Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-83).

The purpose of the present study is to assess the role of the concepts of health and sickness in Nietzsche&rsquo / s philosophy. While doing this, our basic presupposition will be that these concepts owe their special place to their being the new criteria for Nietzsche&rsquo / s project of revaluation of all existing values. Nietzsche was philosophizing in the face of the crisis of 19th century Europe, that is, nihilism. According to him, Western traditional thought is based on an otherworldly oriented conception of life the values of which are nothing but a negation of life. Although these values had served man&rsquo / s justification of living for a long time, they reached their expiration by the &lsquo / death of god&rsquo / resulting from the materialistic tendency of the flourishing natural sciences of the 19th century. The &lsquo / death of god&rsquo / paved the way for a devaluation of once most valuable values, of which the most notable are &lsquo / good&rsquo / and &lsquo / bad&rsquo / . Thus, Nietzsche&rsquo / s project of revaluation needs new evaluative criteria as well, which is &lsquo / health&rsquo / and &lsquo / sickness&rsquo / . In this study, I will argue that, Nietzsche situates a physiological understanding of these concepts at the very heart of his revaluation and their somehow metaphorical application to culture and modern society is based on a physiological conception of them as well.

Le Health-Sickness Rating Scale (HSRS; Luborsky, 1962) permet d’évaluer empiriquement la santé mentale. Plusieurs recherches ont permit d’établir ses qualités psychométriques (Armelius, Gerin, Luborsky & Alexander, 1991; Luborsky, 1962, 1975;Luborsky & Bachrach, 1974; Harty, Cerney, Colson, Coyne, Frieswyk, Johnson &Mortimer, 1981). Cette recherche se divise en deux parties. Dans la première, elle vise une traduction du HSRS, une évaluation de sa validité et de sa fidélité interjuges auprès d’intervenants québécois en santé mentale ainsi qu’une nouvelle validation internationale de l’instrument. Trente et un professionnels ont participé à cette partie de l’étude. Les résultats montrent une fidélité interjuges forte (ICC de 0.78) entre l’ensemble des intervenants québécois, une validité concurrente très forte (ICC de 0.97). Le nouvel indice de validité internationale calculé auprès des professionnels de quatre pays (Etats-Unis, France, Québec et Suisse) est également très fort (ICC de 0.98). La deuxième partie de cette recherche vise l’élaboration et la validation la forme auto-révélée du HSRS. Trente-cinq sujets ont participé à l’étude. Les résultats indiquent une corrélation forte (ICC de 0.79) entre la forme auto-révélée du HSRS et la version originale. La fidélité interjuges est également élevée (ICC de 0.83).

This paper is interdisciplinary in the approach to the stories found in Str8 Up and Gangs: The Untold Stories. Drawing from the knowledge of Indigenous Studies and the study of English Literature, this paper connects discourses of health and sickness, crime and punishment, and Canada's colonial legacy to Indigenous gangs in Canada. Finally, this paper demonstrates how narrative techniques have been applied in an attempt to help intervene and prevent the growth of Indigenous gangs in Canada.

A study was carried out to understand the process of health and sickness in a sample of rural workers located at the Santa Maria Municipality, district of Arroio do So (RS, Brazil). The conceptual background of the study is based upon the theory of social representation. This theory consists of the beliefs, values and norms that influence not only thoughts but also behavior of the people. Needless to say that it is important to take into account the social, economical, political and cultural context of society where people live and work. This context affects social representations of the people. Q-methodology was employed to generate (by qualitative techniques) and analyze (by quantitative techniques) the information. Q is aimed at revealing the inner world of the people, a complex system composed of values, beliefs, thoughts, and so on. In this sense Q is an appropriate approach to study social representations. The implementation of the methodology implies 7 stages that can be reduced to 3 important moments. In the moment one, 10 people were interviewed as qualified informants, to develop the set of statements to