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Rodriguez Espinosa P, Chen YC, Sun CA, You SL, Lin JT, Chen KH, Hsing AW, Heaney CA. Exploring health and well-being in Taiwan: what we can learn from individuals' narratives. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:159. [PMID: 32013898 PMCID: PMC6998329 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-8201-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our aim was to explore the concepts of health and well-being from the point of view of the people experiencing them. Most of the efforts to understand these concepts have focused on disease prevention and treatment. Less is known about how individuals achieve health and well-being, and their roles in the pursuit of a good life. We hoped to identify important components of these concepts that may provide new targets and messages to strengthen existing public health programs. An improved understanding of health and well-being - or what it means to be well - can guide interventions that help people lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. METHODS Using a grounded qualitative approach drawing from narrative inquiry, we interviewed 24 Taiwanese adults. Thematic inductive coding was employed to explore the nature of health and well-being. RESULTS Eight constituent domains emerged regarding well-being and health. While the same domains were found for both constructs, important frequency differences were found when participants discussed health versus well-being. Physical health and lifestyle behaviors emerged as key domains for health. Disease-related comments were the most frequently mentioned sub-category within the physical health domain, along with health care use and aging-related changes. For well-being, family and finances emerged as key domains. Family appears to be a cornerstone element of well-being in this sample, with participants often describing their personal well-being as closely tied to - and often indistinguishable from - their family. Other domains included work-life, sense of self, resilience, and religion/spirituality. CONCLUSIONS Health and well-being are complex and multifaceted constructs, with participants discussing their constituent domains in a very interconnected manner. Programs and policies intended to promote health and well-being may benefit from considering these domains as culturally-appropriate leverage points to bring about change. Additionally, while the domains identified in this study are person-centered (i.e., reflecting the personal experiences of participants), the stories that participants offered provided insights into how well-being and health are influenced by structural, societal and cultural factors. Our findings also offer an opportunity for future refinement and rethinking of existing measurement tools surrounding these constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Rodriguez Espinosa
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3300 Hillview Ave (Mail code: 5537), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
| | - Yong-Chen Chen
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Big Data Research Center, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chien-An Sun
- Big Data Research Center, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - San-Lin You
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Jaw-Town Lin
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Hu Chen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Fu-Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Ann W Hsing
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3300 Hillview Ave (Mail code: 5537), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 780 Welch Road, CJ Huang Building, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Catherine A Heaney
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3300 Hillview Ave (Mail code: 5537), Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Building 20, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
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