Introduction
The European, middle-class family living in a town was chosen for interviewing and analysis to examine its health conditions. The family structure, health behavior, and patterns were analyzed to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the family’s health outcomes. The family’s structure will be described to show the health patterns of each member and reveal possible ways to address current health issues and promote healthcare among the family.
Family Structure and Defining Attributes
The family consists of 4 members, including grandparents. The parents are middle-aged, the father is 44, and he is the head of the family and an entrepreneur. Mother is 45 years old and the heart of the family, as she takes care of everybody and works as a lawyer.
They have two children, daughters, older and younger. The older daughter is 21, and she has currently finished her studies. The younger daughter is 13 and a teenager, so some difficulties and changes in her health have occurred.
Grandparents live near the family and sometimes help by caring for the children. Grandma is 68, and she is a senior, and she is a primary caregiver for the younger daughter after school. Granddad is 72, retired, and organizes family evenings near the water with his son and granddaughters. The family identifies as Europeans and has a deep sense of morality. They live in a town with different opportunities to develop and grow, positively affecting their development, but pollution and constant stress are harmful.
Overall Health Behaviors and Current Health Status
This family is sportive and shows various health-promoting behaviors, but most are conducted only in the summer. For example, they have a habit of starting their day with physical activity; the father and older daughter are used to running in the morning, and the mother and older daughter play games outside. Moreover, grandparents also engage in such activities by walking before breakfast.
This family promotes proactive rest, so their vacation may include hiking, playing sports, or going into the mountains. However, their nutrition could be better, as they do not follow a diet and like visiting parties. This family eats fresh fruits and vegetables, but grilled meat, sweets, and junk food are usually present.
Identified Functional Health Pattern Strengths
However, there are several areas for improvement in health behavior. The eco-map and genogram would help to properly analyze and reveal the behavioral health patterns of the family (Rector & Stanley, n.d.). Firstly, life in a town leads to constant stress, especially for the father, due to his job. The town requires significant ability to cope with stress and immediately react to life challenges. As a result, the father faces sleep issues due to the constant need to solve job issues.
Secondly, the older daughter needs help with nutrition, as she needs more time to cook something valuable and always eats junk food. She has graduated and started her career, which requires significant effort and takes time. Lastly, grandparents have difficulties with hearing and their muscles. The youngest daughter constantly uses her phone and has issues with her eyes. As a result, their overall health outcomes are negatively influenced.
Physical activity and active rest are noted as functional health pattern strengths. Physical activity, especially in the morning, helps launch the organism’s valuable processes and encourages family members to start their day proactively. In addition, this activity is followed by family support, which is a significant stimulus. Active rest improves established habits, allows for a great time, and boosts the family’s health outcomes and behavioral patterns.
Health Problems and Barriers to Wellness
The identified health problems include stress, emotional well-being, and nutrition issues. For the father, efficient stress-management strategies are needed, as stress results in sleep difficulties. Long-term health concerns can arise in this case, and even insomnia can occur, which harms health patterns (Wickwire, 2021).
The older daughter’s nutrition issues can harm the immune system and lead to harsh health consequences for girls. Moreover, junk food can lead to severe illnesses like obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart issues (Bohara et al., 2021). In this case, from a long-term perspective, the older daughter can face harmful health issues in the future, which negatively contribute to her overall well-being.
The younger daughter’s gadget addiction negatively influences her physical health, as the girl has already faced difficulties with her eyes and is prescribed to wear glasses. Moreover, addiction to gadgets can negatively influence girls’ emotional well-being and ability to cope with life difficulties because they would always rely on gadgets. Pollution significantly contributes to adverse health outcomes, especially in towns and cities.
Conclusion
To sum up, this family demonstrates significant health behavioral patterns and promotes a proactive lifestyle. Positive behavioral patterns, such as physical activity and active rest, were revealed. These patterns improve overall health outcomes and the immune system.
However, there were areas for improvement related to lifestyle behavior. It is essential to implement stress-management techniques to manage stress effectively. In addition, there is a need for a balanced diet to avoid the negative health consequences of junk food. Lastly, the addiction to gadgets should be reduced to make the environment healthier.
References
Bohara, S. S., Thapa, K., Bhatt, L. D., Dhami, S. S., & Wagle, S. (2021). Determinants of junk food consumption among adolescents in Pokhara Valley, Nepal. Frontiers in Nutrition, 8, 109. Web.
Rector C., & Stanley, M. (n. d.). Chapter 6: Structure and economics of community/public health services. Community and public health nursing (10th Ed.).
Wickwire, E. M. (2021). There is no question about it, sleep disorders increase health care costs. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 17(10), 1971-1972. Web.