When discussing the meaning of ‘measuring health’, it is important to understand what health means. Therefore, according to World Health Organisation, WHO (1948), “Health can be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” [1]. This definition indicates that it is really important to know the overall individual’s current health and wellbeing status by considering all three dimensions of health that is physical, mental and social health. When focusing on the importance of measuring health from a public health and health promotion point of view, it is important to highlight the definition of public health. “Public health is the science and art of promoting and protection health and well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society [2]. Therefore, measuring and understanding the health of individuals is very important, as it helps to keep people healthy and live longer, preventing and curing the disease by identifying and introducing the best intervention program which will work for the specific person.

Physical health can be defined as the proper functioning of all the external and internal parts and organs of the person’s body which allows the person to perform the daily tasks normally without any limitation [3]. Good mental health means a person should be able to understand the potential, can manage the general and normal life stresses, can be able to participate in the society, and can be able to work effectively [4]. Well-being can be explained as a positive feeling which a person experiences in the absence of ill health. It is connected with the accomplishment of an individual’s own goals and by achieving these goals, the individual feels well and good [5]. Social health can be defined as how the person is able to interact with people for example friends, family and society. When a person is socially healthy, it helps him or her to develop relationships with other people and to make new friends in society. It also helps the people in career and enable them to live independently in their adult life [6-24].

1. World Health Organisation (2006) Constitution of the World Health Organization.
2. The UK’s Faculty of Public Health (2010) What is public health.
3. Normalbreathing.com (2001) Physical health definition and simple body oxygeb DIY test.
4. World Health Organisation (2017) Mental health: A state of well-being. Geneva.
5. Naidoo J, Wills J (2016) Foundations for health promotion, (4th edn) London.
6. The Den (2000) Friends and relationships.
7. Firth L (2010) Smoking and health. Cambridge: Independence.
8. GOV.UK (2016) The eat well guide.
9. GOV.UK (2011) Physical activity guidelines for adults 19-64 years.
10. Get Berkshire active (2017) Slough healthy walk-Salt Hill park.
11. GOV.UK (2017) Diabetic eye screening: Programme overview.
12. GOV.UK (2013) NHS population screening explained.
13. Helpguide.org (2017) Stress symptoms, signs and causes.
14. Mental health foundation (2017) Mental health statistics: UK and worldwide.
15. Mind (2013) Types of mental health problems.
16. NHS Choice (2016) Stop smoking treatments.
17. NHS Choices (2017) How to deal with stress.
18. NHS Choices (2015) BMI healthy weight calculator.
19. National heart, lung and blood institute (2000) Assessing your weight and health risk.
20. Public Health England (2015) Health matters: Smoking and quitting in England.
21. Public Health England (2016) NHS population screening explained.
22. Slough clinical commissioning group (2016) Locality profile.
23. (2015) UK diabetes and diet questionnaire, University of Bristol.
24. Warwick (2015) Warwick-edinburgh mental wellbeing scale (WEMWBS).