The determinants of health are quite complex and can be divided into at least four aspects and seven categories.
1. Biological factors
(1) inheritance
Heredity is a congenital factor, and ethnic differences, parents' health status and living environment will have a great impact on the health of the next generation. There are nearly 3,000 known genetic defects and genetic diseases (1/5 of all human diseases). According to the survey, the total incidence of birth defects in China is 13.7%, of which 2 million are severely mentally retarded every year. In addition, heredity is also related to the occurrence of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and tumor.
(2) Pathogenic microorganisms
Pathogenic microorganisms refer to microorganisms that can invade the human body and cause infections and even infectious diseases, or pathogens. Among pathogens, bacteria and viruses are the most harmful. Pathogenic microorganisms refer to prions, parasites (protozoa, worms and medical insects), fungi, bacteria, spirochetes, mycoplasma, rickettsia, chlamydia and viruses. From ancient times to the mid-20th century, infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms were the main reasons that threatened human health. With the high development of social economy, people's working style and lifestyle have changed greatly, and behavior and lifestyle have gradually replaced biological factors as the main factors affecting health.
(3) Personal biological characteristics
Including age, sex, body shape, health status, etc. People with different biological characteristics have different effects on health under the same risk factors. For example, children, teenagers and adults, men and women, people with strong constitution and people with weak constitution, etc.
2. Lifestyle
Lifestyle refers to a system of all forms of activities and behavioral characteristics formed by different individuals, groups or all members of society to meet their own needs under certain social conditions and values. It is restricted by people's characteristics and social relations, and is formed by the interaction of certain socio-economic conditions and environment, including eating habits and social life habits. Due to some bad social and cultural factors, many people have developed a bad lifestyle, leading to a rapid increase in chronic non-communicable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. As long as the behavioral risk factors such as unreasonable diet, lack of exercise, smoking, alcoholism and drug abuse are effectively controlled, premature death, acute disability and chronic diseases can be reduced.
3. Environment
Health is not only based on personal physical and mental health, but also emphasizes the unity of human body with natural environment and social environment. The development of human beings must include the improvement of the quality of life and the sustainable development of the environment, which is the basis of exploring health ecology. 1992 in the report of the who environment and health Committee, "maintaining and promoting health should be placed at the center of environmental and development issues." 1993 who put forward that "the central issue of sustainable development is human beings, who have the right to enjoy a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature". Therefore, mankind must integrate and balance the "environment-health-development" problem that will be faced at present or in the future.