills 	 and 	 the 	 ability 	 to 	 function 	 as 	 a 	 member 	 of 	 the 	 society. 	 When 	 we	
ar e 	faced 	with 	pr oblems 	and 	str ess, 	social 	support 	helps 	us 	to 	cope 	with 	them	
and 	 solve 	 the 	 pr oblems 	 facing 	 us. 	 Social 	 support 	 measur es 	 contribute 	 to 	 positive	
adjustment 	 in 	 childr en 	 and 	 adults, 	 and 	 encourages 	 personal 	 gr owth. 	 Emphasis	
on 	 social 	 health 	 is 	 gaining 	 importance 	 as 	 scientific 	 studies 	 have 	 shown 	 that	
persons 	 who 	 ar e 	 socially 	 well 	 adjusted, 	 tend 	 to 	 live 	 longer 	 and 	 r ecover 	 faster	
fr om 	 disease. 	 A 	 few 	 social 	 determinants 	 of 	 health 	 ar e:
–		 Employment 	 status
–	 Safety 	in	workplaces
–		 Access 	to	health	 services
–	 Cultural/r eligious 	 beliefs, 	 taboos 	and	 value	systems
–		 Socio-economic 	 and 	 envir onmental	conditions 	
Mental health: This 	 refers 	 to 	 emotional 	 and 	 psychological 	 well-being. 	 An	
individual 	 who 	 experiences 	 a 	 sense 	 of 	 well-being 	 can 	 utilise 	 his/her 	 cognitive	
and 	 emotional 	 capabilities, 	 function 	 well 	 in 	 society 	 and 	 meet 	 the 	 ordinary	
demands 	 of 	 daily 	 life. 	 The 	 box 	 below 	 lists 	 the 	 indicators 	 of 	 mental 	 health.
    A person who has positive mental health–
•	 feels 	that	he/she	is	capable 	and 	competent. 	
•	 can 	handle	normal	levels	 of	stress	he/she	faces	in	daily	life.	
•	 has 	satisfying	relationships.
•	 can 	lead	an	independent	life.
•	 if	 faced 	 with	any	mental 	or	emotional 	stress 	or	events,	he/she	can	 cope	 with 	 them	
and	recover	from	them.	
•	 does	not	fear 	things.
•	 does	not	feel 	defeated 	or	depressed 	for 	unusually 	long	 periods 	of	time	 when 	 small 	
dif??culties/problems 	are	encountered.
It	 is	 the	 aim 	 of	 every 	 health	
professional 	 (persons 	 who	 deal 	 with 	
various	 aspects	 of 	 health) 	 to 	 promote	
good 	 health; 	 in	 other	 words,	 to 	
promote	 maintenance 	 of 	 well-being	
or	wellness,	 quality 	 of 	 life.
Concerns and Needs in Diverse Contexts
Unit 2.indd   93 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
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Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
94
Physical health: 	 This	 aspect	 of 	 health 	 encompasses	 physical	 fitness	
and 	 functioning 	 of 	 the	 body. 	 A	 physically	 healthy	 person	 is	 able	 to	
undertake	 nor mal 	 activities,	 does	 not	 feel	 unusually 	 fatigued	 and	 has	
adequate	r esistance 	to 	infection 	and 	disease.	
7A.3 Health Care 
Every 	individual 	is 	r esponsible 	for 	his/her 	own 	health, 	but 	it 	is 	also 	a 	major	
public 	 concer n. 	 Thus 	 the 	 gover nment 	 assumes 	 considerable 	 r esponsibility	
and 	 pr ovides 	 health 	 services 	 at 	 various 	 levels 	 to 	 the 	 citizens 	 of 	 the 	 country.	
This 	 is 	 because 	 good 	 health 	 is 	 the 	 foundation 	 for 	 good 	 quality 	 of 	 life 	 and	
standar d 	 of 	 living 	 for 	 the 	 individual 	 and 	 the 	 family, 	 and 	 is 	 the 	 key 	 for 	 ensuring	
social, 	 economic 	 and 	 human 	 development 	 of 	 a 	 community 	 and 	 a 	 nation.
Health	 car e 	 consists	 of	 all	 the	 various 	 services 	 pr ovided 	 to 	 individuals	
or	 communities 	 by 	 agents 	 of	 health	 services 	 or	 pr ofessions 	 for	 the	 purpose	
of 	 pr omoting, 	 maintaining,	 monitoring 	 or	 r estoring 	 health. 	 Thus	 health 	
car e	 includes	 pr eventive, 	 pr omotive	 and	 therapeutic 	 car e. 	 Health	 Car e 	
services 	 ar e 	 deliver ed	 at	 thr ee 	 levels	 –	 primary	 car e, 	 secondary	 car e 	 and	
tertiary 	 car e	 levels.	
