Summary Health the Basics

Chapter 1—Accessing Your Health Introduction to Health          Sleep is one of the most commonly reported impediments to academic health Mortality Rates: Proportion of deaths to population Life expectancy: The average is 78.7 years in the U.S.; longer than the 47 years’ life expectancy in the 1900’s. Expected number of life years at a given age. Before vaccinations, antibiotics a third of all deaths were from infections, over 40% from children less than 5 years old. Infectious Diseases: Can spread from one person to another through contact with bodily fluids, coughing, sneezing. Chronic Diseases: A disease that begins slow but progresses over time and can be treated but not cured with medicine. Ex: Heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Obesity is increasingly prevalent and may reduce life expectancy in the U.S. o Factors like high BP, smoking, elevated glucose reduce life expectancy 4.9 year in men and 4.1 years in women. Healthy Life Expectancy: Number of life years enjoyed without disability, chronic pain or illness. o Health-related quality of life (HRQoL): Multidimensional concept addressing the impact that health has on social, emotional, mental, physical and overall quality of life. Wellbeing: Positive aspects in a person’s life (ex: positive emotions). Choosing Health Now Benefits Others   Health: Process of achieving individual potential in physical, social, emotional, mental, spiritual and environmental domains. Models include Medical Model and Public Health Model Medical Model of Health    Health status focused on the individual and his or her tissues or organs. Focused on treating ailments/diseases with medication or surgery. Focused on treatment of disease and not prevention of disease. Public Health Model     Ecological or Public Health Model: Viewed health and other negative events as a result of an individual’s interaction with his/her social and physical environment (ex: poor diet, water quality, bad housing). o Steps to improve hygiene, sanitization, develop proper sewage systems. Shift from individual illness treatment to disease prevention Disease Prevention: Actions or behaviors designed to keep people from getÝng sick (ex: vaccines and antibiotics). o Health was now newly defined as physical, mental and social well-being. Health Promotion: Promote policies and programs that support good health. Helped identify people engaging in risky behavior. Wellness and Dimensions of Health    Wellness: Gradations or level of health within a category. To attain high-levels of health one must move along the continuum towards positive behaviors. 6 dimensions of health: 1. Physical: body shape, susceptibility to disease, ability to perform daily activities. 2. Social: Broad social network maintenance, give and receive love, have friends, engage in social interaction and communication 3. Intellectual: Interest in learning new things, learning from mistakes, ability to think clearly, critically. 4. Emotional: ability to express appropriate emotions, engage in self-control, self-esteem, selfconfidence, love 5. Spiritual: To have meaning and purpose in life, belief in a superior being, to experience peace and contentment, to respect things. 6. Environmental: preserve and protect the environment, understand how negative things in the environment impact you. We need a holistic viewpoint of a person’s health and well-being optimal level is based on person’s unique strengths and limitations. What Influences Health?     Determinants of Health: Array if influences that determine the health of individuals and communities (ex: access to healthy food vs. access to junk food). Healthy People: Published every 10 years since 1999, it sets objectives and benchmarks to monitor progress of health and meeting those objectives. Healthy People 2020: 5 determinants are individual behavior, biology, genetics, social factors, health services and policy making (additionally category is health disparities). 4 factors of behaviors—overeating, failing to exercise, smoking and abusing alcohol Individual Behavior + Biology and Genetics   Modifiable Determinants: Behaviors that one can change that affect health, influence risk for chronic disease (7 out of 10 deaths). o Lack of physical activity o Poor nutrition o Excessive alcohol consumption o Tobacco use o Others: sexual habits, use of contraceptives, illegal drugs, sleep habits. Non-Modifiable Determinants: Aspects that one can’t change or modify (genetically inherited conditions like sickle-cell, predisposition to diseases, youth, age, race, gender). Social Factors   Social and physical conditions in which people live. Social: exposure to crime, mass media, poverty, transportation, wages, social support available. Physical conditions: neighborhood, good lighting, tress, benches, state of buildings, Economic Factors  AfÒuent individuals have better access to healthcare than people of low socioeconomic status. o Lack of quality education o Living in poor households with pests and rodents o Unable to pay for nourishing and healthy food o Having an insecure job without steady paper and proper benefits. The Built Environment + Access to Quality Health Services     Anything created or modified by humans (ex: buildings, roads, transport systems). Modifying such neighborhoods by adding sidewalks, walkways, healthier super-food stores and simple community changes better choices. In 2011, more than 27% of Americans lacked health insurance. Access includes information about health care, insurance (uninsured can’t afford it), supplies of medication. Policymaking + Health Disparities   Mandating seatbelt use, smoking bans in public areas, not use phones while driving. These policies lead to change. Health Disparities: Preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence/opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged groups. How Can You Improve Your Health Behaviors? Three Models of Behavior Change Change should not be viewed as a