Introduction to Health

& Wellness

Spring 2014

Objectives for this lesson include:

Define health and wellness List the four major factors that determine health Define life expectancy List five factors that relate to good health and tend to

increase the average length of life Explain how heredity can be a limiting health factor Define risks and statistics Explain the degrees of health and wellness on the

Wellness Continuum

The Six INTERRELATEDDimensions of Health

Physical Dimension

Operation of the body in its surroundings Exercise Nutrition Proper personal care Prevention & medical attention Safety

R

Social Dimension

Encourages contributing to one’s environment and community Our contributions- taking an active part in improving our world by

encouraging healthier living and initiating better communication with those around you.

Interdependence between others and nature.

Social Wellness follows these beliefs:

- Think of others and how you can help instead of focusing on yourself

- Better to live in harmony with others than to live in conflict

Psychological Dimension

Mental reacting to difficulties and adversity in an

optimistic manner viewing difficult situations as challenges and

opportunities for growth adopting a positive attitude accepting our limitations and making the best of

a bad situation

Emotional handling emotions and controlling, or coping with, personal feelings maintaining emotional stability laughing and being able to stimulate laughter in others being able to express emotions appropriately and comfortably Intellectual learning and using information effectively life-long learner engaging one’s mind in creative and critical thinking awareness of current events curiosity

Social Dimension Relationships with family, friends, and people in our community. The ability to get along with people from diverse backgrounds who

express differing beliefs, values, and perspectives. The ability to resolve conflicts, to negotiate, and to reach

consensus. Feeling “connected” to a person, a group or cause, (even a pet). A sense of belonging to a larger social unit. The ability and willingness to reach out to others and to care for

them. The ability and willingness to invest in meaningful causes beyond

ourselves. Traditions – one’s own and those of various cultures. Socio-economic factors (e.g., race, income, education). Technology. Laws and cultural practices within society.

Spiritual Dimension

A belief in some unifying force that gives purpose or meaning to life (i.e., for some people, this unifying force is nature; for others, it is a feeling of connection to other people, or a personal deity or universal life force).

A sense of belonging to a scheme of existence greater than the merely personal.

A sense of purpose. A realization that all humanity is somehow interrelated. An understanding that true happiness involves more than the

acquisition of material goods.

A desire to comfort and help others. The ability to show gratitude and generosity. A desire to contribute to society. An attempt to reduce conflict and disorder. Efforts to bring harmony to activities,

relationships, and the larger community. A sense of wonder and awe related to the

beauty, power, and mysteries of nature. A potential, or capacity, to engage in thinking

about larger purposes (e.g., social justice, ecological sustainability).

Career Dimension

Satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through work.

Development of functional, transferable skills though structured involvement opportunities

Intellectual Dimension

Expand his/her knowledge and skills while discovering the potential for sharing his/her gifts with others

Strengthen and challenge our minds with intellectual an creative pursuits

Identify potential problems and chose appropriate course of action on available information

Morbidity & Mortality

Morbidity Morbidity is another term for

illness. A person can have several co-morbidities simultaneously. So, morbidities can range from Alzheimer's disease to cancer to traumatic brain injury. Morbidities are NOT deaths.

Mortality Mortality is another term for

death. A mortality rate is the number of deaths due to a disease divided by the total population. (If there are 25 lung cancer deaths in one year in a population of 30,000, then the mortality rate for that population is 83 per 100,000)

What do you think were the leading causes of death 100 years ago?

ANSWER: Infectious Diseases

InfluenzaTuberculosisPneumonia

Top Five Leading Causes of Death Today

Heart Disease Cancer Stroke Lung Disease Unintentional

injuries

Top 10 Causes of Death for ages 15-24

1- Accidents- 46% (motor vehicle accidents-33%)2- Homicide -15%3- Suicide – 13%4- Cancer – 5%5- Heart Disease – 3%6- Congenital Abnormalities- 1.5% 7- Stroke-.06%8- Flu & Pneumonia-.06%

9- HIV- .06%

10- Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease- .05%

4 Factors Affecting Health

1. Heredity

2. Health Care

3. Environment

4. Lifestyle/Personal Behavior

Factors that Influence our Health

Environment

Heredity

Lifestyle/Behavior

Health Care

45%

10%

25%

20%

What do you think are the causes of these deaths/diseases?

Heart Disease- Smoking, high fat diets, lack of exercise, stress, obesityCancer- Smoking, high fat diets, environmental factorsLung Disease- Smoking, environmental factorsAccidents- Risky behavior (use of drugs), making poor decisionsHomicides/Suicide- Depression, stress, poor decisions, jealousy, fear, religion

What is the commonality ?

Factors that Influence Health

Heredity* Race

* Sex

Men: (examples)

- Color blindness - Mostly men who inherit color blindness, affecting about 1 in 20 men for every 1 in 200 women.

- Epilepsy- Men are more prone to epilepsy than women.

- Osteoarthritis - Often thought of as a condition only affecting women, is actually more common in men under the age of 45.