Primary Health Care: The	 first	 level 	 of	 contact	 between	 individuals	
with	the 	health	 car e 	system	 is	known	 as 	Primary 	Health 	 Car e.
Secondary Health Care: 	 When 	 patients	 fr om 	 primary 	 health 	 car e	 ar e	
r eferr ed 	 to 	 specialised	 hospital	 also	 like	 district	 hospitals,	 it	 is	 called	 as 	
Secondary	 Health	 Car e.
Tertiary Health Care: 	 When 	 patients 	 are 	 referred 	 from 	 primary 	 and	
secondary 	 health 	 system 	 for 	 specialised 	 	 intensive 	 care, 	 advanced 	 diagnostic	
support 	 serious 	 and 	 medical 	 care, 	 then 	 it 	 is 	 called 	 as 	 Tertiary 	 Health 	 Care.
7A.4 Indicators of Health
Health	 is 	 multidimensional, 	 with	 each 	 dimension	 being 	 influenced 	 by	
several	 factors.	 Ther efor e, 	 several	 indicators	 ar e 	 employed 	 to	 assess	 health.	
These 	 include 	 indicators 	 of	 mortality, 	 morbidity	 (illness/disease),	 disability 	
rates,	 nutritional	 status, 	 health	 car e	 delivery, 	 utilisation,	 envir onment,	
health	 policy,	 quality 	 of	life, 	etc.
7A.5 Nutrition and Health
Nutrition 	 and	 health 	 ar e	 intimately	 interlinked. 	 In	 the	 global 	 campaign	
of 	 ‘Health	 for 	 All’,	 pr omotion 	 of	 nutrition 	 is 	 one 	 of 	 the 	 primary 	 elements.	
Nutrition	 is 	 concer ned	 with 	 maintenance 	 of 	 body	 or gans	 and 	 tissues	 in 	
structur e 	 and 	 function.	 It	 is 	 also	 concer ned 	 with 	 gr owth	 and 	 development	
of	 the	 body.	 Good	 nutrition	 enables 	 the 	 person	 to 	 enjoy	 good	 health,	 r esist 	
infection,	 have 	 adequate	 ener gy 	 levels 	 and	 per for m	 daily	 tasks	 without 	
Unit 2.indd   94 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
2024-25
Page 5


91
UNIT II 
Understanding Family , 
Comm Unity and s o Ciety The chapters in Unit I were all addressed to you 
for the understanding of self and of the factors 
that influence your decision making. Let us 
now move on to understanding the family, the 
community and the society that you are a part of. 
Chapter 7 will discuss concerns and needs, such 
as those of health, work, resources, education  
and textile tradition in the adolescent’s  
diverse social contexts.
Unit 2.indd   91 2/8/2023   14:32:38
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
92
7
Concerns  
and Needs in 
Diverse Contexts
A. Nutrition, Health 
and Hygiene
Learning Objectives 
After completing this section the learner is able to—
•	 discuss	the	 importance	of	 health 	 and 	its	dimensions.
•	 understand	the	 interr elationship	 of 	nutrition 	and	 health.
•	 identify	 the	consequences	 of	 under nutrition	and	
over nutrition.
•	 select	 appr opriate 	and	 healthy 	 food 	 choices.
•	 identify	 the	interr elationship	 between	 nutrition	and 	 
disease.
•	 explain	the	importance	of 	hygiene 	 and 	sanitation 	for	
pr eventing	food- 	bor ne 	 diseases.
7A.1 Introduction
Every	 person	 wants	 to	 live	 a	 good	 quality 	 life 	 and 	 have	 a	 sense	 of	 well-
being.	 As	 far	 back 	 as	 1948, 	 the	 Universal	 Declaration 	 of	 Human	 Rights 	
stated: 	 “Everyone 	 has	 the	 right	 to	 a	 standar d 	 of 	 living 	 adequate 	 for 	 the 	
health	 and 	 well-being	 of 	 oneself	 and	 one’s	 family 	 including 	 food”.	 Y et,	 many 	
of 	 the 	 envir onmental 	 conditions	 and 	 our	 own	 lifestyles	 af fect	 our 	 health,	
sometimes	 having	 har mful	 ef fects.	 At 	 the	 outset	 let 	 us	 define 	 “health”.	