be sorted through content analysis (Bardin, 1977). In the second stage, 34 rural workers were interviewed and asked to rank-order opinion statements about why they perceive the health and sickness process. In stage three the data was analyzed and interpreted using a special statistical software program called PCQ. The results of analysis content show that people who live and or work in the country relate to their environment in a particular way that affects their lives totally. Consequently, social representations of health and sickness are influenced with this interaction. Three different categories emerged: a) the process of health and sickness depends of live conditions and habits, b) the process of health and sickness depends of work characteristics, and c) cultural practices related to health and sickness. A matrix was built upon these 3 categories in order to develop the statements. The results of factorial analysis show that 3 factors emerged. They were labeled: a) health and integral prevention, b) popular health system, and c) work-health relation. These factors are related to the categories coming from the content analysis. Taking into account that there are differences between the urban and rural contexts, and that social representations are dynamic and heterogeneous, public health politics should consider them when rural development programs are planned. This will lead nicely to develop programs well suited to the rural conditions, needs and demands. It is important to avoid copying to the rural context what is being done in the urban one. / Este estudo foi desenvolvido para entender o processo saúde-doença de um grupo de trabalhadores rurais do distrito de Arroio do Só, em Santa Maria (RS, Brasil). A base conceitual do estudo é a Teoria das Representações Sociais. A referida teoria atribui valor às crenças, ao significado construído socialmente, à cultura e ás normas que influenciam não só o pensamento, mas também o comportamento das pessoas. É importante considerar o contexto social, econômico, político e cultural da sociedade em que as pessoas vivem e trabalham e como esse contexto afeta as representações sociais dos indivíduos. A metodologia Q foi utilizada para suscitar (por técnicas qualitativas) e analisar (por técnicas quantitativas) as informações. A referida metodologia apresenta como objetivo revelar o mundo interior das pessoas, este considerado um sistema complexo composto de valores, crenças e pensamentos. Nesse sentido, Q é uma abordagem apropriada para estudar as representações sociais. A implementação da metodologia implica sete (7) passos que podem ser reduzidos a três (3) momentos importantes. No primeiro momento, dez (10) pessoas foram entrevistadas como informantes qualificados para desenvolver o conjunto de opiniões a ser classificado pela análise de conteúdo (Bardin, 1977). No segundo momento, trinta e quatro (34) trabalhadores rurais foram entrevistados e solicitados a classificar afirmativas de acordo com sua percepção acerca do processo saúde-doença. No terceiro momento, os dados foram analisados e interpretados por meio de um programa especial de software estatístico, denominado PCQ. Os resultados da análise de conteúdo mostram que as pessoas que moram ou trabalham na área rural, relacionam-se com o seu meio de uma maneira especial, que afeta integralmente suas vidas. Conseqüentemente, as representações sociais de saúde e doenças são influenciadas por tal interação. Três diferentes categorias surgiram: a) o processo saúde-doença resultante das condições e dos hábitos de vida; b) o processo saúde-doença resultante das características do trabalho; c) práticas de cuidado relacionadas à saúde e à doença. Uma matriz sobre essas três categorias foi elaborada para desenvolver as afirmativas. Os resultados da análise fatorial mostram três (3) fatores: a) saúde é a prevenção integral; b) sistema de saúde popular; c) relação trabalho-saúde. Estes fatores são relacionados às categorias provenientes da análise de conteúdo. Como há diferenças entre os contextos urbano e rural e as representações sociais são dinâmicas e heterogêneas, a política pública de saúde pública deveria considerá-las, quando os programas de desenvolvimento rural são planejados. Tal procedimento pode levar a desenvolver programas adequados às condições rurais, às suas necessidades e às suas demandas. É importante não copiar para o contexto rural o que é feito no contexto urbano.