single event but as a process that need preparation. Health Belief Model:    Explains when beliefs are likely to affect behavior change. Knowing is disconnected from doing. Belief: Appraisal of the relationship between some object, action or idea (e.g. smoking0 and some attribute of that object, action or idea (e.g. smoking causes cancer vs. smoking is sociable and relaxing). For behavior change to occur factors that support a belief must: o Perceive seriousness of the health problem—the more serious effects are perceived the faster actions will be taken o Perceived susceptibility to health problem: high riskpreventative action o Perceived benefits: if action benefits them take action. o Perceived barriers: too expensive, difÏcult or time consuming. These must be overcome or viewed as less beneficial than the perceived benefits. o Cues to action: reminded or altered about health problem take action. Social Cognitive Model (SCM)    Associated with the work of Albert Bandura, Three factors interact and motivate change: o Social environment in which we live o Inner thoughts and feelings (cognition) o Behaviors Change behavior by observing models in our environment, when we change ourselves our thoughts change too. Trans-theoretical Model (TTM) or The Stages of Change Model   Must go through a series of stages to prepare for eventual change. We need help and reinforcement during each stage of the model: 1. Pre-contemplation: No current intention of changing/have tried to change and failed before. 2. Contemplation: Realize the problem and begin considering change but may put it off for years. 3. Preparation: Come up with a plan for change and thought about what to do. 4. Action: Begin the change, those with the plan are more ready for action. 5. Maintenance: Continues with actions and seeks to make them permanent. Risk for relapses. 6. Termination: Behavior is ingrained and has become an essential part of life.  This is not a stable but fluctuating model; also not sequential. The Four Step Plan to Change Step 1: Increase Your Awareness  Focus on different aspects of your health—what do you have to overcome? What forms of social support do you have? What aspects are biological or genetic factors? Step 2: Contemplate Change          Examine health habits and patterns—do you smoke? Party too hard? Sleep to less? Predisposing Factors: Factors that make a behavior more likely (ex: your mother smokes) Enabling Factors: Factors that facilitate or impede an individual (ex: if peers smoke). Reinforcing Factors: If you decide to change, but those around you still engage in bad habits or behaviors. Targeting a specific behavior rather than multiple behaviors works better; focus on details and the specific behavior you want to change. To achieve change you need motivation. Motivation: Social and cognitive force that directs your behavior. Motivation has to be combined with commitment and a realistic understanding of getÝng form point A to B. Readiness: State of being that precedes behavior change (knowledge, skill, external and internal resources). Self-EfÏcacy: Belief that you are capable of achieve your goal and influencing events in your life (increase during contemplation stage).    Internal Locus of Control: The belief that one has power and control over their actions. External Locus of Control: People that believe that they have no control over their situation or that others have control. Tips to maintain motivation: o Pick one specific behavior to change o Set short and long term goals o Reward yourself o Enlist help and support from others Step 3: Prepare for Change      Realistic Goal: Set a realistic goal that is achievable; use SMART goals. SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, Timely Shaping: Step process of making a series of small changes; start slowly and then speed up. Anticipated Barriers to Change: o Overambitious goals o Lack of adequate health care o Lack of guidance and support o Failing to assess your current state of wellness Modeling: Learning specific behaviors by watching others perform o Family members that are strong and positive, coaches, teachers, friends o Friends that share your personal values can greatly impact your behavior o Professionals: health care provider, coach, trainer, PE advisor Step 4: Take Action to Change        Strategies of change: visualization, countering, controlling the situation, self-talk, rewarding yourself. Imagined Rehearsal: Practicing through mental imagery, to become better able to perform an act and help anticipate problems. Countering: Substituting a desired behavior for an undesirable behavior (use substitute food for junk food). Antecedents: Aspect s of a situation beforehand that cue or stimulate a person to act a certain way. Situational Inducement: Modify antecedents working against you. Seeking out antecedents that support behavior change and avoid one’s that derail behavior change. Self-Talk: The way you think to yourself (positive self-talk can help you recover quickly). Positive Reinforcement: Reward yourself following behavior change. o Consumable (food items, snacks), Activity (opportunity to do something enjoyable), manipulative (lower rent, extra-credit), possessional (tangible rewards like a car), social (love, approval, appreciation). Step 4: Get Started!  Create A behavior change contract and incorporate goals into your life. The Links Between Health & Wealth        Financial status and wealth, does help buy better health and live in better neighborhoods. Budget: An estimate of spending and income over a set period of time. Set goals for budgets and match new budgets with income level, expenses and priorities. Fixed Expenses: Cost does not change in the short term (ex: rent, mortgage, car loan, phone bill). Discretionary Spending: Goods and services that are frivolous but not needed (ex: movies, food, entertainment). Budget Surplus: Earning more money than you spend; money left over. Budget Deficit: Expenses are greater than income.