Factors that Affect Wellness Unit 1- Part 2

Why is it important? Your present actions and attitudes are shaping the person you will be in the future! Fact… Once you take on an unhealthy behavior, you are most likely to repeat it and the same can be said about healthy behaviors

Risk Factors A Risk Factor is a characteristic or behavior that influences a person’s chance of being injured or getting a disease. Certain Lifestyle habits, environmental conditions and health care limitations are known to be risk factors you can control. THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE TO NOTE IS THAT YOU REALLY ARE ‘IN CONTROL’!

Factor #1 – Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate lifestyle choices account for about half the factors contributing to chronic diseases. Example: Deciding to smoke. Smoking is a risk factor for cancer and heart disease. If you choose to smoke you are at risk of getting these diseases Other lifestyle choices include decisions about nutrition, stress management, and exercise.

Factor #2- Poor Environmental Quality About 20% of the risk factors that contribute to leading causes of death are related to poor environmental quality. Environmental Quality refers to the state of the physical world around you Examples: The safety of the water you drink, the air you breathe, the food you eat. Jobs sometimes can require to assume greater environmental health risks that others.

Factor #3- Inadequate Health Care Inadequate health care accounts for about 10% of the risk factors that contribute to the leading causes of death. Failure to diagnose (Identification of disease) early can interfere with effective treatment Facilities and staffing is an increasing problem here in N.B. due to the aging population.

Factor #4-Heredity Is accountable as 25% of the factors that contribute to leading causes of death. You cannot change who your biological parents are or the genes you inherit from them, but you can keep yourself in good physical condition.

Health Promoting Choices 1.Choose a Healthful Lifestyle = Pay close attention to Diet (all the foods and beverages you consume). 2.Resist Negative Peer Pressure/negative influences 3.Improve Your Environment = Sanitization 4.Choose Quality Health Care = Very difficult in some countries

Making a Change! Changing one behavior can effect all aspects of your health. Here are some choices that promote wellness…see next slide.