health, wellness, illness, and injury

health

Presence or absence of disease

Florence Nightingale

State of being well and using every power the individual possesses to the fullest extent

World Health Organization [WHO]

State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

American Nurses Association [ANA] definition of health

Dynamic state of being in which the developmental and behavioral potential of an individual is realized to the fullest extent possible

Personal definitions of health

Highly individualized
Free from symptoms, pain
Being able to be active, in good spirits

Developing personal definition of health

Individual's previous experiences
Expectations of self
Age
Sociocultural influences

State of well-being

Self-responsibility
Ultimate goal
Dynamic, growing process
Daily decision making
Whole being of individual

Components of wellness

Environmental
Occupational
Intellectual
Spiritual
Physical
Emotional
Social

Health and illness/disease can be seen as opposite ends of a health continuum

Individuals move back and forth day by day
No distinct boundary
Perceptions of self, others' perceptions affect placement on continuum

Illness

Highly personal state
Diminished physical, emotional, intellectual, social, developmental, or spiritual functioning
May or may not be related to disease

Disease

Alteration in body functions
Reduction of capacities
Shortening of normal lifespan
Affects physical and/or mental status
Results from many causes
Signaled by identifiable signals
Some diseases can be contracted by others; some noncommunicable

acute illness

Severe symptoms of relatively short duration
Symptoms appear abruptly, subside quickly
May or may not require intervention
Individual returns to normal level of wellness afterward

chronic illness

last for an extended period
usually last > 6 months
slow onset, often periods of remission and exacerbation

illness behavior

how person describes, monitors, interprets symptoms
ways of taking remedial action

sick role behavior

using healthcare system
may involve dependent behaviors ( avoiding usual responsibilities)
Highly individualized

Injury

Act or event that causes damage, harm, or loss to body's functioning

Injury can be caused by?

unexpected accidents
intentionally violent activities
outcomes range from minor to life threatening

Four types of crisis

chronic illness
major injuries
mental illness
pediatric illness
-disrupt family

Effects of Illness on the Patient and Family

Brings changes
Behavioral and emotional
Self-concept and body image
Lifestyle
Loss of autonomy
Often means change in lifestyle

Nurses can help by

Providing explanations about necessary adjustments
Making arrangements to accommodate patient's lifestyle
Encouraging other health professionals to become aware of patient's lifestyle
Supporting healthy aspects of lifestyle
Reinforcing desirable changes i

Healthy People 2020: Improving the Health of Americans
Four major goals:

1) Attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death
2) Achieve health equality, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups
3) Create social and physical environments that promote good

Healthy People 2020: Improving the Health of Americans

-42 topic areas, nearly 600 objectives
-12 types of health indicators
-Healthcare professionals to develop matching action plans for indicators
-Individual health linked to community health, so partnerships important

primary prevention services

focus on health promotions, illness prevention

secondary prevention services

include diagnosis, treatment of disease

tertiary prevention services

-seek to restore health after illness
-include rehabilitation, palliative services

Factors: Pregnancy

-mothers age
-prenatal care
-support system
-events surroundings fertilization
-physical impairments
-previous pregnancy experiences
-cultural, ethnic factors

factors in older adults

-increase in physical limitations
-chronic illness
-change in cognitive status
-difficulty accessing health care
-inadequate support system
-need for environmental modifications
-Attitudes of hopelessness, depressions

Health choices

influenced by health status, beliefs, behaviors
May, may not be under conscious control
-internal variables (nomodifiable)
genetic factors
mental illness
cognition disorders
when linked to health problems, nurse and patient must work together particularly

awareness of mind-body interactions

-mind-body interactions affect health status positively, negatively
-can increase susceptibility to organic disease
-alterations in immune system
-mind's ability to direct body's functioning

self-concept

how individual feels about self and needs, roles, abilities
-affects how individual views and handles situations
-can affect heath practices

Lifestyle choices

-living conditions
-patterns of behavior
-under individual's control
-risk factors: choices with potentially negative effects

health beliefs

concepts about health that an individual believes are true
-may or may not be based on fact
-may be influenced by culture
-can affect whether individual is likely to engage in health promotion or follow treatment plan

spiritual and religious beliefs

-can affect health behavior
-some religions oppose blood transfusions
-vegetarianism
-circumcision

complementary health approaches

-Nommainstream practices
-integrative health:incorporating complementary health approaches into mainstream western healthcare
-Alternative medicine: using nonmainstream approaches instead of conventional healthcare
-relaxation, meditation,biofeedback gain