Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Vulnerable (pronunciation: /ˈvʌlnərəbəl/) is a term used in various fields, including medicine, to describe a state of being open to harm, damage, or disease.
Etymology
The term "vulnerable" originates from the Latin word "vulnerabilis", which means "wounding". It is a combination of the Latin "vulnus" (wound) and "-abilis" (able to be).
Medical Definition
In a medical context, vulnerable refers to a state in which an individual or population is at an increased risk of developing health problems due to exposure to risk factors. This could be due to a variety of reasons, including but not limited to, age, socioeconomic status, health condition, or environmental factors.
Related Terms
- Risk Factors: Elements or conditions that increase the likelihood of developing a disease or health condition.
- Health Disparities: Differences in health outcomes and their determinants between different segments of the population.
- Social Determinants of Health: Conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
Use in Other Fields
While the term vulnerable is used in medicine, it is also used in other fields such as psychology, sociology, and environmental science. In these fields, it generally refers to a state of being susceptible to harm or damage, whether it be emotional, social, or environmental.
Related Terms
- Psychological Vulnerability: A person's increased likelihood of developing mental health disorders due to genetic, biological, or environmental factors.
- Societal Vulnerability: The susceptibility of a society to harm or damage due to social, economic, or political factors.
- Environmental Vulnerability: The susceptibility of an environment to harm or damage due to natural or human-induced factors.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Vulnerable
- Wikipedia's article - Vulnerable
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