Women: (examples)

- Autoimmune diseases -strike women three times more than men

- Grave’s Disease - leads to an overactive thyroid gland (AKA: hyperthyroidism)

- Sjögren's syndrome - cause dryness of the mouth and eyes as well as fatigue and joint pain - Heart Disease - More than 6.5 million women have some form of it

Environment

Adequacy of housing

Family Composition

Education level of parent(s)

Economic status of parent(s)

Culture

Health Care

Lack of health care

Delay in diagnosis

Delay in treatment

Lifestyle/Behavioral

Tobacco Use

Unhealthy Diet

Inadequate Activity

Alcohol and other drug use/abuse

Risky sexual behavior

Behaviors leading to intentional or unintentional injuries

Violence exposure

Infectious disease exposure

Toxic substance exposure

Health problems that peak or start during the teenage years:

Homicide Suicide Motor vehicle crashes, including those caused by

drinking and driving Substance use and abuse Smoking Sexually transmitted infections, including human

immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Teen and unplanned pregnancies Homelessness

Health outcomes for adolescents and young adults are grounded in their social environments and are frequently mediated by their behaviors.

Behaviors of young people are influenced at the individual, peer, family, school, community, and societal levels.

The BIG Thought

Today, in many or most cases,

B-E-H-A-V-I-O-Rtips the balance towards good health EVEN when

heredity or environment is a negative factor

Reflection Questions What current behaviors do I engage in and how can they

affect my health?

What can I do (behave/learn) to enhance my overall health and wellness today and for the future?

Your answers should be written or typed in complete sentences and be no shorter 1 paragraph in length. See

last slide for directions.

3 Health Models

The Medical ModelThe Environmental Model The Wellness (or Holistic) Model

The Medical Model

The Medical Model’s main belief is that health is the absence of one or more of the “Five Ds”—death, disease, discomfort, disability, and dissatisfaction. In other words, if you are not sick or dying, you are considered to be in the best possible state of health.

In the Medical Model, health is restored by curing a disease or by restoring function to a damaged body part. In its most extreme form, the "medical model" views the body as a machine, to be fixed when broken.

The Environmental Model of Health

In this model, health is defined in terms of the quality of a person’s adaptation to the environment as conditions change. This model includes the effects on personal health of socioeconomic status, education, and multiple environmental factors.

Unlike the medical model, which focuses on diseased organs and biological abnormalities, the environmental model focuses on conditions outside the individual that affect his or her health. These conditions include the quality of air and water, living conditions, exposure to harmful substances, socioeconomic conditions, social relationships, and the health-care system.

In many respects the environmental model of health is similar to ancient Asian and Native American philosophies that associate health with harmonious interactions with fellow creatures and the environment.

The Wellness (or Holistic) Model

The Holistic, or Wellness, Model defines health in terms of the whole person, not in terms of diseased parts of the body. It encompasses the physiological, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental aspects of individuals and communities. It focuses on optimal health, prevention of disease, and positive mental and emotional states.

Wellness is much more than physical health; it addresses mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of a person, as well as the relationships among these dimensions.

The focus is on the individual as a system that is improving and moving towards excellence

The Holistic Model Views health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social

well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".

Broadened the medical perspective, and also introduced the idea of positive health

The WHO definition was long considered unmeasurable; the terms were vague. This was less because no-one could invent ways to measure "well-being,"

Applied to a population, the holistic model would again either sum appropriate individual indicators, or would record measures of the well-being of the population as a whole.

A Wellness Continuum

The Wellness continuum is a line which has death and negative health on one end and optimum wellness at the opposite end. The main idea is that wellness is constantly shifting along the line and is never stationary.

Conclusion

The models themselves are abstractions of ideas, but in real life one needs to use whatever is practical to optimize health and well-being.

Health depends very much on each person’s perception.

People with a disease may live joyful, positive, healthy lives; people without a disease may be despondent, unhappy, and feel sick. People need attainable goals to promote wellness and to live harmoniously with family, friends, and the environment.

LIFE expectancy & HEALTH expectancy

Life Expectancy is the average number of years that an average person of a given age may be expected to live. How long can YOU expect to live?

Life Expectancy Definition: Life Expectancy is the average number of years that an

average person of a given age may be expected to live. How long can YOU expect to live?

Take an online Quiz Following are two links to online “Life Expectancy Calculators”. Access an online life expectancy calculator and take the quiz. Pay special

attention to the questions and note the kinds of things that influence your personal longevity:

QUIZ

From the questions asked in the quiz, what are the five factors that relate to good health and increase the average length of life?

Whole Foods (store) Watch this 16 minute TED talk by John Mackey. When you are finished

type a 2 paragraph reflection on what you learned. Include the following information:

- What health model does “Whole Foods” approach to health and wellness represent?

- What ways are “Whole Foods” plan on encouraging health and wellness to their employees?

- What are the health issues that are initiating the movement? - What are the programs or initiatives that “Whole Foods” are developing and

offering their employees? - Do you believe that the approach will be effective or not and why?