Question

Discuss how factors relating to biological and age-related risks, environmental risks, and behavioral risks contribute to family health and the achievement of healthy outcomes.

Discuss activities that the nurse practicing in the community can implement to assist families to decrease health risks.

Answer 1

Several factors contribute to the development of healthy or unhealthy outcomes. The factors that determine or influence whether disease or other unhealthy results occur are called health risks. Controlling health risks is done through disease prevention and health promotion efforts.

Health risks can be classified into general categories:

• inherited biological risk (including age-related risks),

• social and physical environmental risks and

• behavioral risk  

A family history of cardiovascular disease is a single biological risk factor that is affected by smoking (a behavioralrisk that is more likely to occur if other family members also smoke) and by diet and exercise. Diet and exercise are influenced by family and society’s norms.

The combined effect of a family history, family behavioralrisks, and society’s influences is greater than the sum of the three individual risk factors (smoking, diet, and exercise).

Biological and Age-Related Risk:

The family plays an important role in both the development and the management of a disease or condition. Several illnesses have a family component that can be accounted for by either genetics or lifestyle patterns. These factors contribute to the biological risk for certain conditions.

Examples:

➢ Patterns of cardiovascular disease can often be traced through several generations of a family. Such families are said to be at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Research evidence consistently supports the positive effects of diet, exercise, and stress management on preventing or delaying cardiovascular disease.

➢ The development of hypertension can be managed by following a low-sodium diet, maintaining a normal weight, exercising regularly, and using effective stress management techniques, such as meditation.

➢ Diabetes mellitus is another disease with a strong genetic pattern, and the family plays a major role in the management of the condition.

Family patterns of obesity increase the risk in individuals for a number of conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, some types of cancer, and gallbladder disease

It is often difficult to separate biological risks from individual lifestyle factors.

Environmental factors:

Many things in the environment can affect our health. Hazardous substances found in the air, soil and water can originate from a variety of sources, such as agricultural and industrial activities, mining operations, landfills and leaky underground storage tanks. Health officials should work with individuals, communities, government agencies and industries throughout the state to reduce or eliminate exposure to substances that could be harmful.

Behavioural risk :

Several behaviors that exert a strong influence on health are: tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical activity and diet, sexual practices, and disease screening.

Healthy choices are essential to good health. Giving up tobacco, eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise will help keep you well and prevent leading causes of disability and death – heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. And getting recommended health screenings will help your doctor discover problems early when they can be treated more easily.