A Healthy Foundation

A Healthy Foundation

Understanding Health and Wellness

• Health – The combination of physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being.

• What power does the knowledge of health give us?

The Health Triangle

• There are three different areas of health.• Physical• Mental/Emotional• Social

Why is it important to keep balance?

• If you concentrate too much or too little on one area, the triangle can become unbalanced.

• Balance is important as any area of severe weakness hurts overall health.

Physical Health

• How well your body functions.• Energy, stress, and injuries.• Actions you can take to improve?– Sleep– Nutrition/Water– Activity– Abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.– Good hygiene

Mental/Emotional

• Your feelings and thoughts.• Being mentally and emotionally healthy means.– I enjoy challenges as they help me grow.– I accept responsibility for my actions.– I understand I control my life.– I can express myself in appropriate ways.– I can deal with life’s stresses and frustrations.– I have a positive outlook.– I make thoughtful and responsible decisions.

Spiritual Health

• An area of mental/emotional health.• A deep seated sense of meaning and purpose

in life.• Does not necessarily mean you belong to a

religious group.• Sense of purpose and values.

Social Health

• Getting along with others.• Social Network – Friends, family, teachers,

members of your community, etc.• Good social health does not necessarily mean you

have lots of friends.• Being able to share your thoughts and feelings

with others.• Seek and lend support, communicate and listen,

and show respect and care for self and others.

Keeping Balance

• Wellness – Overall state of well-being or total health.

• Making decisions and practicing behaviors based on sound health knowledge and healthful attitudes.

• Examples:– Someone who spends all their time working out.– Someone whose friends are the most important

part of their life.

Health Continuum

Influences on Health

• Heredity – Traits that were biologically passed on to you. (From eye color to risk of diabetes)

• Environment – The sum of your surroundings.– Physical– Social – Family and peers (people of the same age

who share similar interests.)– Culture – Collective beliefs, customs, and

behaviors of a group. (Ethnic group, community, nation, or part of the world.)

Influences on Health (Cont.)• Attitude – The way you view situations. (Optimist v.

Pessimist)• Behavior – Healthful vs. Risk Behaviors• Media and Technology – One of the most powerful

influences.– Media – Various methods for communicating info.– Technology – Radio, TV, Internet, etc. that delivers media.

• Why is it important that we understand these influences?• What factors can we change and what factors can we not

change?

Identifying Health Risks• Risk Behaviors – Actions that can potentially threaten your

health or the health of others.• CDC identified 6 that account for most deaths and

disabilities among young people.– Tobacco Use– Unhealthy Dietary Behaviors– Inadequate Physical Activity– Alcohol and other Drug Use– Sexual Behaviors that result in HIV infections, other STD’s, and

unintended pregnancies.– Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries nd violoence.

Risks and Consequences

• Cumulative Risks – Related risks that increase in effect with each added risk.

• Increase when several risk factors are combined. – Using a cell phone while driving.– Speeding

• The more risk factors you participate in, the higher the likelihood that you will experience negative consequences.

Avoiding or Reducing Risks

• Prevention – Taking steps to keep something from happening or getting worse.

• Abstinence – A deliberate decision to avoid high-risk behaviors, including sexual activity and the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

Abstinence

• All areas of the health triangle benefit when you choose to abstain from high-risk behaviors.

• Abstaining protects from chronic diseases.• Increases self esteem.• Shows that you value your well being.• Shows responsibility as you are taking an

active role in promoting wellness.

Promoting Your Health

• Every day you make decisions that affect your health.

• Lifestyle Factors – the personal habits or behaviors related to the way a person lives.

• Make a difference in health, happiness, and longevity.

Healthy Lifestyle Factors

• Do you regularly practice healthy lifestyle factors? such as:– Sleep (8-10 hrs/night)– Healthy Breakfast– Eating a variety of nutritious foods– Being physically active for 30-60 min/day– Maintaining healthy weight– Abstaining from smoking or using other tobacco– Abstaining from alcohol and other drugs

Health Education

• High Level of Wellness = Higher Quality Life• Feeling mentally and physically healthy and

enjoying relationships• Avoidable wasteful healthcare expense (U.S. -

$1.9 t/yr or $6,280 /person)

Health Education (Cont.)

• Health Education – providing accurate health information and teaching health skills to help people make healthy decisions.

• Why is health education important?• Healthy People – a nationwide health

promotion and disease prevention plan designed to serve as a guide for improving the health of all people in the U.S.

Goals of Healthy People

• Health disparities – Differences in health outcomes among groups (gender, race, education, disability, location, etc.)

• Goals:– Promote the best possible health in order to end

preventable death, illness, injury, and disability.– Eliminate health disparities.– Make wellness a way of life and enhance quality of life

for individuals and communities.– Promote healthy places and environments.

Health Literacy

• Health Literacy – a person’s capacity to learn about and understand basic health information and services, and to use these resources to promote one’s health and wellness.– Know where to find health info– Decide if it is correct– Assess the risks and benefits of treatment– Figure out how much meds to take– Understand test results

Health Literate Individuals

• Critical Thinkers and Problem Solvers• Responsible, Productive Citizens• Self-Directed Learner• Effective Communicator

• Being health literate influences your health greater than age, income, and education.

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