The	 world’s 	 pr emier	 or ganisation	 concer ned	 with 	 health, 	 the 	 W orld	 Health	
Or ganisation	 (WHO)	 defines 	 health	 as 	 “a	 state 	 of 	 complete	 mental,	 physical	
and	 social	 well-being	 and	 not	 mer ely 	 the 	 absence 	 of 	 disease”.	 Disease 	
means 	 impair ment 	 of 	 body 	 health,	 alteration/disruption/derangement	 in	
function 	 of 	 some	 part	 or	 or gan	 of	 the	 body, 	 interrupting 	 nor mal	 functions	
and	 deviating	 fr om	 a 	 state	 of	 complete	 well-being.	 Health	 is	 a 	 fundamental 	
human 	 right.	 All	 persons,	 irr espective 	 of	 age, 	 gender , 	 caste,	 cr eed/r eligion,	
place	 of	 stay 	 (urban,	 rural, 	 tribal)	 and 	 nationality, 	 thr oughout	 their	 lives, 	
Unit 2.indd   92 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
2024-25
93
should 	 have 	 the	 opportunity 	 to 	 achieve	
and	 maintain 	 the	 highest 	 attainable	
state 	 of	 health. 	
7A.2  Health and Its  
   Dimensions 
Y ou	 must 	 have	 noticed	 that	 the 	 definition	 of	 health	 includes 	 various 	
dimensions–social, 	 mental	 and 	 physical.	 Let	 us	 briefly	 deal	 with	 all 	 thr ee	
dimensions 	befor e	we 	 discuss 	 physical	health	 in	gr eater	 detail.
Social health: 	 It 	 r efers 	 to 	 health 	 of 	 individuals 	 and 	 of 	 a 	 society. 	 	 When 	 we 	 ar e	
concerned 	 with 	 society, 	 it 	 r efers 	 to 	 a 	 society 	 in 	 which 	 ther e 	 is 	 equal 	 opportunity	
and 	 access 	 for 	 all 	 citizens 	 to 	 the 	 goods 	 and 	 services 	 essential 	 for 	 good 	 health.	
When 	 we 	 r efer 	 to 	 individuals, 	 we 	 r efer 	 to 	 each 	 person’s 	 well-being 	 – 	 how 	 well 	 the	
individual 	 gets 	 along 	 with 	 other 	 people 	 and 	 with 	 social 	 institutions. 	 This 	 includes	
our 	 social 	 skills 	 and 	 the 	 ability 	 to 	 function 	 as 	 a 	 member 	 of 	 the 	 society. 	 When 	 we	
ar e 	faced 	with 	pr oblems 	and 	str ess, 	social 	support 	helps 	us 	to 	cope 	with 	them	
and 	 solve 	 the 	 pr oblems 	 facing 	 us. 	 Social 	 support 	 measur es 	 contribute 	 to 	 positive	
adjustment 	 in 	 childr en 	 and 	 adults, 	 and 	 encourages 	 personal 	 gr owth. 	 Emphasis	
on 	 social 	 health 	 is 	 gaining 	 importance 	 as 	 scientific 	 studies 	 have 	 shown 	 that	
persons 	 who 	 ar e 	 socially 	 well 	 adjusted, 	 tend 	 to 	 live 	 longer 	 and 	 r ecover 	 faster	
fr om 	 disease. 	 A 	 few 	 social 	 determinants 	 of 	 health 	 ar e:
–		 Employment 	 status
–	 Safety 	in	workplaces
–		 Access 	to	health	 services
–	 Cultural/r eligious 	 beliefs, 	 taboos 	and	 value	systems
–		 Socio-economic 	 and 	 envir onmental	conditions 	
Mental health: This 	 refers 	 to 	 emotional 	 and 	 psychological 	 well-being. 	 An	
individual 	 who 	 experiences 	 a 	 sense 	 of 	 well-being 	 can 	 utilise 	 his/her 	 cognitive	
and 	 emotional 	 capabilities, 	 function 	 well 	 in 	 society 	 and 	 meet 	 the 	 ordinary	
demands 	 of 	 daily 	 life. 	 The 	 box 	 below 	 lists 	 the 	 indicators 	 of 	 mental 	 health.
    A person who has positive mental health–
•	 feels 	that	he/she	is	capable 	and 	competent. 	
•	 can 	handle	normal	levels	 of	stress	he/she	faces	in	daily	life.	
•	 has 	satisfying	relationships.
•	 can 	lead	an	independent	life.
•	 if	 faced 	 with	any	mental 	or	emotional 	stress 	or	events,	he/she	can	 cope	 with 	 them	
and	recover	from	them.	
•	 does	not	fear 	things.
•	 does	not	feel 	defeated 	or	depressed 	for 	unusually 	long	 periods 	of	time	 when 	 small 	
dif??culties/problems 	are	encountered.
