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Running head: PERSONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT

Personal Health Assessment and Nutritional Health Promotion

Chris Common

Ferris State University

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Abstract

In this paper I will assess my readiness for change based on the Transtheoretical Model

discussed in Health Promotion in the nursing practice. I will utilize nutritional guidelines found

on the internet to assist me into making better food selections. I will develop and implement a

plan to guide my health promotion.

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Self evaluation has never been a strong point for me. Identifying ones strengths is never

as hard as admitting ones weaknesses. I find that recently I tend to make excuses for the bad

decisions I make in relation to my health. Growing up I was always very active and the idea of

eating a well balanced diet and getting the proper amount of exercise never seemed to be an

issue. I was involved in competitive sports, mainly hockey, and my mother most always prepared

a well balanced meal. Since getting older and becoming less active, I have found that my once

high metabolism has slowed down resulting in an increase in weight.

After completing the health assessment survey, Appendix 1, the results revealed that I

scored highest on the internal subscale. This means that I believe personal control of my health

plays are larger role than that of chance or powerful-other items. This is an accurate

representation of how I view my own health. I feel that if you make a conscious effort to stay

healthy by focusing on eating a well balanced diet and getting the proper amount of exercise you

will in turn live a healthier life. Subsequently those who do not eat a well balanced diet and

neglect participating in any type of exercise will in turn be more susceptible to becoming sick

and will not live as healthy of a lifestyle. However, simply diet and exercise are not the only

factors to consider. The chance subscale is important because there are situations that are out of

our own control. A perfect example of this being cancer. There are many people in this world

who have never smoked a day in their life yet still can develop lung cancer. And of course there

is always the chance that we could be struck by lightning or hit by a car. Similarly, the powerful-

other items subscale has been seen in numerous cases where a patient once diagnosed with a

terminal form of cancer miraculously goes into remission.

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The problem I face with imbalanced nutrition and lack of exercise is in my opinion

largely due to the fact that I work the night shift. Working the night shift makes it difficult to

have a set eating schedule. I work three twelve hour shifts in a given week and during those three

days my eating schedule is for the most part a routine. Upon waking up around 4:30pm I eat

dinner, take a shower, and head off to work. Later in the night, at approximately midnight, I will

eat a snack of some sort. Finally, around 3:30am-4:00am I will sit down and eat my lunch. The

problem arises when I am not working and I am trying to convert myself back to a daytime

schedule. I find it difficult to eat during the day and often find myself snacking all throughout the

night prior to going to bed. When possible I do make a conscious effort to eat healthier foods. In

fact I actually prefer healthier food to that of fast food.

After researching various internet sites I came across a diet management website that is

affiliated with the University of Michigan Health System at which I work. The MHealth Healthy

Living program is designed to help initiate positive nutritional choices. An initial survey was

conducted, as seen in Appendix 2, where questions were asked about my general diet. Once

completing the survey a personal profile was created and designed to track my nutritional

choices. Suggestions were given to aid in the process. Dr. Heber, inventor of the Heber Diet,

explains how his diet revolves around simple guidelines: Cut calories, and get more servings of

fruits and vegetables in a wide variety of colors into your diet. He also believes that the intense

color of fruits and vegetables reflects phytonutrients — natural health-giving chemicals.

Phytonutrients help protect your cells against the damage that leads to disease. It is estimated that

the DNA in each cell of the body is hit by natural radiation 50,000 to 100,000 times per day.

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About 80% to 90% of all cancers originate with damage to DNA that might be reduced or

prevented by increasing phytonutrient intake. (Heber, 2008). Dr. Heber also recommends

removing white bread and white flour from the diet as they lose most of their phytonutrients in

processing. Lastly pre-packaged frozen diet dinners, meal-replacement shakes, and meal-on-the

go nutrition bars can be used for added convenience.