Introdução: A presente tese, a partir de uma análise estratégica, articula as dimensões da teoria organizacional no campo da administração pública, o objeto de estudo-trabalho processo saúde-doença, a prática profissional integral e o planejamento estratégico situacional, por meio da Estratégia de Atenção Primária à Saúde. O propósito é o de, a partir da articulação das dimensões referidas, compreender e situar os Programas de Saúde do México a nível nacional e do Distrito Federal, a nível local, e estabelecer sob que pressuposto, de bem-estar ou qualidade, se encontram elaborados. Revisão da literatura: Entre outros aspectos revisados, destaca-se a importância da dimensão da teoria organizacional (normativa, sistêmica e cultural-crítica) como categorias fundamentais para compreender a relação entre as unidades primárias de análise de cada teoria e as categorias de indivíduo-grupo, organização e sociedade. Apresenta-se como uma segunda dimensão, a inter-relação entre a teoria e a prática profissional integral do processo saúde-doença, assim como suas conexões com a teoria da organização. Descrevem-se, como terceira dimensão, os aspectos teóricos do planejamento estratégico situacional e sua relação com a Estratégia de Atenção Primária à Saúde. Desenvolvem-se os pressupostos de bem-estar e qualidade, sob os princípios sociais, econômicos e políticos em que se encontram os Programas. Objetivo: Estabelecer através da análise estratégica, em suas diferentes dimensões, o tipo de teoria organizacional, os elementos teórico-metodológicos do planejamento estratégico sob as premissas da Estratégia da Atenção Primária à Saúde e a inter-relação com o objeto de estudo-trabalho e a prática profissional, que permita determinar o tipo de pressuposto de bem-estar ou qualidade que sustenta aos Programas nacional e local estudados. Metodologia: O estudo foi realizado em base ao método qualitativo de estudo de caso, para compreender o processo da análise estratégica, a partir da interdependência dialógica dos marcos geral, particular e singular dos Programas nacional e local. A pesquisa se enfocou nas informações imersas nos Programas de Saúde, a través de uma revisão dialógica dos documentos oficiais e em entrevistas semidirigidas, realizadas com planejadores das respectivas Secretarias de Saúde. Assim, foram descritas as unidades primárias de análise do campo da administração pública que permite diferenciar a forma de estabelecer a teoria da organização prevalente nos Programas. Ao mesmo tempo, se definiram 9 cenários matriciais e 72 subcenários lineares, para compreender a relação do processo saúde-doença e a prática profissional, como elementos chaves que tem uma correspondência com o objeto de estudo-trabalho e sua resposta científico-técnico-social de acordo com a teoria da organização, com o planejamento estratégico situacional ou empresarial, e os pressupostos de qualidade e bem-estar utilizado pelos dois Programas. Resultados: O Programa Nacional tende a uma teoria organizacional de tipo sistêmica, sob o pressuposto teórico de qualidade, sendo que seu objeto de estudo se enfoca para a doença e/ou a saúde, em forma isolada. Em decorrência, a prática profissional está baseada no modelo biomédico tradicional economicista, formal e científico, fundamentado em um planejamento estratégico empresarial; dimensões que corroboram o pressuposto teórico de qualidade. O Programa do Distrito Federal se situa em uma teoria organizacional de tipo sistêmica com tendência à teoria cultural-crítica, sendo seu objeto de estudo o processo saúde-doença e a prática profissional se constitui por ações integradas, em um modelo de atenção ampliada de saúde, ainda que separe o campo da atenção pessoal da coletiva. Neste sentido, o planejamento estratégico é de tipo empresarial, com alguns conteúdos sociais que incide para o pressuposto teórico do bem-estar. Discussão e Considerações gerais: O processo de análise estratégica permitiu compreender que em seu contexto teórico-metodológico o Programa nacional é prescritivo, disjuntor e normatizador, e o Programa local é prescritivo, articulador e social. Existe neste último, a possibilidade de construir a articulação das diferentes dimensões desenvolvidas neste trabalho. A rede estaria constituída pela conjunção da teoria organizacional cultural - critica, pelo objeto de estudo processo saúde-doença e por uma prática profissional social, desenvolvidas por meio do planejamento estratégico situacional, sob os elementos constitutivos da Estratégia de Atenção Primária à Saúde. Este processo pode incidir em uma futura sociedade do bem-estar, na que a emancipação seja o elemento chave para uma cultura da saúde. Considera-se que, de não desenvolver-se a articulação de diferentes dimensões da análise estratégica, com uma base teórica de sustentação, se seguirá produzindo programas de saúde com características predominantemente regulatórias, fragmentadas e reducionistas. / Introduction: This thesis, based on a strategic analysis, articulates the dimensions of organizational theories in the field of public administration, the subject matter of health-sickness process study-work, full professional practice and situational strategic planning, by means of the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health. The purpose is to comprehend and place the Health Programs of Mexico at the national level and of the Federal District at the regional level, with a basis on the articulation of the aforesaid dimensions, and to establish under which assumption, of wellbeing or quality, they are prepared. Review of literature: In addition to other reviewed aspects, emphasis is placed on the importance of the dimension of organizational theories (normative, systemic and cultural-critical) as essential category for understanding the relation between the primary units of analysis of each theory and the categories of individual-group, organization and society. A second dimension to appear is the interrelation between theory and full professional