CONTESSA .

GABRIEL,RM,RN,MAN
( Professor )

Ramon Magsaysay Technological University

Factors Affecting Health and Illness
Physical Dimension
 Genetic make-up, age, developmental level, race and sex
are all part of an individual’s physical dimension and
strongly influence health status and health practices.
 Examples:
a) The toddler just learning to walk is prone to fail and
injure himself.
b) The young woman who has a family history of breast
cancer and diabetes and therefore is at a higher risk to
develop these conditions.
Emotional Dimension
 How the mind and body interact to affect body function
and to respond to body conditions also influences health.
Long term stress affects the body systems and anxiety
affects health habits; conversely, calm acceptance and
relaxation can actually change body responses to illness.
 Examples:
a) Prior to a test, a student always has diarrhea.
b) Extremely nervous about a surgery, a man experiences
severe pain following his operation.
c) Using relaxation techniques, a young woman reduces her
pain during the delivery of her baby.
Intellectual Dimension
 The intellectual dimension encompasses cognitive abilities,
educational background and past experiences. These
influence a client’s responses to teaching about health and
reactions to health care during illness. They also play a
major role in health behaviors.
 Examples:
a) An elderly woman who has only a third-grade education
who needs teaching about a complicated diagnostic test.
b) A young college student with diabetes who follows a
diabetic diet but continues to drink beer and eat pizza
with friends several times a week.
Environmental Dimension
 The environment has many influences on health and
illness. Housing, sanitation, climate and pollution of
air, food and water are aspects of environmental
dimension.
 Examples:
a) Increased incidence of asthma and respiratory
problems in large cities with smog.
Socio-cultural Dimension
 Health practices and beliefs are strongly influenced by a
person’s economic level, lifestyle, family and culture. Low-
income groups are less likely to seek health care to prevent
or treat illness; high-income groups are more prone to
stress-related habits and illness. The family and the culture
to which the person belongs determine patterns of livings
and values, about health and illness that are often
unalterable.
 Examples:
a) The adolescent who sees nothing wrong with smoking or
drinking because his parents smoke and drink.
b) The person of Asian descent who uses herbal remedies
and acupuncture to treat an illness.
Spiritual Dimension
 Spiritual and religious beliefs are important
components of the way the person behaves in health
and illness.
 Examples:
a) Roman Catholics require baptism for both live births
and stillborn babies.
b) Jehovah Witnesses’ are opposed to blood
transfusions.
THANK YOU!