Health is a person’s state of being physically, emotionally, and socially well. It’s the ability to meet people’s daily needs, realize their aspirations, and cope with challenges. It’s a positive concept emphasizing personal and community resources, as well as physical capabilities.
Traditionally, health has been defined as a state free of disease and disability, and health care is organized around its improvement. However, this definition of health fails to address how individuals experience illness and their capacities to function in the face of change.
A broad definition of health allows researchers and practitioners to consider multiple targets for intervention. For example, if we want to improve adolescents’ sense of well-being and reduce their risk for unintended pregnancies, drug use, and crime, we must provide educational programs, family support services, safe recreational activities, and church-based mentoring programs.
Format can also have a big impact on how you focus your article. You’ll need to decide whether you’re writing a brief news story, an in-depth feature article, or profiling a researcher studying a new treatment. You’ll probably generate ideas that are suited to each of these formats, but you should be able to narrow these down as you write.
Lastly, remember to always keep the audience in mind. What kinds of stories do they want to read and what are their key interests? Knowing your audience will help you find the right tone, vocabulary, and style for your article. Also, don’t be afraid to scrap your idea and start over if it doesn’t work.