Transtheorectical Model

Precontemplation

This is a phase one goes through prior to recognizing that a problem exists. I would

estimate for me this phase would have occurred approximately five months after accepting my

position on the night shift.

Contemplation

During this phase one is seriously thinking about making positive changes towards the

existing problem. I became increasingly aware of my poor nutritional habits and lack of exercise

during the spring season when many people begin to become more active and start enjoying the

warmer weather outside.

Planning or Preparation

In order to prepare for the change, I felt it was necessary to have certain items to aid in

the health transformation. I purchased a weight bench and setup a personal gym in my basement.

I also went to the local nutritional health store and bought whey protein to supplement with

between meals as a healthy alternative described by Dr. Heber.

Action

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Now that I have made the decision to eat healthier and exercise more I have already

noticed changes. Not only do I feel more energized throughout the day, I also feel I have

remained healthier even through this cold season where the weather has been changing so

frequently.

Maintenance

Maintaining healthy choices is an essential part of my health promotion plan. I must

continue to stay motivated as this can be a huge downfall to the entire transformation. I have

recruited my wife to join in on the plan as I feel it will benefit the both of us to have someone

there for support along the way.

Motivation is something that continues to be a challenge. Working full time along with taking

three online classes has proven to be a task in itself. I often find myself in a struggle to balance

my time and prioritize my responsibilities. On the days that I work I do my best to bring a

healthy lunch, but there are always days where I am running late and do not have time to prepare

anything and then I am left with no choice but to eat something from the cafeteria. The cravings

for unhealthy foods have remained evident throughout this entire health promotion plan. I have

learned that sweets are okay in moderation and that it is okay to spoil yourself from time to time.

I have also found that it is important to be creative with the meals being prepared to prevent

getting bored or tired of a certain dish.

By keeping a log of my food intake during a five day span I was able to identify areas

that needed improvement. In my case I found that I drink entirely too much pop. I believe much

of this again is due to the fact that I work the night shift. I tend to drink the pop for the caffeine

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content in an effort to help me stay more alert during the downtime of the night. I also realized

that I was making unhealthy choices for snacks throughout the day. Both of these problems were

very easily modifiable. I now drink iced tea mixed with lemonade as a substitute for the caffeine

I needed from the pop. I have found healthy alternatives such as raw vegetables and fruit to

replace the chips and candy I previous ate. By making minimal changes I have eliminated

hundreds of empty calories from my diet and have moved closer to reaching my goad of living a

healthier lifestyle.

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References

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of american psychological

association (5th ed). Washington, DC: APA.

Bruns, P. (2009, Spring). Syllabus. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from Ferris State Unversity Web

site: http://myfsu.ferris.edu

Diet Analysis Plus 6.1 [Computer software]. (2004). Salem, OR: ESHA Research.

MHealth Healthy Living Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2009, from University of Michigan

Web site: http://hr.umich.edu/mhealthy/

Pender, N. J., Murdaugh, C. L., & Parsons, M. A. (2006). Health Promotion in Nursing Practice

(5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

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Appendix 1

Health Beliefs Survey

The questionnaire is designed to determine the way in which different people view certain important health-related issues. Each item is a belief statement, with which you may agree or disagree. Beside each statement is a scale that ranges from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (6). For each item, choose the number that represents the extent to which you disagree or agree. This is a measure of your personal beliefs; obviously, there are no right or wrong answers.

Please answer these items carefully, but do not spend too much time on any one item. As much as you can, try to respond to each item independently. When making your choice, do not be influenced by your previous choices. It is important that you respond according to your actual beliefs and not according to how you feel you should believe or how you think we want you to believe.