It	 is	 the	 aim 	 of	 every 	 health	
professional 	 (persons 	 who	 deal 	 with 	
various	 aspects	 of 	 health) 	 to 	 promote	
good 	 health; 	 in	 other	 words,	 to 	
promote	 maintenance 	 of 	 well-being	
or	wellness,	 quality 	 of 	 life.
Concerns and Needs in Diverse Contexts
Unit 2.indd   93 9/6/2022   12:16:30 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
94
Physical health: 	 This	 aspect	 of 	 health 	 encompasses	 physical	 fitness	
and 	 functioning 	 of 	 the	 body. 	 A	 physically	 healthy	 person	 is	 able	 to	
undertake	 nor mal 	 activities,	 does	 not	 feel	 unusually 	 fatigued	 and	 has	
adequate	r esistance 	to 	infection 	and 	disease.	
7A.3 Health Care 
Every 	individual 	is 	r esponsible 	for 	his/her 	own 	health, 	but 	it 	is 	also 	a 	major	
public 	 concer n. 	 Thus 	 the 	 gover nment 	 assumes 	 considerable 	 r esponsibility	
and 	 pr ovides 	 health 	 services 	 at 	 various 	 levels 	 to 	 the 	 citizens 	 of 	 the 	 country.	
This 	 is 	 because 	 good 	 health 	 is 	 the 	 foundation 	 for 	 good 	 quality 	 of 	 life 	 and	
standar d 	 of 	 living 	 for 	 the 	 individual 	 and 	 the 	 family, 	 and 	 is 	 the 	 key 	 for 	 ensuring	
social, 	 economic 	 and 	 human 	 development 	 of 	 a 	 community 	 and 	 a 	 nation.
Health	 car e 	 consists	 of	 all	 the	 various 	 services 	 pr ovided 	 to 	 individuals	
or	 communities 	 by 	 agents 	 of	 health	 services 	 or	 pr ofessions 	 for	 the	 purpose	
of 	 pr omoting, 	 maintaining,	 monitoring 	 or	 r estoring 	 health. 	 Thus	 health 	
car e	 includes	 pr eventive, 	 pr omotive	 and	 therapeutic 	 car e. 	 Health	 Car e 	
services 	 ar e 	 deliver ed	 at	 thr ee 	 levels	 –	 primary	 car e, 	 secondary	 car e 	 and	
tertiary 	 car e	 levels.	
Primary Health Care: The	 first	 level 	 of	 contact	 between	 individuals	
with	the 	health	 car e 	system	 is	known	 as 	Primary 	Health 	 Car e.
Secondary Health Care: 	 When 	 patients	 fr om 	 primary 	 health 	 car e	 ar e	
r eferr ed 	 to 	 specialised	 hospital	 also	 like	 district	 hospitals,	 it	 is	 called	 as 	
Secondary	 Health	 Car e.
Tertiary Health Care: 	 When 	 patients 	 are 	 referred 	 from 	 primary 	 and	
secondary 	 health 	 system 	 for 	 specialised 	 	 intensive 	 care, 	 advanced 	 diagnostic	
support 	 serious 	 and 	 medical 	 care, 	 then 	 it 	 is 	 called 	 as 	 Tertiary 	 Health 	 Care.
7A.4 Indicators of Health
Health	 is 	 multidimensional, 	 with	 each 	 dimension	 being 	 influenced 	 by	
several	 factors.	 Ther efor e, 	 several	 indicators	 ar e 	 employed 	 to	 assess	 health.	
These 	 include 	 indicators 	 of	 mortality, 	 morbidity	 (illness/disease),	 disability 	
rates,	 nutritional	 status, 	 health	 car e	 delivery, 	 utilisation,	 envir onment,	
health	 policy,	 quality 	 of	life, 	etc.
7A.5 Nutrition and Health
Nutrition 	 and	 health 	 ar e	 intimately	 interlinked. 	 In	 the	 global 	 campaign	
of 	 ‘Health	 for 	 All’,	 pr omotion 	 of	 nutrition 	 is 	 one 	 of 	 the 	 primary 	 elements.	
