Public Health and Healthy Living - Essay Example

In this paper, the views of different health experts such as John Snow and Florence Nightingale will be put into the mirror and compared and contrasted to those of Aggleton. John Snow's concept of health and illness rotates around his research on cholera (Thomas, 1973). The spread of cholera was not his issue but the cause of the disease. He argues that cholera was a consequence of air pollution (Chepelle, 2005). He argues that air pollution led to the development of cholera-causing bacteria that eventually affected people (Donaldson, 2005).

His argument on the prevention of disease is that for human beings to be safe they needed to live and work in an environment free from pollution. Florence Nightingale's experience with social health revolves around the healing process of an individual patient. She notes that the environment is the most basic consideration that instigates the healing of the patient. Her analysis assures patients that they can only be healthy faster when placed in a clean environment (Last, 2007). Florence’s definition of a clean environment focuses on various facilities.

Foremost, she says fresh air is important as the patient will be able to breathe in and out without affecting the respiratory system (Kozier, et al., 2004). Pure water is also important to the patient as it does not carry any organism that may cause diseases (Craven & Hirnle, 2003). The proper drainage system is also praised as poor drainage may be a breeding ground for disease-causing organisms such as mosquitoes. She adds that cleanliness is important to both the health providers and the patient.

Lastly, she mentions the importance of light in the healing process and notes that light is crucial for the treatment of diseases. Aggleton focuses on the influence of society in achieving proper health. Society for a long time has been divided into relation to the economic status of a person. Individuals in society who are well of in terms of wealth usually live in a different environment from those who are poor and economically disabled (Kirby, 2000). The rich usually have quick access to medical facilities that offer quality treatment compared to the poor.

The poor usually find their homes located in an environment that is mostly affected by waste. Most of their homes are located in industrial areas where air pollution and industrial waste are at greater heights. The social concept that determines the health of an individual according to Aggleton can be determined by the use of the Marxist theory of social concepts. When focusing on the three health analysts, the point they make is that the environment is an important determinant of the well-being of a person (Tuthill, 2003).

Hygienic environments are essential in nourishing the health of society. Therefore, people are advised to make a clear consideration of cleaning the environment so that their health status can be improved. The social disparities existing within society need to be dismantled so that all individuals can live in a clean environment.