practice of the health-sickness process, as well as its connections with the theory of organization. The theoretical aspects of situational strategic planning and its relation with the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health are described as a third dimension. The assumptions of wellbeing and quality are developed under the social, economic and political principles in which the Programs can be found. Goal: To establish, by means of strategic analysis, in its different dimensions, the type of organizational theory, the theoretical-methodological elements of strategic planning under the assumptions of the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health and the interrelation with the study-work subject and professional practice, which permits the determination of the type of assumption of wellbeing or quality that sustains the national and regional Programs studied. Methodology: The study was carried out with a basis on the qualitative case study method, to understand the strategic analysis process from the dialogic interdependence of the general, particular and singular milestones of the national and regional Programs. The survey focused on information included in Health Programs, through a dialogic review of official documents and in semi-targeted interviews, held with planners from the respective Departments of Health. Hence a description was made of the primary units of analysis of the field of public administration that permits the differentiation of the manner of establishing the theory of organization that is prevalent in the Programs. At the same time, 9 matricial scenarios and 72 linear sub-scenarios were defined to understand the relation of the health-sickness process and professional practice, as key elements that establish a correspondence with the study-work subject matter and its scientific-technical-social response is in conformity with the theory of organization, with situational or corporate strategic planning, and the assumptions of quality and wellbeing utilized by the two Programs. Results: The National Program is conducive to an organizational theory of the systemic type, under the theoretical assumption of quality, where its study subject is focused on sickness and/or health, in an isolated manner. Consequently, professional practice is based on the economicist, formal and scientific traditional biomedical model, founded on corporate strategic planning; dimensions that corroborate the theoretical assumption of quality. The Program of the Federal District is situated in an organizational theory of the systemic type, which is conducive to the cultural-critical theory. Its study subject is the health-sickness process and professional practice comprises of integrated actions, in a model of expanded attention to health, even though it separates the field of personal attention from the collective field. To this effect, strategic planning is of the corporate type, with some social contents that comes within the scope of the theoretical assumption of wellbeing. Discussion and General Considerations: The strategic analysis process made it possible to understand that in its theoretical-methodological context the national Program is prescriptive, disjunctive and regulatory, and the local Program is prescriptive, articulating and social. The latter features the possibility of building the articulation of the different dimensions developed in this study. The network is apparently formed by the conjunction of the cultural-critical organizational theory, the health-sickness process study subject and a social professional practice, developed by means of situational strategic planning, under the constitutive elements of the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health. This process can lead to a future society of welfare, in which emancipation is the key element for a culture of health. It is considered that, due to the non-development of the articulation of different dimensions of strategic analysis, with a theoretical foundation, the tendency will be to continue producing health programs with predominantly regulatory, fragmented and reductionist characteristics.

Introdução: A presente tese, a partir de uma análise estratégica, articula as dimensões da teoria organizacional no campo da administração pública, o objeto de estudo-trabalho processo saúde-doença, a prática profissional integral e o planejamento estratégico situacional, por meio da Estratégia de Atenção Primária à Saúde. O propósito é o de, a partir da articulação das dimensões referidas, compreender e situar os Programas de Saúde do México a nível nacional e do Distrito Federal, a nível local, e estabelecer sob que pressuposto, de bem-estar ou qualidade, se encontram elaborados. Revisão da literatura: Entre outros aspectos revisados, destaca-se a importância da dimensão da teoria organizacional (normativa, sistêmica e cultural-crítica) como categorias fundamentais para compreender a relação entre as unidades primárias de análise de cada teoria e as categorias de indivíduo-grupo, organização e sociedade. Apresenta-se como uma segunda dimensão, a inter-relação entre a teoria e a prática profissional integral do processo saúde-doença, assim como suas conexões com a teoria da organização. Descrevem-se, como terceira dimensão, os aspectos teóricos do planejamento estratégico situacional e sua relação com a Estratégia de Atenção Primária à Saúde. Desenvolvem-se os pressupostos de bem-estar e qualidade, sob os princípios sociais, econômicos e políticos em que se encontram os Programas. Objetivo: Estabelecer através da análise estratégica, em suas diferentes dimensões, o tipo de teoria organizacional, os elementos teórico-metodológicos do planejamento estratégico sob as premissas da Estratégia da Atenção Primária à Saúde e a inter-relação com o objeto de estudo-trabalho e a prática profissional, que permita determinar o tipo de pressuposto de bem-estar ou qualidade que sustenta aos Programas nacional e local estudados. Metodologia: O estudo foi realizado em base ao método qualitativo de estudo de caso, para compreender o processo da análise estratégica, a partir da interdependência dialógica dos marcos geral, particular e singular dos Programas nacional e local. A pesquisa se enfocou nas informações imersas nos Programas de Saúde, a través de uma revisão dialógica dos documentos oficiais e em entrevistas semidirigidas, realizadas com planejadores das respectivas Secretarias de Saúde. Assim, foram descritas as unidades primárias de análise do campo da administração pública que permite diferenciar a forma de estabelecer a teoria da organização prevalente nos Programas. Ao mesmo tempo, se definiram 9 cenários matriciais e 72 subcenários lineares, para compreender a relação do processo saúde-doença e a prática profissional, como elementos chaves que tem uma correspondência com o objeto de estudo-trabalho e sua resposta científico-técnico-social de acordo com a teoria da organização, com o planejamento estratégico situacional ou empresarial, e os pressupostos de qualidade e bem-estar utilizado pelos dois Programas. Resultados: O Programa Nacional tende a uma teoria organizacional de tipo sistêmica, sob o pressuposto teórico de qualidade, sendo que seu objeto de estudo se enfoca para a doença e/ou a saúde, em forma isolada. Em decorrência, a prática profissional está baseada no modelo biomédico tradicional economicista, formal e científico, fundamentado em um planejamento estratégico empresarial; dimensões que corroboram o pressuposto teórico de qualidade. O Programa do Distrito Federal se situa em uma teoria organizacional de tipo sistêmica com tendência à teoria cultural-crítica, sendo seu objeto de estudo o processo saúde-doença e a prática profissional se constitui por ações integradas, em um modelo de atenção ampliada de saúde, ainda que separe o campo da atenção pessoal da coletiva. Neste sentido, o planejamento estratégico é de tipo empresarial, com alguns conteúdos sociais que incide para o pressuposto teórico do bem-estar. Discussão e Considerações gerais: O processo de análise estratégica permitiu compreender que em seu contexto teórico-metodológico o Programa nacional é prescritivo, disjuntor e normatizador, e o Programa local é prescritivo, articulador e social. Existe neste último, a possibilidade de construir a articulação das diferentes dimensões desenvolvidas neste trabalho. A rede estaria constituída pela conjunção da teoria organizacional cultural - critica, pelo objeto de estudo processo saúde-doença e por uma prática profissional social, desenvolvidas por meio do planejamento estratégico situacional, sob os elementos constitutivos da Estratégia de Atenção Primária à Saúde. Este processo pode incidir em uma futura sociedade do bem-estar, na que a emancipação seja o elemento chave para uma cultura da saúde. Considera-se que, de não desenvolver-se a articulação de diferentes dimensões da análise estratégica, com uma base teórica de sustentação, se seguirá produzindo programas de saúde com características predominantemente regulatórias, fragmentadas e reducionistas. / Introduction: This thesis, based on a strategic analysis, articulates the dimensions of organizational theories in the field of public administration, the subject matter of health-sickness process study-work, full professional practice and situational strategic planning, by means of the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health. The purpose is to comprehend and place the Health Programs of Mexico at the national level and of the Federal District at the regional level, with a basis on the articulation of the aforesaid dimensions, and to establish under which assumption, of wellbeing or quality, they are prepared. Review of literature: In addition to other reviewed aspects, emphasis is placed on the importance of the dimension of organizational theories (normative, systemic and cultural-critical) as essential category for understanding the relation between the primary units of analysis of each theory and the categories of individual-group, organization and society. A second dimension to appear is the interrelation between theory and full professional practice of the health-sickness process, as well as its connections with the theory of organization. The theoretical aspects of situational strategic planning and its relation with the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health are described as a third dimension. The assumptions of wellbeing and quality are developed under the social, economic and political principles in which the Programs can be found. Goal: To establish, by means of strategic analysis, in its different dimensions, the type of organizational theory, the theoretical-methodological elements of strategic planning under the assumptions of the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health and the interrelation with the study-work subject and professional practice, which permits the determination of the type of assumption of wellbeing or quality that sustains the national and regional Programs studied. Methodology: The study was carried out with a basis on the qualitative case study method, to understand the strategic analysis process from the dialogic interdependence of the general, particular and singular milestones of the national and regional Programs. The survey focused on information included in Health Programs, through a dialogic review of official documents and in semi-targeted interviews, held with planners from the respective Departments of Health. Hence a description was made of the primary units of analysis of the field of public administration that permits the differentiation of the manner of establishing the theory of organization that is prevalent in the Programs. At the same time, 9 matricial scenarios and 72 linear sub-scenarios were defined to understand the relation of the health-sickness process and professional practice, as key elements that establish a correspondence with the study-work subject matter and its