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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Student: Gaganpreet Parmar
Student No: 823-073-598
Date Submitted: Thursday, October 10, 2013
NURS 160: Practical Nursing Theory 1
Humber College ITAL

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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Being healthy is what most people aspire to being, but what does health and being healthy actually mean?
Everyone has a different set of guidelines and principles they follow in order to achieve their definition of optimal
health. It is what one practices and what one is influenced by that determines their definition of health, however
health can be a difficult concept to define. Personally, I believe that many factors influence my health beliefs and
practices such as my family and friends, past experiences, the media and my surrounding environment, but
ultimately it is the decisions I make that have a major impact. To continuously improve our health we need to take
advantage and become aware of the different resources we have that promote wellbeing and inform us of risk
factors that can have a negative effect on health. Through self-directed learning and self-reflection we are able to
grow, learn and achieve which allows us to become a better version of ourselves and that helps us realize our
potential. Overall, optimal health can be achieved by taking responsibility of our own actions and being aware of
what contributes to a healthy lifestyle relating to a healthy mind and body.
Definition of Health
I believe health is a set of controllable actions that lead to a healthy mind and body. A healthy mind refers to
being able to challenge and stimulate your brain, and a healthy body attributes to maintaining it by regular exercise
and healthy eating. Health can be accomplished through growing, learning and achieving. I believe the behavioural
approach I show best describes Penders definition of health which is, The actualization of inherent and acquired
human potential through goal-directed behaviour, competent self-care and satisfying relationships with others,
while making adjustments as needed to maintain structural integrity and harmony with relevant environments (as
cited in Potter, Perry, p.g. 2). Your brain is meant to be challenged and stimulated and this can occur through doing
the simplest of tasks such as reading or doing puzzles but by also creating social experiences by developing
relationships with others. Having someone to lean on can help you change your perspectives on certain situations
and can help you engage in problem solving and decision making which can stimulate your brain. By challenging
and stimulating your brain, brain plasticity improves which refers to its abilities to meet changing circumstances,
learn new things and heal from injuries (Chuang, 2013). Furthermore, Pender and myself describe self-care as

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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

important when maintain a healthy body. I describe self-care as being able to exercise regularly and eating
healthily. By maintaining a healthy diet and doing regular exercise you reduce your chances of developing diseases
which can hinder your everyday life, but it also improves the functionality of your body. Lastly, being able to
develop goals allows you to be the best you, which can encourage confidence, and can allow you to achieve your
highest potential. The goals you set allow you to show growth and self-reflection as they encourage you to explore
new situations. Overall, it is our responsibility to regularly participate in brain stimulating activities, maintain a
healthy diet and exercise regime.
Health Beliefs
Throughout my whole life my parents have taught me to be an independent person. However, they also
emphasized that having close bonds with family and friends is important as sometimes you may need someone to
lean on. I believe that the social support system I have developed influences my current health beliefs. My family
and friends have been informative as they have provided me with advice and emotional support as they are always
there for me in times of need- they have helped me develop socially and mentally. Growing up I was taught that
going to the doctors when I got sick was important if the sickness was something out of the ordinary because they
are trained in a profession that allows them to understand what is physically and mentally wrong with a person.
This is an important health belief that I still carry out today as I believe that doctors can note any abnormalities that
others who are not trained in this profession cannot. Also, not only has my social support network influenced my
beliefs about health, but my education and literacy level have as well. All throughout school I was taught that
eating healthy and exercising on a daily basis is important as it increases strength, and ability to do daily activities,
they also empathized behavioural and physiological risk factors that affect health. Through these yearly reminders
of healthy eating, and exercising I incorporated them into my own personal health beliefs as I believe that they can
reduce my risk of developing certain diseases. Also through education and my social support networks I have been
able to steer clear of abusing drugs and alcohol as they have taught me that they can potentially be detrimental to
my health. Taking action and preventing have also been a major component of my health beliefs, today I make sure
all my vaccinations are up to date not only because I am going to be working in the healthcare field but also

