Question

• Discuss how factors relating to biological and age-related risks, environmental risks, and behavioral risks contribute to family health and the achievement of healthy outcomes.
• Discuss activities that the nurse practicing in the community can implement to assist families to decrease health risks.

Answer 1

Different factors that contribute to Family health:

Family is the basic unit of society and the family health is an important cornerstone of Public health concept. Many factors that can affect or contribute to Family health, such as biological, environment, age of the family members and the behavioural factors .

Biological factors : Biological factors such as the hereditary or genetic factors is an important determinant of family health. Certain disorders like Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, asthma etc are hereditary disorders. If the parents are suffering with any of the heriditary disorders , then the children are at risk to develop this disorders.  

Age- related risk : Certain age groups are vulnerable to disease and injury. Especially young children and elderly are in more risk for developing any illness or accidents. Special care has to be given to these age group of people in the family. Their health and wellbeing, largely affect the families' wellness.  

Environmental risk: Environmental factors can affect the health of the family members. Adequate Housing , ventilation, light, cleanliness and safe water supply can influence the family health outcome positively. Environmental sanitation is the another major factor in determining the family health. Most of the water and air - born diseases can be prevented by the proper environmental sanitation.  

Behavioural risk : Life style and behavioural factors can determine the family health in a considerable way. Healthy lifestyle and behavioural factors such as regular physical exercise, balanced diet, adequate rest and sleep , relaxation, avoidance of substance abuses are important for each of the adult family members and the children in the family.  

Along with these factors, economic condition of the family, income and education of the family members also can contribute to the family health and their heathy outcomes.

Activities to reduce the health risk for the families:

Nurses have the primary responsibility in reducing the families' Health risks. She can involve in many activities to reduce the health risks and to promote the health of the members in the family. Some of the important activities are:

* Participate in mass immunization programmes against the communicable diseases and routine immunization schedule for the children.  

* Educate the family members especially, mother regarding the importance of balanced diet.

* Educate about the importance of follow up of treatment for diseases and routine health check up.

* Conduct Health screening for identifying the people , who are at risk for chronic diseases.

* Provision of quality care delivery for pre natal, intra natal and post natal mothers .

* New born care.

* Instruct the home accident prevention strategies to mother of under five children.

* Elderly care, ranging from assisting in Activities of daily living to spiritual and social assistance.  

* Adolescent health promotion,Supporting them through education regarding the physical changes in puberty and psychological support.

* Educate the family regarding the cleanliness of the environment and sanitation.  

* Assist and arrange the genetic counselling session.

* Facilitate follow up services for chronic diseases in elderly.