scientific-technical-social response is in conformity with the theory of organization, with situational or corporate strategic planning, and the assumptions of quality and wellbeing utilized by the two Programs. Results: The National Program is conducive to an organizational theory of the systemic type, under the theoretical assumption of quality, where its study subject is focused on sickness and/or health, in an isolated manner. Consequently, professional practice is based on the economicist, formal and scientific traditional biomedical model, founded on corporate strategic planning; dimensions that corroborate the theoretical assumption of quality. The Program of the Federal District is situated in an organizational theory of the systemic type, which is conducive to the cultural-critical theory. Its study subject is the health-sickness process and professional practice comprises of integrated actions, in a model of expanded attention to health, even though it separates the field of personal attention from the collective field. To this effect, strategic planning is of the corporate type, with some social contents that comes within the scope of the theoretical assumption of wellbeing. Discussion and General Considerations: The strategic analysis process made it possible to understand that in its theoretical-methodological context the national Program is prescriptive, disjunctive and regulatory, and the local Program is prescriptive, articulating and social. The latter features the possibility of building the articulation of the different dimensions developed in this study. The network is apparently formed by the conjunction of the cultural-critical organizational theory, the health-sickness process study subject and a social professional practice, developed by means of situational strategic planning, under the constitutive elements of the Strategy of Primary Attention to Health. This process can lead to a future society of welfare, in which emancipation is the key element for a culture of health. It is considered that, due to the non-development of the articulation of different dimensions of strategic analysis, with a theoretical foundation, the tendency will be to continue producing health programs with predominantly regulatory, fragmented and reductionist characteristics.

A qualitative research design and an ethno-nursing research method were used to identify cultural factors influencing Xhosa women's health seeking behaviours associated with breast lumps. Focus group interviews were conducted to obtain data. The research results revealed that these Xhosa women with breast lumps did not disclose some cultural factors which influenced their health seeking behaviours associated breast lumps. Registered nurses, sharing the same culture and language as the Xhosa women, revealed that Xhosa women with breast lumps sought treatment from traditional healers, prior to seeking medical care from the hospital and/or clinics. When they arrive at the hospital/clinics the breast lumps have often progressed to advanced ulcerated breast cancer, with poor prognoses and poor treatment outcomes. Xhosa women lacked knowledge about the management of breast lumps. Health promotion efforts should address this issue at Primary Health Care services in the Eastern Cape. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

A qualitative research design and an ethno-nursing research method were used to identify cultural factors influencing Xhosa women's health seeking behaviours associated with breast lumps. Focus group interviews were conducted to obtain data. The research results revealed that these Xhosa women with breast lumps did not disclose some cultural factors which influenced their health seeking behaviours associated breast lumps. Registered nurses, sharing the same culture and language as the Xhosa women, revealed that Xhosa women with breast lumps sought treatment from traditional healers, prior to seeking medical care from the hospital and/or clinics. When they arrive at the hospital/clinics the breast lumps have often progressed to advanced ulcerated breast cancer, with poor prognoses and poor treatment outcomes. Xhosa women lacked knowledge about the management of breast lumps. Health promotion efforts should address this issue at Primary Health Care services in the Eastern Cape. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

In broad terms, this thesis is a study of what Protestant theologians in early modern England taught regarding the interdependence between physical health and spirituality. More precisely, it examines the specific and complex doctrines taught regarding health-related issues in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and evaluates the consistency of these messages over time. A component of the controversial Protestant-science hypothesis introduced in the early twentieth century is that advancements in science were driven by the Protestant ethic of needing to control nature and every aspect therein. This thesis challenges this notion. Within the context of health, sickness and death, the doctrine of providence evident in Protestant soteriology emphasised complete submission to God's sovereign will. Rather, this overriding doctrine negated the need to assume any control. Moreover, this thesis affirms that the directives theologians delivered governing physical health remained consistent across this span, despite radical changes taking place in medicine during the same period. This consistency shows the stability and strength of this message. Each chapter offers a comprehensive analysis on what Protestant theologians taught regarding the health of the body as well as the soul. The inclusion of more than one hundred seventy sermons and religious treatises by as many as one hundred twenty different authors spanning more than two hundred years laid a fertile groundwork for this study. The result of this work provides an extensive survey of theological teachings from these religious writers over a large span of time.