Skip to main content

Physical Well-Being

  • Reference work entry

Definition

Physical well-being consists of the ability to perform physical activities and carry out social roles that are not hindered by physical limitations and experiences of bodily pain, and biological health indicators.

Description

Quality of life has been established as a multifaceted concept and health is one of its contributory factors (Guyatt, Feeny, & Patrick, 1993). Health has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 2007, p. 1). With such an encompassing definition of health, quality of life issues have increasingly gained importance in health practice and research.

The concept of health-related quality of life (HRQL) includes the dimensions of physical function, psychological function, social function, and health perceptions (Wilson & Cleary, 1995). These dimensions, in turn, guide the conceptualization of HRQL measurements. HRQL measures...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   6,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   9,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aranceta, J., Perez-Rodrigo, C., Gondra, J., & Orduna, J. (2001). Community-based programme to promote physical activity among elderly people: The GeroBilbo study. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 5(4), 238–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, F., Jackson, J., Carlson, M., Chou, C. P., Cherry, B. J., Jordan-Marsh, M., et al. (2011). Effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention in promoting the wellbeing of independently living older people: Results of the Well Elderly 2 Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. doi:jech.2009.099754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole, P. (2006). All children ready for school. Health and physical wellbeing. Bloomington, IN: Early Childhood Center, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, L. J., Dooley, M. D., & Phipps, S. A. (2004). Child wellbeing and neighbourhood quality: Evidence from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Social Science & Medicine, 58(10), 1917–1927.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Wit, M., Delemarre-van de Waal, H. A., Pouwer, F., Gemke, R. J., & Snoek, F. J. (2007). Monitoring health related quality of life in adolescents with diabetes: A review of measures. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 92(5), 434–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, H. A., Petersen, S. E., & Stewart-Brown, S. L. (2000). Obesity and physical and emotional wellbeing: Associations between body mass index, chronic illness, and the physical and mental components of the SF-36 questionnaire. Obesity Research, 8(2), 160–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrell, B. R., Grant, M. M., Funk, B., Otis-Green, S., & Garcia, N. (1997). Quality of life in breast cancer survivors as identified by focus groups. Psycho-Oncology, 6(1), 13–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guyatt, G. H., Feeny, D. H., & Patrick, D. L. (1993). Measuring health-related quality of life. Annals of Internal Medicine, 118(8), 622–629.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penedo, F. J., & Dahn, J. R. (2005). Exercise and wellbeing: A review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 18(2), 189–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penny, K. I., Purves, A. M., Smith, B. H., Chambers, W. A., & Smith, W. C. (1999). Relationship between the chronic pain grade and measures of physical, social and psychological wellbeing. Pain, 79(2–3), 275–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tibblin, G., Tibblin, B., Peciva, S., Kullman, S., & Svardsudd, K. (1990). “The Goteborg quality of life instrument” – An assessment of wellbeing and symptoms among men born 1913 and 1923. Methods and validity. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. Supplement, 1, 33–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2007). Basic documents (46th ed.). Geneva: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, I. B., & Cleary, P. D. (1995). Linking clinical variables with health-related quality of life. Journal of the American Medical Association, 273(1), 59–65.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine M. Capio .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this entry

Cite this entry

Capio, C.M., Sit, C.H.P., Abernethy, B. (2014). Physical Well-Being. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2166

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2166

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-0752-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0753-5

  • eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law

Publish with us

Policies and ethics