NCEA Level 1 Hauora key terms

A Māori view of health as overall wellbeing. It covers several connected dimensions of a person's life rather than just the absence of sickness, and balance across those dimensions is seen as the goal.

A Māori health model drawn as a four-walled house. The walls are taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha whānau and taha wairua, and all four must stand strong for the house to stand.

The physical dimension of wellbeing. It includes body condition, fitness, nutrition, sleep, hygiene, illness and injury, and how well a person can move and function day to day.

The mental and emotional dimension of wellbeing. It covers thoughts, feelings, mood, stress, resilience, self-esteem and how a person copes with challenges and expresses emotion.

The social and family dimension of wellbeing. It covers relationships with family, friends and community, a sense of belonging, caring for others, and the support a person gives and receives.

The spiritual dimension of wellbeing. It covers meaning and purpose, values and beliefs, connection to identity, culture, land and ancestors, and may or may not involve religion.

The state of feeling good and functioning well across physical, mental, social and spiritual areas of life. It is more than being free of illness and can change over time and circumstances.

A person's physical and mental condition. In modern definitions it is described as a resource for everyday living, shaped by social, economic and environmental factors, not simply the presence or absence of disease.

A person's emotional, psychological and social state. It affects how they think, feel and act, handle stress, relate to others and make choices, and it can range from flourishing to unwell.

The ability to cope with, adapt to and recover from stress, setback or adversity. It can be built through supportive relationships, skills, confidence and having a sense of purpose.

The relationships and sense of belonging a person has with others, such as family, friends, school and community. Strong connection is linked to better mental and physical wellbeing.

Having few meaningful contacts with other people or lacking a sense of belonging. It can harm mental and physical wellbeing and is different from simply choosing to spend time alone.

The distressing feeling of having fewer or less satisfying relationships than a person wants. Someone can feel lonely even when surrounded by people, so it is not the same as being alone.

A person's sense of meaning, purpose and connection to something larger than themselves. It may involve religion, nature, culture, values or community, and is expressed differently by different people.

A person's sense of belonging to a culture, including shared language, values, customs, history and ancestry. A strong cultural identity can support self-esteem and wellbeing.

Māori for extended family. It can include parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and others who are not related by blood but who share care and responsibility for one another.

Māori for genealogy or lineage. It connects a person to ancestors, land and community, and is central to identity and to the spiritual dimension of wellbeing.

Māori for prestige, authority, dignity and personal standing. It is gained through respectful behaviour and care for others, and it can be enhanced or diminished by actions.

Māori for hospitality, generosity and caring for others. It means showing respect and kindness, looking after guests and supporting people in the community, and it strengthens relationships and wellbeing.

Māori for something sacred or restricted. It sets boundaries around people, places or objects and guides respectful behaviour, and breaching it can affect spiritual wellbeing.

The Treaty of Waitangi, a founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand signed in 1840. Its principles, including partnership, participation and protection, guide health services and equity in hauora.

The idea that everyone should have a fair opportunity to achieve good health, which may mean giving more support to groups facing greater barriers. It differs from treating everyone exactly the same.

Differences in health that are unfair, avoidable and caused by social, economic or environmental conditions rather than by individual choice. Examples include gaps in life expectancy between population groups.

The conditions and factors that influence a person's health. They include income, education, housing, employment, culture, environment, access to services and individual behaviours and genetics.

A person's or family's social and economic position, usually judged by income, education and occupation. It strongly affects access to resources and therefore health outcomes.

The ability to find, understand, judge and use health information to make decisions and take action. It includes understanding labels, services and advice, and it supports better health choices.

Actions that help people and communities improve and protect their health. It includes education, policy, supportive environments and community projects, and aims to make healthy choices easier.

A World Health Organization framework for health promotion from 1986. It sets out five action areas: healthy public policy, supportive environments, community action, personal skills and reorienting health services.

Work that protects and improves the health of whole populations rather than treating individuals. It includes disease prevention, screening, vaccination, health education, safe water and health surveillance.

The study of how often diseases and health problems occur in groups of people and what factors are associated with them. It helps identify risks and plan prevention.

Something that increases the chance of a person developing a health problem or injury. Risk factors can be behavioural, such as smoking, or environmental, genetic or social.

Something that reduces the chance of a health problem or helps buffer against harm. Examples include supportive family, regular activity, good sleep, safe housing and positive school connection.

An explanation of health behaviour that says a person's actions depend on perceived threat of illness, perceived benefits and barriers of acting, cues to act and confidence in acting.

A way a person manages stress or difficulty. Strategies can be helpful, such as talking to someone or exercising, or unhelpful, such as avoiding problems or using substances.

Health care that respects a person's culture and power differences, so they feel safe and understood. It requires practitioners to examine their own attitudes and the impact of colonisation.

Any body movement that uses energy, including walking, sport, work and chores. Regular activity supports physical and mental wellbeing, sleep and social connection.

A regular period of rest when the body and brain recover. Enough good-quality sleep supports mood, learning, immunity and physical health, and too little is linked to poor outcomes.

The food and drink a person takes in and how the body uses it. A balanced diet supplies energy and nutrients needed for growth, activity, immunity and mental wellbeing.

Using substances such as alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or other drugs. It can harm physical and mental health, relationships and school or work, and risk rises with early and heavy use.