The term health status describes the state of health of an individual, a group or a whole population that is measured at a particular time according to defined standards or indicators. The definition of these standards or indicators necessitates an evaluation of the degree of the individual's illness or wellness, basic physical and mental functionality and quality of life. The individual health status may be measured by a medical examination defining the presence or absence of life‐threatening diseases, other diseases and their impact on the quality of life and risk factors of overall health. It may also be determined by asking the individual about his or her health perceptions. As there is no single standard measurement for the health status of individuals or population groups, researches must define their own way of measuring.