Family Health Promotion

Family structure

Brief interaction I had with the family of B.N. provided a lot of insight into the relationship between family structure, values, and beliefs on health. B.N. is the head of the family who makes most of the decisions. Second in command is his wife, and her role is majorly moral guidance of all the family members. This family is of African-American descent, middle socioeconomic class, staunch Christians. The family consists of a grandmother, B.N., his wife, and five children, including B.N.’s nephew. The second-born child is overweight and has asthma; the third born is obese. They live in a permanent house in a reasonably peaceful neighborhood with occasional cases of violence and robbery. Their residence is just in the suburbs of an industrial town with numerous manufacturing industries, which include cotton and food processing firms. The main occupational activity of the family is mixed small-scale farming.

Positive and negative family health patterns

The family’s health pattern is more or less similar to other families in many parts of the world. Health seeking behavior is hugely dependent on the knowledge of an individual on health and the socioeconomic status (Chan et al., 2018). Health care services are commonly sought from both the health institutions and through spiritual means. Their living condition is much better than that of most of the other families in the neighborhood. According to B.N., good health is the absence of disease, and physical pain is the most significant symptom of illness. They can easily get access to a balanced diet and know what it is comprised of. They receive sunlight almost all day, and none of the family members has ever been affected by rickets. After school, the children do their assignment for three hours, and later, males engage in football activities with their neighbors. Female children often stay at home doing house chores. The father has registered for a gym session and attends it three days in a week, accumulating to 240 minutes per week, which is more than the recommended 150 minutes weekly (Grasdalsmoen, 2018).

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 There are some of the health concerns the family faces. Firstly, the second and third-born female children in the family had a body mass index of 29 kg/m² and 32kg/m² respectively. The family ought to involve its female children in exercise to improve their nutrition status. The sleeping period, according to B.N., is synonymous with rest. They sleep for an average of 7 hours, but the family claims to be taking coffee daily before bedtime, and this seems to affect their sleep. Second concern is the environmental pollution. The noises from the nearby industries and heavy trucks on the road to and from the town also cause noise pollution, resulting in an abnormal sleep cycle among the residents. Both air and water pollution seems to affect the locals, according to B.N. Industries emit both gases and liquid waste into the environment, thus destroying the normal flora. Fumes and smoke precipitate the development of some of the chronic lung diseases, including asthma and bronchitis. The community carries out farming activities, and there is extensive use of fertilizers, which may impact the soil and water adversely. The third health concern is the occasional violence in the neighborhood. This scenario does not allow for optimal social and occupational growth for the children and the families in the suburbs.

Cognitive, sensory, and self-perception

English is the primary language, but the children have also learned other languages, including French and German. Father could not get a tertiary level of education due to financial issues, but the oldest child is currently in his final year at the university. There were no sensory perception issues in the family. They can easily access computer and internet services both at home and at school.

Sexual health, relationship, and coping mechanisms

None of the children is married, but two older children are in stable relationships. The third-born and last-born children are single, and third-born has never had a lasting relationship. Knowledge of sexual health is one of the important determinants of health (Meadow, 2018). They often discuss sexuality issues, including contraception and sexually transmitted infections. The family members relate well with one another as well as their neighbors and have an active insurance cover.

Use of family theory in improving health patterns

Family is a basic social unit, where each member cannot be understood as an individual but rather as a whole. Management of individual issues within the family is best dealt with in the presence of other family members (Kaakinen, 2018). It is, therefore, important that the family employs an inclusive exercise program that involves both genders as it is clear from the interaction that the female gender rarely participates in physical activities. This will not only improve the physical and nutritional status of the two sisters but also enhance the relationship among the family members. Their approach to problem-solving is good as they are all actively involved in coming up with a solution. Social functioning for all the members will gradually improve, and the affected children will have a lesser risk for metabolic illnesses. The family prefers solving their issues internally without involving an external party. According to WHO, health encompasses social, physical, psychological, as well as economic stability and is not merely the absence of illness. The family must be educated on not only mental health but also social health as they are only concerned with physical well-being.

Summary

B.N.’s family is a middle-income extended family that lives in the suburbs of an industrial town. The family’s perception of health is physical well-being. However, still, the family has excellent health-seeking behavior with an active insurance cover, occasional health talks on sexuality, and proper nutrition. Parents were unable to attain a tertiary level of education, but the children are progressing well in school. Their primary language is English, with children having mastered other languages.

Female gender is majorly tasked with the house chores, and the male children participate in physical activities. This accounts for the high body mass index among the female gender. The family should employ an exercise program and education on the other important aspects of health. Despite living in an industrial town, none of the members reported sensory perception deficits, and all had a relatively good physical health. It is important to note that members seek consolation and advice from one another when faced with a stressful situation. This is an important aspect of therapy as the family heads get to understand the issues affecting their children and the children understand their parents better. This has an effect of reducing conflicts between the members and improving their interaction as well as psychological well-being.

References

Chan, C. Q. H., Lee, K. H., & Low, L. L. (2018). A systematic review of health status, health-seeking behavior and healthcare utilization of low socioeconomic status populations in urban Singapore. International journal for equity in health, 17(1), 39.

Grasdalsmoen, M., Eriksen, H. R., Lønning, K. J., & Sivertsen, B. (2019). Physical exercise and body-mass index in young adults: a national survey of Norwegian university students. BMC public health, 19(1), 1354.

Meadows, E. (2018). Sexual Health Equity in Schools: Inclusive Sexuality and Relationship Education for Gender and Sexual Minority Students. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 13(3), 297-309.

Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.

Appendix

1. Health perception and values
2. How is your family structured?
3. What is your health status as a family at the moment?
4. Do you have an insurance cover?
5. Nutrition
6. What type of food do you take at each mealtime?
7. What do you think is the right combination of food for good health?
8. Do you gather as a family during mealtimes?
9. Rest and sleep
10. What is the average duration of sleep for each of the family members?
11. How is the environment during sleep?
12. What forms of relaxation techniques do you use before sleeping?
13. Elimination
14. What are industries present around your place of residence?
15. What are the effects of these industries on the environment?
16. What is the main economic activity among the members of the community?
17. Activity/exercise
18. What form of activities do you engage in daily?
19. How long do you exercise daily?
20. What is your view on exercise and health?
21. Cognitive
22. What languages do the family members speak?
23. What is the level of education of each family member?
24. Are you able to access the internet and other online services?
25. Sensory perception
26. Does anyone in the family have an issue with eyesight?
27. Do you have any hearing problems?
28. Does anyone have an issue with smell or taste?
29. Self-perception
30. How do you view or feel about yourselves as a family?
31. Are there any health issues within the family?
32. What other community projects do the family members engage in?
33. Role of relationship and sexuality
34. What is the role of each member in the family relationship?
35. Who discusses sexual health matters with the children?
36. How is the relationship between the members and the other community members?
37. Coping
38. How do you cope with the effects of industrial pollution?
39. What are the mechanisms you use during stressful situation in the family?
40. How do you solve your family issues?