Health Models and Behavior

• Health and wellness are important for individuals
• Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being

Health

• Health means not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Health is the actualization of inherent and acquired human potential
• This is achieved through goal-directed behavior, competent self-care, and satisfying relationships
• Individual perceptions and definitions of health change with age
• Health beliefs affect individual perceptions

Models of Health and Illness

• Models explain complex concepts like health and illness
• They help to understand the relationship between concepts and patient attitudes toward health and behaviors
• Clinical judgment will help determine which model to use
• Health beliefs include ideas, convictions, and attitudes about health and illness
• Positive health behaviors maintain or regain health and prevent illness
• Negative health behaviors include practices that harm health
• Examples of negative behaviors are smoking, drug/alcohol abuse, risky sex, poor diet, and refusing necessary medications

Health Belief Model (HBM)

• The HBM addresses the relationship between a person's beliefs and behaviors and has 3 components:
• An individual's perception of susceptibility to an illness
• An individual's perception of the illness's seriousness
• The likelihood that a person will take preventive action
• This model helps understand factors influencing patients' perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors
• It aides in planning care to help patients maintain or restore health, and in illness prevention

Health Promotion Model (HPM)

• The HPM defines health as a positive, dynamic state, not merely the absence of disease
• It describes the multidimensional nature of people as they interact with their environment to pursue health
• This model focuses on individual characteristics/experiences, behavior-specific cognitions/affect, and behavioral outcomes
• Health-promoting behaviors improve health, enhance functional ability, and improve quality of life at all developmental stages

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Nurses use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to understand the interrelationships of basic human needs
• Certain human needs are more basic than others
• More basic needs must be met before other needs
• Self-actualization—achieving one's full potential—is the highest expression of individual potential
• It allows for continual self-discovery
• The order of Maslow's needs from bottom to top is:
• Physiological needs
• Safety and Security
• Love and Belonging
• Self-Esteem
• Self-Actualization

Holistic Health Model

• Relationships among body, mind, and spirit affect a person's overall health
• This nursing model promotes a patient's optimal health level
• It considers dynamic interactions among emotional, spiritual, social, cultural, and physical aspects of wellness
• The choices we make powerfully affect our health
• Widely used holistic interventions include meditation, music therapy, reminiscence, relaxation therapy, therapeutic touch, and guided imagery

Variables Influencing Health & Health Beliefs and Practices

• Many variables influence a patient's health, beliefs, and practices.
• Internal and external variables exist
• Internal Variables include:
• A person's developmental stage
• Intellectual background
• Perception of functioning
• Emotional and spiritual factors
• External Variables include:
• Family practices
• Psychosocial and socioeconomic factors
• Cultural background
• Health beliefs influence health behaviors or practices, impacting a patient's level of health

Internal Variables

• Development Stage: A person's perceptions of health, illness, and behaviors change over time
• Intellectual Background: Influences how a patient thinks about general health and cognitive abilities relative to a developmental stage
• Perception of Functioning: Perceptions of physical functioning affect health beliefs and practices
• Emotional Factors: A degree of stress, depression, or fear influences health beliefs and practices
• Spiritual Factors: Spirituality serves as an integrating theme and provides motivation to participate in health-promoting activities

External Variables

• Family: Organization and roles within a family influence how each member defines health, illness, and values related to these concepts
• Social Determinants: Health is determined by a person's circumstances and environment
• Culture: Social and community context influences a patient's beliefs, values, and customs
• Cultural background influences beliefs about the causes of illness

Health Promotion, Wellness & Illness Prevention

• Public Health focuses on health promotion, wellness, and illness prevention
• Health promotion helps individuals maintain or improve their health
• Motivates people to engage in healthy activities like exercise and nutrition for stable health levels
• Health education includes providing information on physical awareness, stress management, and self-responsibility to empower better health
• Illness prevention includes immunization and blood pressure screenings to protect people from health risks
• These activities help people avoid declines in health or functional ability

Three Levels of Prevention

• Primary Prevention is true prevention and reduces the incidence of disease
• Includes health education, nutritional programs, and physical fitness activities
• Involves all health promotion and wellness education focused on maintaining/improving general health
• Target: individuals, families, and communities
• Secondary Prevention focuses on preventing the spread of disease, illness, or infection once it occurs
• Activities focus on diagnosis and prompt intervention, reducing severity and returning the patient to normal health ASAP
• Tertiary Prevention occurs when a defect or disability is permanent and irreversible
• Minimizes effects of long-term disease/disability via interventions to prevent complications and deterioration

Risk Factors

• A risk factor is any attribute, quality, environmental situation, or trait that increases the vulnerability of an individual or group to illness/accident
• Examples include impaired gait, reduced vision, and lower extremity weakness
• Non-modifiable risk factors like age, gender, genetics, and family history cannot be changed
• Understanding non-modifiable risk factors helps with assessment data and preferences
• Modifiable risk factors include smoking, drinking, unhealthy diet, obesity, physical inactivity, and insufficient rest/sleep
• These factors put people at risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease
• Environment: The physical setting where a person works or lives can increase the likelihood of illnesses

Risk Factor Identification & Changing Health Behaviors

• Health risk appraisal forms help identify health threats based on risk factors
• Once you identify risk factors, implement relevant health education and counseling to change or maintain health status
• Effective interventions match the change stage

Illness

• Illness and disease are different concepts
• Illness: A state in which physical, emotional, intellectual, social, developmental, or spiritual functioning is diminished/impaired and is a feeling of poor health
• Disease: A medical condition causing distress in the form of symptoms
• Acute Disease: Usually reversible with short duration, abrupt symptoms, intense, and subside quickly
• Chronic Disease: Lasts more than 6 months, is irreversible, and affects functioning in one or more systems
• Patients can fluctuate between maximal functioning and serious health relapses that may be life-threatening
• Illness behavior: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions to diseases influenced by sociocultural and psychological factors

Impact of Illness

• Internal variables are a patient's perceptions of symptoms and the nature of a disease
• External variables include symptom visibility, social group, cultural background, economic factors, healthcare accessibility, and social support
• Behavioral and Emotional Changes: Short-term, non-life-threatening diseases usually require few changes in the functioning of a patient or family
• Impact on Body Image: Body image is the subjective concept of physical appearance with some resulting in changes in physical appearance from diseases and illness
• Impact on Self Concept: Self-concept is a mental self-image dependent in part on body image and roles including psychology and spirituality
• Impact on Family Roles: People have many roles that are subject to role reversal when a family member is diagnosed
• Impact on Family Dynamics: Family functions, decisions, support, and overall copes change from disease and illnesses

Caring For Yourself

• To provide competent, quality, and safe care, nurses must focus on self-care to remain healthy.

Questions about diverse health models like WHO definition, Health Belief Model, Health Promotion Model, and Maslow's Hierarchy. Explores concepts of perceived susceptibility, health behaviors, and prioritizing patient needs. Public health campaign strategies are also covered to promote vaccination.