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Health and Illness - Handouts
Health and Illness - Handouts
Nurses’ understanding of health and wellness determines the scope and nature of practice.
DEFINITIONS OF HEALTH
Health – the process through which a person seeks to maintain an equilibrium that promotes
stability and comfort, is a dynamic process that varies according to a person’s perception of wellbeing.
Health is individually defined by each person
On a personal level, individuals define health according to
– how they feel
– absence or presence of symptoms of illness
– and ability to carry out activities
World Health Organization Defined:
– Health is the complete physical, mental, social (totality) well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
DEFINITIONS OF ILLNESS
Is the inability of an individual’s adaptive responses
- Inability to maintain physical and emotional balance.
- Impairment of functional abilities.
- Highly subjective feeling of being sick or ill
- How the person feels towards sickness
2 Major Classification of illness
Acute illness – rapid in onset, intense manifestation, short duration. Usually reversible
Chronic illness – gradual, insidous onset, with lifelong changes, usually irreversible.
DEFINITIONS OF WELLNESS
Conditions in which an individual functions at optimal levels.
- Is a state of well-being.
7 Components of w e l l n e s s
1. Physical. The ability to carry out daily tasks, achieve fitness.
2. Social. The ability to interact successfully with people and within the environment.
3. Emotional. The ability to manage stress and to express emotions appropriately.
4. Intellectual. The ability to learn and use information effectively for personal, family, and career
development.
5. Spiritual. It provide meaning and purpose to life. It includes a person's own morals, values, and
ethics.
6. Occupational. The ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure time.
7. Environmental. The ability to promote health measures that improve the standard of living and
quality of life in the community.
DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH
• PHYSICAL - Genetic make up, age, developmental level, race, sex
• EMOTIONAL - Refers to feelings, Beliefs in one’s worth
• INTELLECTUAL - Cognitive abilities , educational background, experiences
• SPIRITUAL - Ability to practice moral or religious principles or beliefs
• SOCIO-CULTURAL - Sense of having support from family and friends
Practices, values and beliefs that determine health
• Sexual dimension - Acceptance and ability to achieve satisfactory expression of one’s sexuality
8. 4+model of wellness - A newer model, the 4+ model of wellness( Baldwin & Conger,2001)
Consist of four domains of the inner self-physical, spiritual, emotional, and the intellectual-
plus the elements of the outer systems (environment, culture, nutrition, safety and many
other elements).
Locus Of Control (LOC) - a concept from social learning tools use to determine whether clients like to
take action regarding health
- Determine which people will likely exhibit change in behavior
- INTERNALS (LOC) - Self determined.
- They believe they have a major influence on their health status.
- EXTERNAL(LOC) - Believe their health is controlled by outside forces.
Rosentock’s and becker’s health belief model
- Intended to predict which individuals would or would not use preventive measures
- Assumed that good health is an objective common to all people.
Components of the health belief
INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTION
MODIFYING FACTORS
VARIABLES LIKELY TO AFFECT ACTION
INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTION
PERCEIVED SUSCEPTIBILITY
PERCEIVED SERIOUSNESS
PERCEIVED THREAT
PERCEIVED SUSCEPTIBILITY
• Family history of certain diseases may make the individual feel at high risk
PERCEIVED SERIOUSNESS
• Does the illness cause death or have serious consequence?
Perceived threat
• Determined by combined perceived susceptibility and perceived seriousness.
Modifying factors
DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
SOCIOPSYCHOLOGIC FACTORS
STRUCTURAL VARIABLES
CUES TO ACTION
DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
AGE , GENDER , RACE , ETHNICITY
SOCIOPSYCHOLOGIC VARIABLES
Social pressure from peers or other reference group (self help grp. )may encourage preventive
health behaviors.
Structural variables
Knowledge about target disease and prior contact with it influence preventive
behavior. (frequent exposure to disease).
Cues to action
INTERNAL-
feeling of fatigue, uncomfortable symptoms or thoughts about the condition of an ill person
who is close.
EXTERNAL-
Mass media campaigns
Advice from others
Reminder postcard from physician or dentist
Illness of family member or friend
Newspaper or magazine article
LIKELIHOOD OF ACTION
PERCEIVED BENEFITS-PERCEIVED BARRIER
• PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO ACTION
• Eg. Cost, inconvenience, unpleasantness, lifestyle changes
PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF THE ACTION:
• Refraining from smoking=prevention of lung cancer
• Eating nutritious food and avoiding snack=maintaining weight
Variables Influencing Health Behaviors- (Daniels et.al)
• Lifestyle
• Perceived Locus of control
• Self efficacy
• Healthcare attitudes
• Self concept ,
• Cognition,
• Age and developmental levels
• Gender
• Prev. Experience with HC system
• Environment
• Economic resources