1 - Strongly Disagree; 2 - Moderately Disagree; 3 - Slightly Disagree; 4 - Slightly Agree; 5 - Moderately Agree; 6 - Strongly Agree

  1 2 3 4 5 61. If I get sick, it is my own behavior that determines how

soon I will get well again.       X    

2. No matter what I do, if I am going to get sick, I'll get sick.    X

       

3. Having regular contact with my physician is the best way for me avoid illness.

 X          

4. Most things that affect my health happen to me by accident.

 X          

5. Whenever I don't feel well, I should consult a medically trained professional.

    X       

6. I am in control of my health.       X     

7. My family has a lot to do with my becoming sick or staying healthy.

   X

       

8. When I get sick, I am to blame.    X

       

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9. Luck plays a big part in determining how soon I will recover from an illness.

 X          

10. Health professionals control my health.  X          

11. My good health is largely a matter of good fortune.   X         

12. The main thing that affects my health is what I myself do. X

13. If I take care of myself, I can avoid illness. X

14. When I recover from illness, it's usually because other people have been taking good care of me. (doctor, nurses, family)

X

15. No matter what I do, I'm likely to get sick. X

16. If it's meant to be, I will stay healthy. X

17. If I take the right actions, I can stay healthy. X

18.  Regarding my health, I can only do what my doctor tells me to do.

 X          

 These three subscales, and the items included in each, are as follows:

Internal Items: 1, 6, 8, 12, 13, 17 Chance Items: 2, 4, 9, 11, 15, 16

Powerful-others items: 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 18

 The score on each subscale is the sum of the values for each item in that subscale multiplies by 2. Scores within each subscale can range from 12 to 72. The higher the score on the internal subscale, the more personal control clients believe that they exercise over their own health. The higher the scores on the chance subscale and power-others subscale, the higher the beliefs in the importance of chance and others respectively in controlling personal health. Normative means for adults on each subscale are as follows:

Internal, 50.4 (my score 26 x 2 = 52)

Chance, 31.0 (my score 9 x 2 = 18)

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Powerful-others, 40.9 (my score 13 x 2 = 26)

Log Out

Note: If you've already responded to any of these questions, your answers will appear below. Take a moment to review each response and make changes as needed.

Please enter your height and weight.

Height:

feet inches or centimeters

Weight:

lbs. kgs. How many servings of fruits and/or vegetables do you typically eat each day?

1 serving of vegetables = 1 cup fresh or raw, 1/2 cup cooked;1 serving of fruit = 1 medium fruit or 3/4 cup of fruit juice

 

Appendix 2

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0 servings

1 serving

2 servings

3 servings

4 servings

5 or more servings

Which statement describes your plans for eating more fruits and/or vegetables?

I do not want to eat more fruits and/or vegetables at this time.

I'm thinking about eating more fruits and/or vegetables in the next six months.

I'm planning to eat more fruit and/or vegetables within the next month.

I'm currently trying to eat more fruits and vegetables.

I already eat at least five servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day and have been for less than six months.

I already eat at least five servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day and have been for more than six months.

Which best describes your current diet?

Nearly all low-fat foods

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Mostly low-fat foods

Half low-fat foods, half high-fat foods

Mostly high-fat foods

Nearly all high-fat foods

Which statement describes your plans regarding fat in your diet?

I do not want to lower the fat in my diet at this time.

I'm thinking about lowering the fat in my diet in the next six months.

I'm planning to lower the fat in my diet within the next month.

I'm currently trying to lower the fat in my diet.

I already eat a diet of mostly lower-fat foods and have been for less than six months.

I already eat a diet of mostly lower-fat foods and have been for more than six months

Before participating in this program, how confident are you that you can do the following:

Use food labels to make healthy food choices

Not confident Very confident

Choose healthier foods when eating out

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Not confident Very confident

Make positive changes to your diet for the long term

Not confident Very confident

What is your primary goal for participating in this program (choose one)?

Improve overall health

Improve eating habits

Lose weight

Reduce disease risk

Other:

This tool is intended for self-evaluation only and is not meant to be a substitute for a professional medical assessment.

Last Reviewed October 2008

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Appendix 3

Diet Analysis Plus Food Log

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