Nutrition	 is 	 concer ned	 with 	 maintenance 	 of 	 body	 or gans	 and 	 tissues	 in 	
structur e 	 and 	 function.	 It	 is 	 also	 concer ned 	 with 	 gr owth	 and 	 development	
of	 the	 body.	 Good	 nutrition	 enables 	 the 	 person	 to 	 enjoy	 good	 health,	 r esist 	
infection,	 have 	 adequate	 ener gy 	 levels 	 and	 per for m	 daily	 tasks	 without 	
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feeling 	 fatigued. 	 In	 case 	 of	 childr en 	 and	 adolescents,	 nutrition	 is	 vital 	 for	
their	 gr owth, 	 mental 	 development 	 and	 achieving	 their	 potential.	 For	 adults, 	
adequate 	 nutrition	 is	 crucial 	 to 	 lead 	 a	 socially	 and	 economically 	 pr oductive 	
and 	 healthy 	 life.	 In	 tur n,	 the 	 health	 status	 of 	 an	 individual	 deter mines	 the	
nutrient	 r equir ements 	 of	 a	 person 	 and	 food	 intake.	 During	 illness, 	 nutrient	
r equir ements 	 incr ease, 	 and 	 br eakdown	 of 	 nutrients 	 ar e 	 higher .	 Ther efor e, 	
illness 	 and 	 disease	 adversely	 af fect 	 nutritional	 status. 	 Hence,	 nutrition	 is	
a	‘fundamental 	pillar’	 of 	human	 life, 	health	and 	developm ent.	
7A.6 Nutrients
Ther e 	 ar e 	 mor e 	 than 	 50 	 nutrients 	 in 	 food. 	 Nutrients 	 ar e 	 br oadly	
classified 	 into 	 macr onutrients 	 (r equir ed 	 in 	 r elatively 	 lar ger 	 amounts)	
and 	 micr onutrients 	 (r equir ed 	 in 	 small 	 quantities) 	 based 	 on 	 the	
amounts 	 r equir ed 	 by 	 the 	 human 	 body. 	 Macr onutrients 	 ar e 	 generally	
fat, 	 pr otein, 	 carbohydrate 	 and 	 fibr e. 	 Micr onutrients 	 include 	 the	
minerals 	 such 	 as 	 ir on, 	 zinc, 	 selenium 	 and 	 the 	 various 	 fat-soluble 	 and	
water -soluble 	 vitamins, 	 each 	 of 	 which 	 per for ms 	 important 	 functions.	
Some 	 of 	 them 	 function 	 as 	 co-factors 	 and 	 co-enzymes 	 in 	 the 	 various	
metabolic 	 r eactions 	 that 	 occur 	 in 	 the 	 body. 	 Nutrients 	 can 	 also 	 influence	
gene 	 expr ession 	 and 	 transcription. 	 Dif fer ent 	 or gans 	 and 	 systems	
play 	 a 	 critical 	 r ole 	 in 	 the 	 digestion, 	 absorption, 	 metabolism, 	 storage	
and 	 excr etion 	 of 	 nutrients 	 and 	 their 	 end 	 pr oducts 	 of 	 metabolism. 	 In	
essence, 	 each 	 and 	 every 	 cell 	 in 	 all 	 parts 	 of 	 the 	 body 	 r equir es 	 nutrients.	
Nutrient 	 r equir ements 	 in 	 the 	 nor mal 	 healthy 	 state 	 vary 	 accor ding 	 to	
age, 	 sex 	 and 	 the 	 physiological 	 state, 	 i.e., 	 during 	 periods 	 of 	 gr owth	
such 	as 	infancy, 	childhood, 	adolescence, 	and 	pr egnancy 	and 	lactation	
in 	 women. 	 Level 	 of 	 physical 	 activity 	 also 	 deter mines 	 r equir ements 	 for	
ener gy 	 and 	 nutrients 	 involved 	 in 	 ener gy 	 metabolism, 	 e.g., 	 vitamins	
like 	 thiamine 	 and 	 riboflavin.
Knowledge 	 about	 nutrients,	 their 	 metabolism 	 and	 sour ces 	 as 	 well	 as 	
functions 	 ar e	 vital. 	 One 	 should	 consume	 a	 balanced	 diet	 which 	 includes	
foods 	 that	 will 	 pr ovide 	 all	 the 	 necessary 	
nutrients 	 in	r equir ed 	 amounts. 	
The 	 science	 of	 nutrition	 is 	
concer ned	 with 	 access 	 to,	 availability	
and 	 utilisation	 of 	 food 	 and 	 nutrients 	
for 	 life,	 gr owth, 	 development	
and	 well-being. 	 Nutritionists	
(pr ofessionals 	 who	 work 	 in 	 this 	 field) 	
ar e 	 concer ned 	 with	 myriad 	 aspects.	
These	 range 	 fr om	 biological 	 and 	
metabolic 	 aspects 	 to 	 what	 happens	
in 	 disease	 states	 and 	 how	 the 	 body 	
Balanced meal Concerns and Needs in Diverse Contexts
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