Hey everyone. So you’re all going to be getting a few Facebook notifications from me posting these earlier assignments. I write about why they are so late in my post for chapter 2.
Chapter 1 provides us with an introduction to our own health. It discusses how the focus of health has changed over time: from the pre-20th century medical model that focused on the individual and his or her own body, to focus on disease prevention in the 1940’s. Today’s model focuses on the idea of wellness, which breaks down “health” into categories such as physical, social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and environmental health. Each one focuses on the health a person displays in reference to their titles. For example, social health references interpersonal relationships with friends and family, while physical health refers to a person’s body. Our health is mostly dependent on our own choices. Obesity is a leading health problem in the United States and it is caused simply by overeating and poor dietary and exercise choices. The four leading causes of chronic disease are tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, and poor nutrition, all of which are up to us to control.
The chapter also talks about Healthy People 2020, which includes four long-term health objectives: measures of general health status and health-related quality of life and well-being, determinants of health, and measures of disparities and inequity.
In terms of what impacts our health, some influences are in our control while others are not. Biology and genetics are out of our control. However, individual behaviors are completely in our control. We have the power to avoid the four leading causes of chronic disease, but we must make the decision to do it. Health disparities including race and ethnicity, sex and gender, sexual orientation, and disability are all examples of things we cannot control, but all influence our health anyway.
Mindfulness, the nonjudgmental attention to the present moment, has a huge impact on our health. Practicing mindfulness can bring pain relief, lower anxiety levels, improve sleep quality, result in weight loss, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, and improve overall health. One way to practice mindfulness is to practice yoga. The physical practice draws attention from the world into oneself. Cultivating compassion, starting each day with a purpose, and evaluating how you cope with challenges are all other ways of practicing mindfulness.
The chapter also proposes various models of behavior change. The health belief model, or HBM, states that before change can happen, there must be perceived seriousness and susceptibility to the health problem, perceived benefits and barriers, and cues to action. The social cognitive model, or SCM, proposes that change is motivated by social environment, thoughts or cognition, and our own behavior. The transtheoretical model addresses the stages that prepare us for change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. These stages may not be met in order. It is possible to skip steps or get stuck between a few. Precontemplation and contemplation are broken down into their own steps: step one is to increase awareness, step two is to contemplate change, and maintaining your motivation is a big part of these stages. The preparation stage is where we prepare for change. Here, you must set a “smart” goal that you will stick to, and you can also enlist the help of friends and family. The action stage is where you begin to take action to change: visualize the behavior, maintain control of the situation, and document your actions.
We face many health disparities in the U.S. population that make achieving health equity a challenge. Health equity works to prevent factors such as poverty and discrimination that undermine health. Health disparities reflect an unfair distribution of health risks and resources and are high in a society lacking in health equity. The age gap in our population is increasing at a rapid rate, the LGBTQ community has more than doubled, and changes in religious affiliation have also increased. All of these changes contribute to the ever-increasing diversity in the United States.
Social determinants of health discussed in the chapter include economic stability, educational attainment, discrimination, health literacy, and our environments. There are steps we can take to promote health equity. With increasing diversity comes an increase in discrimination. Being aware of our attitudes is important to avoid health disparities. We can also improve the living standards and fight to have adequate health care provided to all members of our communities. Not all of us are health care professionals, so the control we have over the field is limited. An increase in minority providers can be powerful as minorities are likely to seek healthcare from providers of their own race. An increase in diversity training can help providers to communicate effectively with other races. Overall, access to health insurance needs to be expanded to be available to everyone. Other ways to reduce health disparities include improving communities with affordable housing and increased neighborhood walkability, establishing after school programs, building community gardens, and using libraries and community centers to promote health literacy.
“Health” is a big word. There are some things in our control while others are not. We need to take full advantage of the changes that we are able to make. We can work to avoid health risk factors for ourselves, and we can practice mindfulness to keep a healthy attitude towards others who are different from us. If we all work together to keep healthy minds and healthy bodies, we can improve the overall health of the United States population.
Meghan's Health and Wellness Studies 