Biological and Sociological Definitions of Health and Illness
With Sophie and Theo, Sociology & Mental Health Specialist
Key Takeaways
- Because the definition shapes everything — how we assess women, what we prioritise, and what counts as a good outcome.
- A purely biological definition leads to very different care than a holistic one.
- The biomedical model defines health as the absence of disease or pathology.
- It's precise, measurable, and forms the basis of clinical diagnosis — blood pressure, haemoglobin, glucose levels.
- It can reduce a woman to her physiology.
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Full Transcript
Sophie: We're exploring definitions of health and illness today. I'm Sophie, joined by Theo, our Sociology and Mental Health Specialist. Theo, why does how we define health actually matter in midwifery?
Theo: Because the definition shapes everything — how we assess women, what we prioritise, and what counts as a good outcome. A purely biological definition leads to very different care than a holistic one.
Sophie: Let's start with the biological definition. What does it capture?
Theo: The biomedical model defines health as the absence of disease or pathology. It's precise, measurable, and forms the basis of clinical diagnosis — blood pressure, haemoglobin, glucose levels.
Sophie: It's useful but it has limits?
How does biological and sociological definitions of health and illness work in a healthcare context?
Theo: It can reduce a woman to her physiology. A woman with no clinical abnormalities may still be experiencing significant distress, domestic abuse, or mental health challenges — none of which shows in a blood test.
Sophie: So the sociological definition adds what exactly?
Theo: It recognises health as a social construct — shaped by culture, power, inequality, and environment. The WHO definition — complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing — reflects this broader view.
Sophie: Though some argue that definition sets an impossibly high bar.
Theo: True. 'Complete wellbeing' is an ideal few achieve. But it does prompt us to ask broader questions — about housing, relationships, support networks — during a booking appointment, for instance.
How does biological and sociological definitions of health and illness work in a healthcare context?
Sophie: How does illness fit into this? Is illness just the opposite of health?
Theo: Not quite. Disease is a clinical diagnosis; illness is the subjective experience of being unwell. A woman may have a diagnosed condition but feel well, or feel unwell with no identifiable disease.
Sophie: And in maternity care, pregnancy isn't a disease but women often enter a very medicalised system.
Theo: That tension is central to midwifery philosophy. Pregnancy is a physiological process, not an illness — and midwives are trained to hold that view even within medicalised settings.
Sophie: Maintaining the social and holistic lens alongside the clinical one.
What should learners understand about biological and sociological definitions of health and illness?
Theo: Yes. That's what makes midwifery distinct. It's about the whole woman, her life, her context — not just her cervical dilation or her blood results.