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Health and
Indicators of
Being Healthy
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
X INTRODUCTION
There are many ways to describe the dimensions of health and how to recognise
the indicators of health for individuals and family members. The opposite of
health is understood as being ill and an individual or family member who is ill
will demonstrate behaviours that are influenced by age, gender, genetics, culture
or beliefs and religious practices, and even education.
It is imperative to have a clear understanding of the behaviours demonstrated by
each individual so as to assist in their journey towards wellness.
TOPIC 2
2.1
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DIMENSIONS OF HEALTH
Physical;
(b)
Emotional;
(c)
Intellectual;
(d)
Spiritual;
(e)
Social;
(f)
Occupational; and
(g)
Environmental.
On the other hand, some writers have described the four dimensions of health as:
(a)
Physical;
(b)
Emotional;
(c)
Social; and
(d)
Spiritual.
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2.2
TOPIC 2
PHYSICAL DIMENSION
The physical dimension of health or wellness refers to the way a person describes
his body condition at that time and is a very important health dimension. It
involves identifying activities to support ones well-being and ability to keep fit.
Some of the descriptions to demonstrate the physical dimension of health are I
feel great, I do not have any pain and I am eating well. Some may describe
their physical dimension as being able to sleep well and performing daily
activities that are suitable for their age group. Some also believe that if they are
able to eat well and exercise well to keep themselves free from illness, they have
attained the physical dimension of good health. People who are aware of the
physical dimension of health will engage in regular exercise activities like
enrolling in a gym or making certain they follow a regime of scheduled exercise,
counting their calorie intake, avoiding food or habits believed to contribute
illness and many more. Taking additional supplements is also part of this
physical dimension.
The physical dimension of health will be described differently by people from
different age groups. Take the example of someone who is in their twenties. Their
description of physical health is to be able to perform a routine high impact
exercise schedule at least three times a week. Failure to do so may cause them to
think they have not fulfilled their definition of physical health. For an individual
who is 70 years old and has heart disease, a regular exercise schedule may mean
to be able to spend at least fifteen minutes of slow walking three times a week,
and have a lot of rest and relaxation. As you can see, the value given to physical
health differs from one individual to another.
ACTIVITY 2.1
What are your descriptors of the physical aspect of health? Compare
your descriptors with those of a coursemate of similar age group and
gender.
TOPIC 2
2.3
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EMOTIONAL DIMENSION
ACTIVITY 2.2
Can you identify other physical stressors that may affect you?
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TOPIC 2
2.4
INTELLECTUAL DIMENSION
TOPIC 2
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2.5
SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
Some people associate the spiritual dimension of health to ones beliefs and
values, while others may also include religious beliefs as part of the spiritual
dimension. How does one explain spirituality? This is a question that has been
attempted by many and more often than not more questions have been asked
than answered.
In simple terms, spirituality is related to belief, values, faith and hope that an
individual learns and adopts throughout his years of life. This depends on a
persons environment, the people surrounding him and the way the people
closest to him (like parents, family members, teachers and friends) project and
impose their values and beliefs. Each individual is exposed to the different
spiritual concepts at the different stages of life. Just look around us and one can
see the different demonstrations of spirituality based on cultural beliefs, religious
beliefs, family practices and individual personality types.
One can sometimes assume the level of another persons spirituality based on
their physical movements, communication, attributes and presentation. It is
usually the positive aspect of beliefs and values that are associated with having
good spiritual health. An example would be when a person shows respect for the
different religious practices of others and accepts them. This may indicate that an
individual has good spiritual health. This also includes accepting and respecting
another persons eating habits and dietary practices. Different religions have
different beliefs, but the basic tenet or golden rule is do unto others as you
would have them do unto you and always remember to do not do harm to
others.
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TOPIC 2
When one has a good spiritual health, one will always remember to conduct
themselves in the same way even when no other human is watching, as there is
always an omniscient presence that is observing ones movement. This will mean
that someone with a strong spiritual health will behave differently when he is
alone and when he is among a group of people.
ACTIVITY 2.3
Can you identify some of the actions that people will do when they
think they are alone and no one is watching?
2.6
SOCIAL DIMENSION
ACTIVITY 2.4
Can you describe the impact of negative social health on the physical
and intellectual dimensions?
TOPIC 2
2.7
21
OCCUPATIONAL DIMENSION
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TOPIC 2
2.8
ENVIRONMENTAL DIMENSION
Being aware of ones environment and the effects of environmental change to the
lives of the individual, community and the world can impact the way an
individual perceives his contribution toward a healthy lifestyle. Any neglect to
the impact of environmental changes can affect the lives of the individual, family
and community. Being aware of current issues like climate change and pollution
of air and water, or substance abuse and many other issues, will encourage the
individual to participate in activities to conserve the environment and to help
prevent its effects on himself, his family and his community. Other variables that
affect the environment include politics, legislation and economics, as well as
housing, which has a determinant effect on the quality of life.
TOPIC 2
23
This dimension of health enables one to critically analyse the variables within his
environmental surroundings that can impact his life, his family and his
community, so necessary interventions can be planned and executed in addition
to involving oneself in the intervention activities.
One example is taking steps to improve the quality of water so that the
individual, family and community reap the benefits of clean water, for example,
the absence of water-borne diseases. Examples of water-borne diseases are
cholera, typhoid and leptospirosis. Water-borne diseases can be transmitted from
one individual to another through an infected water supply (see Figure 2.2). How
can one contribute to help keep the water supply clean?
