Disease is a dynamic process just opposite to
health. It denotes disharmony and deviation from the normal functioning of
various body system. Wellness and illness are the two end point of health and
disease.
The concept of disease causation differed from
time to time with progress of civilization. It changes from supernatural causes
during primitive time period to multifactorial causes during modern time.
Importance is to identify public health measures to prevent and control
diseases.
THEORIES AND MODELS OF DISEASE CAUSATION
•
Before the discovery of microorganism several
theories explaining the causes of disease put forward time to time.
•
Earliest attempt in religious era (2000 BC- 600
BC) – Disease caused by divine power as punishment from sin and bad deeds or
considered as a fate referred as ‘Supernatural theory’.
•
Other theory, the disease was caused due to
various physical forces such as miasma or mists referred as ‘Miasmatic
theory’.
•
400 BC rudimentary environmental theory was put
forward by Hippocrates, believed that the disease was caused by harmful
substances in the environment.
•
With discovery of microorganism, the
bacteriological era commenced in late 1870, which was the turning point in
disease causation. Thus earliest
theories were discarded and germ theory was put forwarded.
