Sairausalttiuden

Sairausalttiuden is a theoretical construct used in Finnish-language health literature to describe an individual’s susceptibility to illness. It denotes the probabilistic tendency to develop a disease after exposure to health stressors, rather than a specific diagnosis or level of severity. As a concept, it is meant to complement traditional risk factors and to capture how likely a person is to become ill in given circumstances.

The term draws from Finnish roots related to illness (sairaus) and susceptibility or vulnerability, and it has appeared in discussions of preventive health, vaccination prioritization, and vulnerability assessments. It is most often discussed in the context of infectious diseases with multifactorial origins and in chronic conditions where host factors influence disease onset.

Conceptually, sairausalttiuden rests on a multi-factorial framework. Contributing elements typically cited include genetic predisposition, immune system function, prior health status, microbiome composition, exposure to pathogens, and environmental and lifestyle factors such as nutrition, sleep, stress, and smoking. Socioeconomic conditions and access to care can modify an individual’s apparent susceptibility by shaping exposure and resilience. The concept emphasizes dynamic risk that can change with age, behavior, and context, rather than a fixed trait.

Measurement and interpretation of sairausalttiuden remain debated. There is no universally accepted metric, though researchers explore proxies such as genetic risk scores, immune biomarkers, prior illness history, and integrated risk models using longitudinal data. Applications include risk stratification for preventive interventions and public health planning, while criticisms focus on definitional ambiguity, measurement challenges, and potential stigmatization. See also disease susceptibility, frailty, and risk assessment.