Health perspectives: Influences and models

• Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Health involves realizing inherent and acquired human potential through goal-directed behavior, self-care, and satisfying relationships.
• Health perceptions and definitions change with age

Models of Health and Illness

• Models explain health and illness and help understand relationships between these concepts and patient attitudes/behaviors
• Clinical judgment aids in selecting the appropriate model
• Health beliefs are a person's convictions/attitudes about health and illness.
• Positive health behaviors maintain, attain, or regain health, and prevent illness and negative health behaviors are harmful

Health Belief Model (HBM)

• Addresses the relationship between a person's beliefs and behaviors with 3 components
• An individual's perception of susceptibility to an illness
• An individual's perception of the seriousness of the illness
• Likelihood of taking preventive action
• HBM helps understand patient's perceptions/beliefs to effectively help them maintain/restore health and prevent illness.

Health Promotion Model (HPM)

• Health is a positive, dynamic state, not merely the absence of disease
• The multidimensional nature of people interacts in their environment to pursue health
• Individual characteristics and experiences
• Behavior specific cognitions and affect
• Behavioral outcome
• Health-promoting behaviors can improve health, functionality, and quality of life at all stages of development

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

• This can help to understand interrelationships of basic human needs
• Basic human needs must be met before other needs can be
• Self-actualization is the highest expression of individual potential

Holistic Health Model

• Relationships among body, mind, and spirit impact overall health
• Nursing can promote a patient's optimal health by considering interactions among emotional, spiritual, social, cultural, and physical aspects of an individual's wellness.
• The holistic health model supports how choices affect health
• Widely used holistic interventions include meditation, music therapy, reminiscence, relaxation therapy, therapeutic touch, and guided imagery

Variables Influencing Health & Health Beliefs/Practices

• Internal and external variables influence a patient's health and health beliefs/practices
• Internal variables include: developmental stage, intellectual background, perception of functioning, and emotional/spiritual factors
• External Variables include family practices, psychosocial/socioeconomic factors, and cultural background.
• Health beliefs often influence health behaviors/practices, which can affect a patient's level of health

Internal Variables

• Perceptions of health, illness, and health behaviors change as someone develops
• A person's intellect can influence how they think about health and cognitive abilities
• Perceptions of physical functioning can affect health beliefs
• The degree of stress, depression, or fear influences health beliefs and practices
• Spirituality is an integrating theme in people's lives that can motivate participation in health-promoting activities

External Variables

• Family roles and organization influence how family members define health/illness and value health practices
• Health may be determined by a person's circumstances and environment
• Social and community context affect patient's beliefs, values, and customs
• Cultural background influences an individual's beliefs about causes of illness

Health Promotion, Wellness & Illness Prevention

• Public Health focuses on health promotion, wellness, and illness prevention.
• Health promotion helps people maintain/enhance their present health and motivates participating in healthy activities for more stable health
• Health education involves providing information on topics like physical awareness, stress management, and self-responsibility to improve health
• Illness prevention activities (immunizations, screenings) protect against actual/potential risks to health and avoid declines in health/functionality

Three Levels of Prevention

• Primary Prevention is true prevention to reduce the incidence of disease
• This includes health and nutritional education programs and physical fitness activities
• Secondary Prevention focuses on preventing the spread of disease, illness, or infection once it occurs and are directed at diagnosis
• Tertiary Prevention happens a defect/disability is permanent/irreversible and minimizes the effects of disease/disability by preventing complications/deterioration.

Risk Factors

• Risk Factor is any attribute/quality/situation/trait that increases vulnerability to illness/accident, such as impaired gait, reduced vision, and lower extremity weakness
• Non-modifiable Factors include age, gender, genetics, and family history
• Modifiable behavioral risk factors include smoking, drinking alcohol, unhealthy diet, obesity, inactivity, and insufficient rest
• The physical environment can also increase the likelihood that certain illnesses will occur

Risk Factor Identification & Changing Health Behaviors

• Health risk appraisal forms help identify health threats based on various risk factors
• After identifying risk factors, implement appropriate health education/counseling to change/maintain/improve health status
• Nursing inventions are more effective when matching the stage of change

Illness

• Illness and disease are different concepts
• Illness is a state in which physical, emotional, intellectual, social, developmental, or spiritual functioning is diminished/impaired - feeling of poor health
• Disease constitutes medical conditions that cause distress symptoms
• Acute Disease is reversible with short duration
• Chronic Disease lasts more than 6 months and is irreversible
• Illness Behavior involves cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions to diseases influenced by sociocultural/psychological factors

Variables Influencing Illness/Illness Behavior

• Internal Variables are a patient's perceptions of symptoms and the nature of a disease
• External Variables include visibility of symptoms, the social group, cultural background, economic variables, and accessibility of healthcare

Impact of Illness

• Short term, non-life-threatening diseases rarely require changes in functioning
• Illness can impact body and body image is the subjective concept of physical appearance
• Self-Concept depends in part on body image and roles, but also includes other aspects of psychology and spirituality
• Role reversal is common when a family member is diagnosed/becomes ill
• Family dynamics can change because of the effects of diseases/illnesses

Caring For Yourself

• To provide competent/quality/safe care, nurses need to take care of themselves to stay healthy

Explore the multifaceted influences on health perceptions, including family roles, environment, and cultural factors. Understand health promotion's objectives, the role of health education, and models like the Health Belief Model. Learn about illness prevention strategies.