The various definitions of health status can be determined based on both objective and subjective measures. Typically, in the workplace, it is determined based on clinical biometric measures such as BMI (body mass index), blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar level. These objective measures are derived through a process commonly known as biometric screening.
Since health status can involve both objective and subjective data, knowing these different data points is important.
Subjective Data Sources
• Biographical information
• Physical symptoms
• Past health history
• Family history
• Health beliefs and values
• Lifestyle
Objective Data Sources
• Physical characteristics
• Appearance
• Health, lifestyle, and other behaviors
• Body systems functioning
• Measurements and screening results
• Results from lab testing
Since there is no standard for health status, it can be based on either objective or subjective data. Generally, though, current approaches are focused almost exclusively on the effects of illness and the varying states of ill-health.
How individuals conceptualize their health has been shown to vary as a function of:
• Age and gender
• Social class
• Culture
This means that how they view their health status will vary as well. Given that the conceptualization can vary, it is important to assess the individual employee as a whole person and not just their current biometric data. This means that the employee needs to be viewed in the various contexts that can influence their health and not just as isolated individuals. An effective health assessment requires contextual awareness and understanding and observing and understanding any objective measurement and test results.
Despite the worksite wellness community’s heavy reliance on objective measures as indicators of health, I found it interesting to read that “self-assessed health contributed significantly to the prediction of mortality, even after controlling for a wide array of objective health indicators.” (Wright, 1977)
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In his book, Healing Beyond the Body, Dr. Larry Dossey wrote: “Our own opinion about the state of our health is a better predictor than physical symptoms and objective factors such as extensive exams, laboratory tests or behaviors.” Dr. Dossey also wrote that how people answer the question, “Is your health excellent, good, fair, or poor is a better predictor of who will live or die over the next decade than in-depth physical examinations and extensive laboratory tests.”
The quotes by Wright and Dossey are particularly noteworthy given the worksite wellness community’s heavy promotion of workplace biometric screening results as indicators of an employee’s health status. Given that health can be defined in comprehensive conceptual terms and health status can be very subjective as well, it might behoove the worksite wellness community to take a look at its current approach to wellness being limited to just individual employee health status that is based on biometrics and health risk assessments.
When it comes to an employee’s health status, the worksite wellness community would be wise to look beyond just the results of biometric screenings.
Resources
Dossey, Larry. MD. 2001. Healing Beyond The Body. Boston: Shambhala Publications.
Wright, Stephen. 1997. Health Status Assessment in Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health, and Medicine. Baum, Andre. Newman, Stanton. Weinman, John. West, Robert. McManus, Chris. (Eds.) New York: Cambridge University Press.
Wellness or Health Status
Employee wellness and wellbeing programs can deliver considerable value to an employer. I invite you to let me help you create your own effective, successful, and sustainable program. I specialize in mentoring worksite program coordinators and creating DWY (done with you) employee health and well-being programs. You can contact me at [email protected].
This article is brought to you by Bill McPeck, Your Worksite Wellness Mentor. I am dedicated to helping employers, and worksite program coordinators create successful, sustainable employee health and well-being programs, especially in large and small employer settings.
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