Promoting Healthy Behavior Change

1. 1 Promoting Healthy Behavior Change

2. Objectives • Discuss health in terms of historical perspectives. • Discuss the health status of Americans, the factors that contribute to health and illness, and the importance of Healthy People 2010 and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Guidelines. • Evaluate the role of gender in health status, health research, and health training. • Discuss the health challenges faced by people of various racial and cultural backgrounds.

3. Objectives (continued) • Explain the importance of developing a global perspective on health. • Evaluate sources of health information, particularly the Internet, to determine reliability. • Dispel myths, gain new insight, gain enough understanding to apply the info. to your daily lives, and pass on to family and friends

4. Health • What is health and wellness? • Health – the definition of health has changed over time; it is now considered a multidimensional concept that includes physical, emotional, social, mental, and environmental aspects • Wellness – is a measure of our status in each of the dimensions of health and is the key to unlocking an individual’s full potential

5. Figure 1.1 The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum Figure 1.1

6. The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum • Physical Health: Body size, shape, sensory acuity &responsiveness, fitness, and susceptibility to disease and disorders • Ability to perform activities if daily living (ADL’s) • Intellectual Health: Ability to think clearly, reason objectively, & analyze critically. • Learning from successes and failures • Making sound responsible decisions

7. The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum • Emotional Health: Ability to express emotions appropriately, controlling emotions • Self esteem and self confidence • Ability to trust, love, etc. • Environmental Health: Appreciation of external environment & role of preserving, protecting, and improving environment • Spiritual Health: Belief in supreme being • Feeling of oneness with others and nature • Guiding sense of meaning or value • Purpose in life

8. The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum • Wellness: Appreciation for life, self, and world • Realistic sense of self • Ability to function at reasonable level physiologically • Ability to maintain and support healthful relationships • A sense of satisfaction with life and an appreciation for the stages of life experience • A balance in all things • A zest for living, coupled with curiosity about what each new encounter and each day will bring

9. Table 1.2 Leading Causes of Death in the United States by Age (Years), 2002 Table 1.2

10. Figure 1.2 Key Determinants of Health Figure 1.2

11. Health through the Years • 1800s – health was associated with poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions: health was the opposite of sickness • Medical Model – health is an individual issue; the way to improve an individual’s health was to treat the illness • Episodic care – seeking treatment for injury or illness

12. Health through the Years • 1900s – health was associated with an individual’s interaction with the social/physical environment: • Ecological or Public Health Model –viewed diseases & other negative health events as a result of an individuals interaction with his/her social and physical environment • considered factors such as air/water pollution, working conditions, substance abuse, stress, diet, lifestyle, access to health care for both individuals and entire populations • Prevention – identify risk factors to reduce risk of injury or illness

13. Health through the Years (continued) • 1947 – World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as: • “Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.” • 1960–1970 – Comprehensive Ecological or Public Health Model adds to the definition of health the physical, social, and mental elements of life, as well as environmental, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual dimensions • Today – “quality” of life is considered just as important as years of life

14. The Evolution toward Wellness • Many people have adopted a holistic approach to wellness, or a balance between mind, body, and spirit • This approach allows one to achieve wellness for any given limitation or strengths; e.g., a person with a physical disability may still have a high degree of wellness if they are able to find holistic balance

15. New Directions for Health • Healthy People 2010 • Goal – to eliminate health disparities and increase the lifespan and quality of life • Health disparities are when one group (gender, race, ethnicity, community) has a higher disposition for an illness • New focus on wellness, health promotion and disease prevention

16. Table 1.1 What Is Healthy People 2010? Table 1.1

17. Better Health in the 21st Century • Focusing on global health issues • Every day 2 million people worldwide move across national borders • Everyone’s health is affected by economic, social, behavioral, scientific, and technological factors • Important to understand vast differences in health status across various social groups and actively promote community actions that erase disparities • Today’s global economy expands health concerns beyond borders • Focusing on personal choices to achieve your optimal health as well as the health of those around you

18. Gender Differences and Health Status • Women live longer than men, but don’t necessarily enjoy better quality of life. • Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and multiple sclerosis more common in women • Health disparities due to gender are possibly related to exclusion of women from many clinical trials due to reproductive or menstrual concerns.

19. Gender Differences and Health Status • Research on women’s health after 1990: • Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) • Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): 15 year, 625 million dollar study focusing on leading causes of death in post-menopausal women • Elimination of women in studies means results cannot be applied to women directly • Government has specified that equal amounts of money be spent on men’s and women’s health research • Increased medical attention will hopefully help prevent women’s cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis

20. Achievements in Public Health • Vaccinations • Motor vehicle safety • Workplace safety • Control of infectious diseases • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke deaths • Safe and healthy foods • Maternal and infant care • Family planning • Fluoridated drinking water • Recognition of tobacco as a health hazard

21. Goals for Public Health • New drugs • Decrease in cancer deaths • New antibiotics for bacteria and infectious diseases • Improvement in spirituality • Better control of heart disease • Vaccines for cold and flu • Better foods • Improve aging

22. Changing Your Health Behaviors • Change depends on the individual: • Identify what is most important to you or what poses the most immediate threat to health; for example: • Diet • Relationships • Stress management • Safe sex • Drug/alcohol use • Exercise • Use of tobacco

23. Taking Charge • Make assessment – identify the specific behavior change you would like to make • Make change – follow these steps to make that change: • Evaluate behavior and identify patterns • Select one pattern of behavior to change • Use the Behavior Change Contract (Figure 1.5) to formulate a plan • Chart your progress in a journal • Revise your plan as needed

24. Key behaviors to a healthy lifestyle • Minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night • Maintain healthy eating habits • Weight management • Physical recreational activities • Avoiding tobacco products • Practicing safer sex • Limiting intake of alcohol • Scheduling regular self exams and medical check ups

25. Key behaviors to a healthy lifestyle (con’t) • Control stressors in your life • Form meaningful relationships with family and friends • Make time for yourself • Participate in at least one fun activity each day • Respect the environment and people in it • Be a decision maker • Value each day and make the best of opportunities • View mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow • Be kind to self and others • Understand healthcare system as use it wisely