1. Promoting Healthy Behavior Change1
Promoting Healthy Behavior Change

2. Objectives Discuss health in terms of historical perspectives.
Discuss the health status of Americans, the factors that contribute to health and illness, and the importance of Healthy People 2010 and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Guidelines.
Evaluate the role of gender in health status, health research, and health training.
Discuss the health challenges faced by people of various racial and cultural backgrounds.

3. Objectives (continued)
Explain the importance of developing a global perspective on health.
Evaluate sources of health information, particularly the Internet, to determine reliability.
Dispel myths, gain new insight, gain enough understanding to apply the info. to your daily lives, and pass on to family and friends

4. Health What is health and wellness?
Health – the definition of health has changed over time; it is now considered a multidimensional concept that includes physical, emotional, social, mental, and environmental aspects
Wellness – is a measure of our status in each of the dimensions of health and is the key to unlocking an individual’s full potential

5. Figure 1.1 The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum

6. The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum
Physical Health: Body size, shape, sensory acuity &responsiveness, fitness, and susceptibility to disease and disorders
Ability to perform activities if daily living (ADL’s)
Intellectual Health: Ability to think clearly, reason objectively, & analyze critically.
Learning from successes and failures
Making sound responsible decisions

7. The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum
Emotional Health: Ability to express emotions appropriately, controlling emotions
Self esteem and self confidence
Ability to trust, love, etc.
Environmental Health: Appreciation of external environment & role of preserving, protecting, and improving environment
Spiritual Health: Belief in supreme being
Feeling of oneness with others and nature
Guiding sense of meaning or value
Purpose in life

8. The Dimensions of Health and the Wellness Continuum
Wellness: Appreciation for life, self, and world
Realistic sense of self
Ability to function at reasonable level physiologically
Ability to maintain and support healthful relationships
A sense of satisfaction with life and an appreciation for the stages of life experience
A balance in all things
A zest for living, coupled with curiosity about what each new encounter and each day will bring

9. Table 1.2 Leading Causes of Death in the United States by Age (Years), 2002

10. Figure 1.2 Key Determinants of Health

11. Health through the Years
1800s – health was associated with poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions: health was the opposite of sickness
Medical Model – health is an individual issue; the way to improve an individual’s health was to treat the illness
Episodic care – seeking treatment for injury or illness

12. Health through the Years
1900s – health was associated with an individual’s interaction with the social/physical environment:
Ecological or Public Health Model –viewed diseases & other negative health events as a result of an individuals interaction with his/her social and physical environment
considered factors such as air/water pollution, working conditions, substance abuse, stress, diet, lifestyle, access to health care for both individuals and entire populations
Prevention – identify risk factors to reduce risk of injury or illness

13. Health through the Years (continued)
1947 – World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as:
“Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or infirmity.”
1960–1970 – Comprehensive Ecological or Public Health Model adds to the definition of health the physical, social, and mental elements of life, as well as environmental, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual dimensions
Today – “quality” of life is considered just as important as years of life

14. The Evolution toward Wellness
Many people have adopted a holistic approach to wellness, or a balance between mind, body, and spirit
This approach allows one to achieve wellness for any given limitation or strengths; e.g., a person with a physical disability may still have a high degree of wellness if they are able to find holistic balance

15. New Directions for Health
Healthy People 2010
Goal – to eliminate health disparities and increase the lifespan and quality of life
Health disparities are when one group (gender, race, ethnicity, community) has a higher disposition for an illness
New focus on wellness, health promotion and disease prevention

16. Table 1.1 What Is Healthy People 2010?

17. Better Health in the 21st Century
Focusing on global health issues
Every day 2 million people worldwide move across national borders
Everyone’s health is affected by economic, social, behavioral, scientific, and technological factors
Important to understand vast differences in health status across various social groups and actively promote community actions that erase disparities
Today’s global economy expands health concerns beyond borders
Focusing on personal choices to achieve your optimal health as well as the health of those around you

18. Gender Differences and Health Status
Women live longer than men, but don’t necessarily enjoy better quality of life.
Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and multiple sclerosis more common in women
Health disparities due to gender are possibly related to exclusion of women from many clinical trials due to reproductive or menstrual concerns.

19. Gender Differences and Health Status
Research on women’s health after 1990:
Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI): 15 year, 625 million dollar study focusing on leading causes of death in post-menopausal women
Elimination of women in studies means results cannot be applied to women directly
Government has specified that equal amounts of money be spent on men’s and women’s health research
Increased medical attention will hopefully help prevent women’s cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis

20. Achievements in Public Health
Vaccinations
Motor vehicle safety
Workplace safety
Control of infectious diseases
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke deaths
Safe and healthy foods
Maternal and infant care
Family planning
Fluoridated drinking water
Recognition of tobacco as a health hazard

21. Goals for Public Health
New drugs
Decrease in cancer deaths
New antibiotics for bacteria and infectious diseases
Improvement in spirituality
Better control of heart disease
Vaccines for cold and flu
Better foods
Improve aging

22. Changing Your Health Behaviors
Change depends on the individual:
Identify what is most important to you or what poses the most immediate threat to health; for example:
Diet
Relationships
Stress management
Safe sex
Drug/alcohol use
Exercise
Use of tobacco

23. Taking Charge
Make assessment – identify the specific behavior change you would like to make
Make change – follow these steps to make that change:
Evaluate behavior and identify patterns
Select one pattern of behavior to change
Use the Behavior Change Contract (Figure 1.5) to formulate a plan
Chart your progress in a journal
Revise your plan as needed

24. Key behaviors to a healthy lifestyle
Minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night
Maintain healthy eating habits
Weight management
Physical recreational activities
Avoiding tobacco products
Practicing safer sex
Limiting intake of alcohol
Scheduling regular self exams and medical check ups

25. Key behaviors to a healthy lifestyle (con’t)
Control stressors in your life
Form meaningful relationships with family and friends
Make time for yourself
Participate in at least one fun activity each day
Respect the environment and people in it
Be a decision maker
Value each day and make the best of opportunities
View mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow
Be kind to self and others
Understand healthcare system as use it wisely