Health as an individual's way of existence.

This paper examines health from the viewpoint of Finnish individuals. The goal of the study was to understand and describe the human being's health as an individual way of existence on the basis of life descriptions. The methodology of the study were based on the existentialist phenomenological conception of a human being's existence and the essence of knowledge. The study answers the research question: How do Finnish adults who have been cared for in hospital experience health? The data were collected from 60 persons via free form thematic interviews. The data were analysed by applying the grounded theory method. The analysis led to the identification of five different ways to experience health. To the interviewees, health meant independent coping, drifting with the current of life, developing one's personal existence, avoiding threats in one's life situation and taking care of the components of one's life situation. The results provide a deeper understanding of health within daily life and of a human being as a nursing client.