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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

because it prevents against diseases. Growing up primary prevention was emphasized as it was important to get
immunized to prevent against serious diseases. Not only was it important within my social support network but
also through education I was taught that by getting immunized it protects us from diseases and the spread of them.
Lastly, another health belief that I have is to create goals, this promotes self-directedness and self-reflection which
encourages you to become more independent- my parents emphasized this while I was growing up. Creating goals
allows you to focus your attention on what is in front of you and moves you forward because you strive to achieve
the goals you create. Goal creating is important as it stimulates your brain by allowing you to experience new
things. In general, In order to maintain a healthy body and mind I believe that one has to exercise, interact with
others, go to the doctors, create goals, eat healthily and plan, take action and prevent.
Cultural Beliefs
My personal health beliefs affect my decision on whether to act in certain situations or not. Sometimes when I
have a sore throat or a very mild flu I use my own home remedies to try and alleviate the symptoms or completely
get rid of them for example drinking tea mixed with a variety of herbs and spices. When I am sick there are certain
foods such as dairy products that I should stay away from that I believe can increase the severity of symptoms.
Also, not only do my cultural beliefs affect how I react to treating illnesses but it also affects the social interactions
I have with individuals. Many people of my culture share similar cultural beliefs as I so it is easier to relate to those
individuals as we know where each others perspectives and views are coming from, whereas it is sometimes hard
to communicate with someone of a different faith as you. Culturally, I feel having a wide social support network is
important. When you are sick or in need you usually dont have only one person to turn to but you have many
people to lean on, they offer their support in any way possible until you are able to support yourself.
Personal Health Practices
There are many health practices I engage in that improve my wellbeing such as going to the gym, taking
vitamins and going to the doctor. Going to the gym I believe increases your health by allowing you to be more
energized and reducing your risk of developing diseases. To improve my overall health I take multi vitamins which
help in reducing my chances of becoming deficient in any vitamins and minerals which are crucial for everyday

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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

life. I also go to the doctors when I feel like I am experiencing symptoms I have never experienced before or
because they have increased in severity. I feel as if going to the doctor will help prevent future diseases of
occurring or predict the probability of them occurring. In addition, strategies that I could develop in order to
improve my health practices is firstly getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night. By having good nights rest your
body and mind are regenerated for the next day ahead and you are able to function properly-this promotes physical
and mental wellbeing. Another way to improve my health practice is being more involved and exposing myself to
new social experiences, this allows for stimulation of the brain and improves brain function. By listening to others
opinions you are broadening your perspectives on situations that you would have never thought about yourself.
Comparison of Health Beliefs
When I compared my health practices with C.U., (Personal communication, October 9th, 2013) I noticed that
there were some differences in what we believed in and the approaches we have. First off C.U. has a more
socioenviornmental approach to her definition of health as she describes health as being a state of physical,
emotional and social well-being in individuals and communities (Uribe, 2013). She believes that health solely
should not be the individuals responsibility but rather other determinants of health play a role such as lack of
social support networks, poverty and health services, all these determinants for her can relate to lack of opportunity
or access (Uribe, 2013). While, I have a more behavioural approach as I defined health as being a set of
controllable actions and responsibility of health relies on the individual. I also believe that we differ in the sense
that she feels she has the responsibility of helping others maintain optimal physical and mental health while I
believe it is alright to lean on your social support system but ultimately it is you who is responsible for making sure
that your health is at the level you want it to be. However, our definitions of health are similar as we both refer to
stimulation of the mind. C.U., refers to stimulation of the mind in an intellectual and artistic sense whereas I define
it in a way that you challenge yourself, creating new social interactions and creating goals. We both believe that a
healthy diet and exercise is an important part of being healthy. Overall, the different experiences that we have
encountered in the past and present shape our current health beliefs.

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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

How Nursing Practice is influenced by Comparative Learning

Through the process of comparison I noticed the differences and similarities that me and C.U., had and what
each of us emphasized. I learned that not everyone has similar perspectives, and that everyones thought process is
different. I also learnt our past experiences affect how we perceive health and what we consider as healthy or not.
Through this process I have changed my perspectives about health a bit. I do agree with C.U., that sole
responsibility of health should not rely on the individual but other factors have to be taken into account and how
those factors can affect the ability of an individual to obtain optimal health, I realized not everyone has equal
opportunity or access to allow them the best possible care. Also by this comparative learning activity it allows me
to think critically and try to understand where the other person is coming from and why they believe what they
believe. It allows you to develop a respect for others opinions and take them into consideration-it creates an open
mindedness.
Conclusion
Overall, health is a concept that is hard to define as everyone has their own definition of it. I define health as a
set of controllable actions that lead to a healthy mind and body. Health should be goal directed and should be able
to stimulate your brain; you should also develop healthy eating habits and regular exercise which can reduce stress
and reduce chances of developing diseases. I have learnt that through personal experiences people develop their
health beliefs and practices which affect how they go about their lives. Furthermore, contributing to health beliefs
and practices are determinants of health- not everyone has equal opportunity and access to healthcare or services
which can educate people on risk factors that can affect health.

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Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Reference List
Chuang, Z. (2013, September 18). Challenge your Brain. Retrieved from http://wholehealthalerts.com/challengeyour-brain/
Potter P., Perry A. G (2014). Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing. (5th edition). Toronto: Mosby.