Chapter 1: Taking charge of your health Flashcards
(36 cards)
How can health be defined according to WHO?
WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity
- health is also a RESOURCE (personal and social) for living rather than just a goal/objective for living
What is wellness?
wellness is an expanded idea of health –> not just the absence of disease.
- largely determined by the decisions you make about how to live your life
- a dynamic process of change and growth encompassing 7 interrelated dimensions
What are the differences and similarities between health and wellness?
similarities:
- built upon one another
- can be used interchangeably to describe living life fully with vitality and meaning
- both have to do with more than just the absence of disease
differences:
- health = determined or influenced by factors BEYOND your control –> genes, age, healthcare system, other social determinants of health
- wellness = determined by the DECISIONS YOU MAKE about how you live; you HAVE control to positively change your wellness based on the health situation you may be in
a 25 year old women with a family history of breast cancer lives in a rural community with limited access to cancer screening services. She also is a regular smoker. Explain in terms of health and wellness how the women may be at a higher or lower risk for developing breast cancer during her lifetime
health = factors she cannot control–> having a genetic history with breast cancer, living in a rural community far away from screening services so that she can quickly detect the cancer before it worsens
wellness = factors she can control–> the women is a smoker which is something she chooses to do. Quitting smoking can possibly reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. She can also eat properly and exercise to prevent breast cancer. The women must choose to care for herself physically and mentally to ensure she is nurturing multiple aspects of her life
List some examples of social determinants
- income and income distribution
- education
unemployment and job security - food insecurity
- housing
- social exclusion
- social safety network
- health services
- indigenous status
- gender, race, disability
What are the 7 dimensions of wellness?
Since wellness is not static and is constantly affected by many factors, wellness can have 7 interrelated dimensions. These dimensions influence each other and interact meaning that if one dimension is off balance, this can have harmful effects on a person’s life (ex: increase in spiritual = increase in social/emotional = increase in physical)
what is physical wellness?
- requires healthy eating, exercise, getting regular check-ups
- higher fitness = higher physical wellness
- involves personal attention = knowing when you need medical attention
- influences quality of life/life expectancy
what is interpersonal/ social wellness?
- learning effective communication skills, capacity for intimacy, cultivating a support network
- contributing to your community
- easy to neglect this dimension due to stress
what is intellectual wellness?
- learning something new and being open to learning new ideas
- thinking critically and processing new information
- essential for detecting problems, finding solutions, and directing our behaviour
- enhance the area through reading/ being creative
what is occupational wellness?
- personal satisfaction from career or personal development
- attaining a work-life balance
what is emotional wellness?
- encompasses feelings –> optimism, trust, self-esteem, ability to share feelings
- monitoring your feelings, identifying obstacles and finding solutions
what is environmental wellness?
- personal health depends on the health of the planet
- learning about hazards and taking actions to prevent contact with the hazards
- relationship with personal possessions –> comfort and ease anxiety
what is spiritual wellness?
- a set of guiding beliefs, principles or values that give meaning and purpose to someone’s life
- relationship to serving others
- capacity for love, compassion, forgiveness, joy, altruism
what is financial wellness?
- describes how financial security can contribute to your peace of mind
- financially well people may not strive to be wealthy but at least try to save money for the future
classify the behaviour/quality associated with its specific dimension of wellness:
- recognizing symptoms of disease
- motivation to master new skills
- ability to establish and maintain satisfying relationships
- self-esteem and self acceptance
- physical wellness
- intellectual wellness
- interpersonal wellness
- emotional wellness
- explain the difference between infectious, communicable vs. chronic, non-communicable diseases
- what is the best course of action for chronic diseases?
- infectious communicable = SPREADS from person to person; caused by pathogenic micro-organisms–> ex: covid-19, influenza, common cold
chronic noncommunicable = DOES NOT SPREAD from person to person; develops and becomes worse over time, can be caused by lifestyle factors (meaning people have some degree of control over whether they develop these diseases)–> ex: cancer, heart disease, stroke
- best course of action = prevention b/c we have some CONTROL over whether we develop these diseases –> make good lifestyle choices
what are the top 3 causes of death for Canadians aged 15-24?
- accidents
- suicide
- cancer
what is the goal of the integrated pan-Canadian healthy living strategy?
what is the vision?
GOAL = to address the diseases common, preventable risk factors and the underlying conditions in society that contribute to them (like income, unemployment, education)
VISION = a healthy nation where all Canadians experience the conditions that support the attainment of good health
what was the life expectancy and major health threats during the 1900’s?
life expectancy = 59 (men) 61 (women)
health threats = infectious communicable diseases like cholera, tuberculosis–> was b/c of the lack of clean water but then chlorination was introduced to decrease water born diseases–> public health introduced vaccines and antibiotics to control the spread as well as the cases of morbidity and mortality
what is the diff between morbidity and mortality?
morbidity = illness/disease mortality = death
what is the life expectancy and major health threats for Canadians today?
life expectancy = 80 (men) 84 (women) –> varies among ethnic groups b/c of economic or lifestyle factors
major health threats = chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke; infectious diseases like covid-19
give an example of the following health related differences:
- biological
- genetic
- cultural
- eating foods that increases the risk of heart disease or obesity
- genetic predisposition for developing certain health problems like high cholesterol
- living in an environment that increases the chance of smoking or alcohol abuse
what is the diff between stereotyping and overgeneralizing?
stereotyping = talking about people as groups rather than individuals overgeneralizing = ignoring the extensive biological/cultural diversity that exists among people in groups
what is the diff between sex and gender?
sex = biological and physiological characteristics that define men, women and intersex people –> related to chromosomes, reproductive organs and body function
gender = roles, behaviours activities and attributes that a society considers appropriate for men and women
–> gender is rooted in biology but can be shaped by experience and environment
