Integrating Salutogenesis into Wellness in Every Stage of Life

I enjoyed reading Dr. Steinberg’s editorial “Wellness in Every Stage of Life: A New Paradigm for Public Health Programs” (1) and the related articles in the January 2007 issue. We face many challenges in conceptualizing wellness because the term has different meanings for different people. To reach a common understanding of wellness, we could begin by using Antonovsky’s salutogenesis work (24) as a basis for discussion. Using salutogenesis (origins of health) as a model for public health practice rather than pathogenesis (origins of disease) allows us to focus on factors that support and increase well-being rather than on factors that merely prevent disease. Antonovsky suggests that people feel a sense of coherence if their lives are meaningful, manageable, and comprehensible, which suggests that an orderly and consistent life is more desirable than a chaotic, random, and unpredictable life. Therefore, when deciding how to bring about beneficial behavior change, we must consider genetic, constitutional, and psychosocial factors such as people’s level of knowledge and intelligence as well as their ego identity, coping strategy, social support system, religion, philosophy, and attitude toward health maintenance.