Chapter 1: Taking Care of Your Health

Core Concepts in Health 16th ed.

Vocabulary

1. ==Genome:== consists of the complete set of genetic material in your cells; it contains about 25,000 genes, half from each of your parents.

   1. Human genome varies slightly from person to person, and many differences do not affect health.

2. ==Gene:== can determine up to 25% of the variability in a lifespan.

   1. Errors in our genes are responsible for about 3500 clear hereditary conditions. Altered genes also play a part in heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and many other common conditions.

3. ==Health:== the overall condition of body or mind and the presence or absence of illness or injury.

4. ==Wellness:== optimal health and vitality, encompassing all the dimensions of well-being, which depends on conscious decisions that affect risk factors.

5. ==Target Behavior:== one behavior you want to change and work on it systematically. The chances of success are greater if the first goal is simple.

6. ==Internal and external locus of control:==

   1. ==Internal locus of control:== People who believe they are in control of their own lives. It reinforces motivation and commitment.
   2. ==External locus of control:==  the perception that outside influences—heredity, friends and family, luck, environment, fate, and chance—determine life events. This can sabotage efforts to make behavior change.

7. ==Risk factor:== behaviors/factors that can lead to illness/injury/detrimental effect on the body.

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==1. The nine dimensions of wellness and what they refer to.==

1. Physical Wellness

   1. Your body’s overall condition and absence of disease
   2. Fitness level
   3. Ability to care for yourself

2. Emotional Wellness

   1. Dynamic, involving the ups and downs of living
   2. Key factors: optimism; self-esteem; and self-confidence

3. Intellectual Wellness

   1. Maintaining an active mind

4. Interpersonal Wellness

   1. Satisfying and supportive relationships
   2. Learning good communication skills and developing the capacity for intimacy
   3. Participating in and contributing to your community and to society

5. Cultural Wellness

   1. Interacting with and accepting those of different ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and customs

6. Spiritual Wellness

   1. Possessing a set of guiding beliefs, principles, or values that give meaning and purpose to your life

7. Environmental Wellness

   1. Defined by the livability of your surroundings

8. Financial Wellness

   1. Living within your means in a way that gives you peace of mind

9. Occupational Wellness

   1. A level of happiness and fulfillment derived from work

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@@2. Leading cause of death in the US and the leading preventable cause.@@

• Heart Disease
  • Diet; inactivity; smoking; alcohol; obesity

3. Factors that influence wellness (genetics, environmental, etc.)

1. Health Habits

   1. There are bad health habits such as: smoking, stress, poor diet, and being sedentary—leads to heart disease. These habits take upon Americans before they even become adults.
   2. There are also good health habits such as regular exercise which reduces incidence of many diseases.

2. Heredity/Family History

   1. Genome contains 25,000 genes. As they differ from person to person, many of these differences don’t affect health. But some do, so it is important to know your family’s health history to determine which conditions you should look out for.
   2. Errors in genes are known for 3500 hereditary conditions. Other altered genes make people prone for heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and many other common conditions.

3. Environment

   1. Includes not only the air we breathe and water we drink, but also substances and conditions in our homes, workplaces, and communities.
   2. Also includes conditions in other countries and around the globe, particularly weather and climate changes due to global warming.

4. Access to Healthcare

   1. Access to adequate health care helps improve both quality and quantity of life through preventive care and the treatment of disease.

5. Personal Health Behaviors

   1. Personal behavior can tip the balance toward good health, even when heredity or environment is a negative factor.

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%%4. Steps to improve wellness (lifestyle management)%%

1. Behavior Change:

   1. Type of lifestyle management to cultivate good health habits and overcome bad ones.

2. Getting Serious about Your Health:

   1. Recognize that the specific behavior is harmful for health; gathering information about resources to change it.

3. Examine Your Current Health Habits:

   1. Ask yourself how your lifestyle affects your health today and in the future.

4. Choose a Target Behavior:

   1. Choose one behavior and work on it; chances of success will be greater if this goal is simple (as for the first goal).

5. Learn about Your Target Behavior:

   1. How is your target behavior affecting your level of wellness today?
   2. Which diseases or conditions does this behavior place you at risk for?
   3. What effect would changing your behavior have on your health?

6. Find Help:

   1. Find help for behaviors that may be very deeply rooted or too serious to handle alone.

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^^5. Steps to follow to develop a personalized plan for change.^^

1. Monitor Your Behavior and Gather Data

2. Keep track of the target behavior and the circumstances surrounding it.

3. Analyze the Data and Identify Patterns

   1. Assess when and why you are most likely to engage in the target behavior.

4. Be “SMART” about Setting Goals

   1. Specific
   2. Measurable
   3. Attainable
   4. Realistic
   5. Time frame–specific

5. Devise a Plan of Action

   1. Identify resources that can help you be successful.
   2. Modify your environment to control the environmental cues that provoke the target behavior.
   3. Control habits that contribute to your target behavior.
   4. Reward yourself to reinforce your efforts when specific objectives or subgoals are reached.
   5. Involve the people around you. Encouragement, support, and praise will reinforce the new behavior.
   6. Plan for challenges.

6. Make a Personal Contract

   1. Includes goals, steps used to measure progress, strategies, and important dates.

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==6. Stages of behavior change (precontemplation, etc.)==

• The transtheoretical or “stages of change” model outlines stages we move through as we work to change our behavior.

1. Precontemplation

   1. People may deny a problem or feel powerless to change it.

2. Contemplation

   1. People recognize they have a problem and intend to take action within six months.

3. Preparation

   1. The creation of a specific plan of action and practice of visualization and positive self-talk.

4. Action

   1. The phase in which change happens

5. Maintenance

   1. Period after a goal has been reached during which people struggle against lapses and relapses
   2. Can last months or years

6. Termination

   1. The problem and the temptation to relapse no longer exist.

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@@7. What type of information is recorded in a health journal?@@

• Record of behavior & circumstances surrounding it, including each activity:

  • When?
  • Where?
  • What were you doing?
  • How did you feel about it?

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• SMART criteria for behavior change. (specific, measurable, etc.)

  • Specific: Be specific regarding the behavior.
  • Measurable: Be certain that your progress is measurable.
  • Attainable: Set goals that are within your physical limits.
  • Realistic: Manage your expectations in a logical and realistic manner.
  • Time frame–specific: Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to reach your goal.

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