IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aph/ajpbhl/10.2105-ajph.2008.143651_5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Health capability: Conceptualization and operationalization

Author

Listed:
  • Ruger, J.P.

Abstract

Current theoretical approaches to bioethics and public health ethics propose varied justifications as the basis for health care and public health, yet none captures a fundamental reality: people seek good health and the ability to pursue it. Existing models do not effectively address these twin goals. The approach I espouse captures both of these orientations through a concept here called health capability. Conceptually, health capability illuminates the conditions that affect health and one's ability to make health choices. By respecting the health consequences individuals face and their health agency, health capability offers promise for finding a balance between paternalism and autonomy. I offer a conceptual model of health capability and present a health capability profile to identify and address health capability gaps.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruger, J.P., 2010. "Health capability: Conceptualization and operationalization," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(1), pages 41-49.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2008.143651_5
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.143651
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2008.143651
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2105/AJPH.2008.143651?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kinghorn, Philip, 2019. "Using deliberative methods to establish a sufficient state of capability well-being for use in decision-making in the contexts of public health and social care," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    2. Alexandre Bugelli & Roxane Borgès Da Silva & Ladislau Dowbor & Claude Sicotte, 2021. "The Determinants of Infant Mortality in Brazil, 2010–2020: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-28, June.
    3. Ingrid Ølfarnes Røysland & Febe Friberg & Berit Støre Brinchmann & Sunniva Nordeide Svello & Torstein Valborgland & Alf Inge Larsen, 2017. "Confronting one's vulnerability – patients with chest pain participating in a high‐intensity exercise programme," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(13-14), pages 2006-2015, July.
    4. Regina Moczadlo & Harald Strotmann & Jürgen Volkert, 2015. "Corporate Contributions to Developing Health Capabilities," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 549-566, November.
    5. Weaver, Robert R. & Lemonde, Manon & Payman, Naghmeh & Goodman, William M., 2014. "Health capabilities and diabetes self-management: The impact of economic, social, and cultural resources," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 58-68.
    6. Marion Coste, 2021. "Beyond social determinants of health: an application of the Health Capability Model to rural Senegal," AMSE Working Papers 2116, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    7. Michael Toze & Julie Fish & Trish Hafford-Letchfield & Kathryn Almack, 2020. "Applying a Capabilities Approach to Understanding Older LGBT People’s Disclosures of Identity in Community Primary Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Pierre Pratley & John Floyd Sandberg, 2018. "Refining the Conceptualization and Measurement of Women’s Empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa Using Data from the 2013 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(2), pages 777-793, November.
    9. Joy Pritchard & Melissa Upjohn & Tamsin Hirson, 2018. "Improving working equine welfare in ‘hard-win’ situations, where gains are difficult, expensive or marginal," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, February.
    10. Enrica Chiappero‐Martinetti & Paola Salardi & Francesco Scervini, 2019. "Estimating conversion rates: A new empirical strategy with an application to health care in Italy," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 748-764, June.
    11. Paul Anand & Laurence S. J. Roope & Anthony J. Culyer & Ron Smith, 2020. "Disability and multidimensional quality of life: A capability approach to health status assessment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(7), pages 748-765, July.
    12. Tsung-Yu Chou & Peng-Yeh Lee, 2023. "Predicting Athlete Intentions for Using Sports Complexes in the Post-Pandemic Era," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-17, March.
    13. Till, Maike & Abu-Omar, Karim & Ferschl, Susanne & Abel, Thomas & Pfeifer, Klaus & Gelius, Peter, 2022. "Implementing the capability approach in health promotion projects: Recommendations for implementation based on empirical evidence," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    14. Joanna Coast, 2019. "Assessing capability in economic evaluation: a life course approach?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(6), pages 779-784, August.
    15. Abel, Thomas & Frohlich, Katherine L., 2012. "Capitals and capabilities: Linking structure and agency to reduce health inequalities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 236-244.
    16. Marion Coste, 2021. "Beyond social determinants of health: an application of the Health Capability Model to rural Senegal," Working Papers halshs-03160413, HAL.
    17. Andrea Vigorito, 2011. "Bibliography on the Capability Approach 2010--2011," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(4), pages 607-612, November.
    18. Tapager, Ina & Joensen, Lene Eide & Vrangbæk, Karsten, 2022. "The role of self-efficacy, well-being capability and diabetes care assessment for emotional and diabetes management challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a follow-up study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    19. Margie E Lachman & Stefan Agrigoroaei, 2010. "Promoting Functional Health in Midlife and Old Age: Long-Term Protective Effects of Control Beliefs, Social Support, and Physical Exercise," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-9, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2008.143651_5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Christopher F Baum (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.apha.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.