2.9
What are the indicators of health for an individual and his or her family? An
individual who is able to identify the health indicators for a healthy and wellbalanced life will certainly be able to assist his family members in leading a
healthy and balanced life too. Identification alone without practicing these
indicators will result in negative outcomes; thus, the individual must be a role
model for the family and community. Some of the indicators of health are
discussed below:
(a)
Monitor the body function as well as those of family members for any
indication of physical deficit, such as fever, poor appetite, lack of sleep or
agitation and stress. Take early actions for any of those early signs and
symptoms;
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(b)
(c)
TOPIC 2
ACTIVITY 2.5
What other activities can you identify that will assist you in attaining
the balance of health in life?
2.10
People who are ill usually manifest some form of behaviour change that medical
sociologists call illness behaviour. As mentioned in the early part of this topic,
health and illness can be influenced by an individuals differences in age, gender,
social or cultural orientation, economic standing, and education. Each individual
responds differently when in illness and exhibits different behaviour, and these
differences exist even among siblings and close family members.
The illness behaviour can be affected by internal or external variables:
(a)
Internal variables include the beliefs that the individual has about the
illness and its severity. Both can have positive and negative impact. For
example, an individual who becomes ill and worried about the effects of the
illness to his body and his daily life will seek assistance to help cure the
illness. Negatively, if the individual perceives that the illness is not going to
disrupt his life, is bearable and will subside on its own, he will not seek any
help. This can have some other consequences, as failure to seek help from
an expert may lead to an undiagnosed severe condition, which can be
detrimental to ones health outcomes. For example, someone who has been
TOPIC 2
25
Some of the external variables that may influence illness are social or
cultural orientation, economic standing and education. Social or cultural
orientation may lead to different responses to an illness. Some ethnic
groups believe that one should not show any weakness when he or she falls
ill and should hide any associated symptoms, for example, by suffering
pain in silence. In contrast, there are ethnic groups that believe one should
express illness or pain verbally by voicing it out or yelling out, even if the
pain is minor.
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TOPIC 2
ACTIVITY 2.6
Have you ever been ill before? How would you describe your
behaviour when you were ill?
2.11
When an individual or a family member is ill, there are changes in the routine
activities within this family unit. In a nuclear family setup, which include only
the parents and children, the implications of an illness have far reaching
consequences for the family. For example, if a child is sick and hospitalised, the
routine will be disrupted. The mother will stay in the hospital with the sick child
and leave the father and other children at home. When the father has to leave for
work, he will have to think of alternative ways to have the other children cared
for during his absence. Should earlier arrangements have been made with a
caretaker or a nursery, the care during the day will be taken care of, but other
family activities at night will be affected.
The father may have to go to the hospital to relieve the mother and will be late to
pick-up the other children from nursery or care centre. He will have to think of
how the night meals will be served. If he bought the food from the stalls or
restaurants, he may have to worry about the hygiene, food value and taste. For
some, this may incur additional costs.
The father may also have to anticipate a midnight emergency call, think about
how long the child will be hospitalised, or seek financial support that is available
for the hospital costs. This may lead to lack of sleep. Going to work the next day
will be a chore. His exhaustion and the demands at work will result in stress and
anxiety.
Therefore, the aspects related to the emotional dimension of health will be
affected.
TOPIC 2
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There are other impacts to consider when different family members are ill.
Basically the factors can be categorised as emotional factors, financial factors and
environmental factors. The emotional behaviour of individual during illness
depends on the nature of illness and the individuals attitude to illness, the
length of illness and severity. Short term illness like fever and cold may limit the
participation of the individual in any other normal activities at work or with
family, while long term illness like cancer may subject the individual to
withdrawal symptoms, denial, anger and shock.
ACTIVITY 2.7
Can you describe the impact illness has had on two individuals in your
family list, and decide whether it will have impact on your daily
activities, work or environment?
2.12
COPING STRATEGIES
How does one cope with the ordeals described earlier and perform all necessary
activities as a normal and acceptable individual? How do you keep your life
balanced?
As mentioned earlier, a little amount of stress and anxiety is good for any
individual to motivate him to achieve his ambitions, career pathway, future
planning and future undertakings.
Among common coping strategies mentioned are talking about the life issues
with another person who may be a good listener and not one who will use the
information to gain an extra mileage for his or her own cause. In developed
nations, where there are adequate counsellors or psychologists, one may go to
them for professional help. A psychiatrist is another option, but usually a visit to
a psychiatrist may cause the person to be labelled as having mental disorder.
This can happen because of stereotyping.
Sometimes, there are online help sites or call centres which you can access to
express feelings and discuss issues. Some people even use helplines over the
radio to seek redress over their problems anonymously.
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TOPIC 2
It does not really matter what options one takes to address issues related to any
of the health dimensions mentioned above as long as it provides positive
outcomes.
Other means of coping include the following:
(a)
(b)
Schedule some vacation and time spent with the family, and clarify all
matters before going on vacation so there will be no disruptions on the
vacation schedule;
(c)
Perform regular exercise to keep fit, and ensure that this is within the limits
of your capabilities. If you are above forty, you must get a health status
check before embarking on any strenuous forms of exercise. You should
also quit smoking and alcohol or substance abuse. There are many options
of exercise, to name a few, high impact exercise, Qi Gong and Tai Chi; and
(d)
Identify ways to manage your anxiety and stress, for example through
diversional therapy like music or taking up new hobbies. Learn to laugh
and include humour in your life. Moderation in everything is the best.
How one defines health and uses health dimensions to achieve a balanced
and healthy life is dependent on a few variables like age, gender, social or
cultural orientation, environment and economic status.
For each variable there are justifications by the individual on why they have
chosen this variable to help attain a healthy and balanced life.
TOPIC 2
DIMENSIO
ONS OF HEALTH AND INDICA
ATORS OF BEIN
NG HEALTHY
Coping
g strategies
Heealth indicato
ors
Dimenssions of health
h
Illn
ness behaviou
ur
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