1.2 Identifying Health Risks

Factors that can influence your health

Heredity, environment, media, technology, healthcare, behavior

Habit

a behavior that is repeated so often that it becomes almost automatic

Gender

a person's determination of male or female at birth

Examples of technology influencing health

advanced medical screening to detect diseases faster and more accurately, internet sites providing credible information about health topics, exposure to misleading or false information, time trap that reduces time spent exercising or interacting directly with others

Technology

advances or innovations that help improve quality of life and/or make processes easier or more efficient

Examples of physical environment influencing health

air & water quality, exposure to disease-causing organisms, loud noise, radiation from sun and other sources

Environment

all of the physical and social conditions that surround a person and can influence that person's health

Heredity

all the traits that are passed biologically from parent to child

Examples of media influencing health

amount of time spent watching TV or at web-based applications, exposure to advertising, opportunities to learn useful information to improve a condition/situtation

Risk Factor

any action or condition that increases the likelihood of injury, disease, or other negative outcome

3 ways to evaluate a risk factor

consider short & long-term consequences, decide how much control you have of a factor, & analyze risks & benefits

Examples of healthcare influencing health

easy or difficulty in scheduling visits for preventative healthcare, costs of preventative checkups

Examples of risk factors you can't control

factors part of your heredity, some factors within your environment (i.e. weather)

Media

forms of communication that provide news and entertainment

Examples of behavior influencing health

going along with or declining invitations to participate in activities with friends, eating choices, actions affecting sleep, focus on learning

Examples of social environment influencing health

learning first health lessons from family, positive and negative peer pressure

Examples of risk factors you can control

level of physical activity; intake of fat, sugar, and salt, use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; use of protective gear like seat belts & helmets; choice of friends

Example of gender influencing health

risk for many conditions vary between males and females

Examples of heredity influencing health

skin color & cancer risk, breast & colon cancers, addiction

Culture

the beliefs and patterns of behavior that are shared by a group of people and passed from generation to generation (i.e. nation, region of a country, ethnic or religious group)

Behavior

the decisions you make and the actions you take throughout your day and life

Healthcare

the medical services provided by doctors, nurses, dentists, and therapists, and such facilities they work in (hospitals and clinics)

Social Environment

the people you spend time and surround yourself with (family, friends, classmates, others in your community)

Examples of culture influencing health

traditional foods common to one's heritage, shared ways of displaying emotions

Physical Environment

your outdoor and indoor surroundings