ACTIVITY 4

Health Field Model

The Health Field Model will help us identify different influences on health and well-being,
and the dynamic relationships between them that we will be talking about in our presentation.

A Health Field Model, a model of the determinants of health proposed by Evans & Stoddart,
provides a broad conceptual framework for considering the factors that influence health in a
community.

Social
In Barangay Bagong Barrio 150, it shows a variety of social interactions. We can see in
their community profile their family structure that out of 382 families that were surveyed, 268
families have nuclear type of family structure. A nuclear family also known as a “conjugal family”
is a family consisting of parents and their children, usually living in one home residence.

Social Environment is a crucial factor for changes on an individual level, family structure
for example, is known to affect children’s physical and mental health. Children’s relationships
with their parents, social support, nurturance, and sense of self-efficacy have been shown to be
related to their mental and physical health and even to their future economic productivity (Schor
and Menaghan, 1995 as stated in NAPSEM, 1996).

Physical Environment
The physical environment affects health and disease in diverse ways. In Barangay
Bagong Barrio, cockroaches are the most numbered vectors present, which is caused by their
blind drainage which has holes and these are where the cockroaches enter and serve as their
breeding site.

Another factor is that Barangay Bagong Barrio 150 falls under 1 type of Philippine
Climate Classification. The two distinct seasons are the dry high pressure season which comes
in the months of November till April and the west season, which starts from May and lasts up to
October. Between these two well-defined monsoon periods, the southeast trade winds blow
from February to May.

Genetic Endowment
Genetic factors are recognized as having a significant influence on health, and it will be
important to gain a better understanding of these influences.

According to the survey conducted in their community, all of the pregnant women of
Barangay Bagong Barrio 150 have undergone tetanus toxoid immunization. These tetanus
toxoid injections are given to women during pregnancy to protect infants from neonatal tetanus,
a significant cause of infant mortality that is caused by unsanitary conditions at childbirth.
Individual Response
Behavior
 In the field model framework, behavior is a response to the other determinants and can
be seen as an "intermediate" determinant of health. This factor is shaped by many factors,
specifically social and physical environments and genetic endowment.

Behaviors related to health care, such as adherence to treatment regimens, are

influenced by these forces as are behaviors that directly influence health, such as food
preparation. The survey conducted in the barangay has shown that 150 residents commonly
utilize frying as their method in preparing food and they least prefer to use the grilling method.

Healthcare, Health and Function

Healthcare is a determinant of health in a community; It provides service, promotion, and
protection for good health. Barangay Bagong Barrio 150 has health resources that would benefit
their needs. Families get their health care support through health insurance, providing them with
sufficient needs. Also, there are six health personnel in Barangay Bagong Barrio 150: one
physician, dentist, registered nurse, health aide, midwife, and nutritionist. All of them are
responsible for serving the community to promote and improve living in the community.
However, it doesn't affect the ratio of the population totaling 6,335 and health care workers since
it is still within the standards according to the Operational Definition of Terms.

Disease
Various diseases cover the causes of morbidity in Barangay Barrio 150. The leading cases are
Flu (Influenza), Tuberculosis, Hypertension, Stroke, and Asthma. But considering the leading
causes of mortality, which are heart disease, heart failure, and cancer, we conclude that this
community's leading health problem revolves around cardiovascular diseases.

Well-being
The well-being of a community is based on the population's type of family structure, civil status,
educational attainment, and employment. Statistics show that in Barangay Barrio 150, most
belong to the nuclear and patriarchal family. The majority of the total population is single. And
the data under educational attainment shows that 672 attained high school, 323 attained
Elementary, and 281 attained College. This community also has five occupations: vendors,
drivers, factory workers, and businessmen. All these factors combined complete the
population's well-being, which is an essential tool for them to flourish as individuals and as a
part of their community.

Prosperity

The physical and social environment influences the prosperity of the community. The social
environment is linked to the family structure, the educational system, social networks, social
class, and work setting. At the same time, the physical environment covers geography,
environment, and community size. Thus, all the factors stated in other components make up
their prosperity in the community.
 Reference/s

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 1996. Using Performance

Monitoring to Improve Community Health: Conceptual Framework and Community Experience.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/5514.