Factors Influencing Health Essay
The key socio-cultural and psychological factors that influence health behaviour in adults
According to Alder (1995), if people want to improve their chance of being and staying healthy, they should be able to introduce a healthy behaviour into their lifestyle. In order to make this happen it would mean drinking alcohol moderately, not smoking, having a well balanced low-fat diet and exercising regularly. The food Standards Agency committed a Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (LIDNS) which was first carried out in 1998. There were 2,477 households used in the survey which included 3,728 people with the results showing women and men who had lower standards of education most likely had a less healthy diet than those with a higher standard of education, (The National Archives 2011). This suggests that people with a better upbringing or a better understanding of food and nutrition are more likely to have a more balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. On the other hand there are so many factors which contribute to health this does not necessarily mean a person with a better education is of a better health than another, they could have psychological issues such as depression, which can have a massive effect on one’s health.
Unemployment is one social condition which has been proven to be widely related to a person having a poor health. People who have poor health will find it difficult to get a permanent job, so it is hard to know whether being unemployed is the effect of having poor health or the cause of it. In 1989, McKenna and Payne took a sample of males who had been out of work for 18 to 24 months or longer 6 months before they found full time work again and they were compared to with a control group. Pain was the only variable which unemployed men’s scores were lower than employed men. Well being was another lower for the men who had been unemployed for a long term rather than men who had became reemployed (Hunt and McEwen 1980). Of course being out of work
According to Alder (1995), if people want to improve their chance of being and staying healthy, they should be able to introduce a healthy behaviour into their lifestyle. In order to make this happen it would mean drinking alcohol moderately, not smoking, having a well balanced low-fat diet and exercising regularly. The food Standards Agency committed a Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (LIDNS) which was first carried out in 1998. There were 2,477 households used in the survey which included 3,728 people with the results showing women and men who had lower standards of education most likely had a less healthy diet than those with a higher standard of education, (The National Archives 2011). This suggests that people with a better upbringing or a better understanding of food and nutrition are more likely to have a more balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. On the other hand there are so many factors which contribute to health this does not necessarily mean a person with a better education is of a better health than another, they could have psychological issues such as depression, which can have a massive effect on one’s health.
Unemployment is one social condition which has been proven to be widely related to a person having a poor health. People who have poor health will find it difficult to get a permanent job, so it is hard to know whether being unemployed is the effect of having poor health or the cause of it. In 1989, McKenna and Payne took a sample of males who had been out of work for 18 to 24 months or longer 6 months before they found full time work again and they were compared to with a control group. Pain was the only variable which unemployed men’s scores were lower than employed men. Well being was another lower for the men who had been unemployed for a long term rather than men who had became reemployed (Hunt and McEwen 1980). Of course being out of work
References: Alder, Beth (1995). Psychology of Health. Applications of psychology for Health Professionals. Anshel, Mark (2006). Applied Exercise Psychology. A practitioner’s Guide to Improving Client Health and Fitness Anshel, Mark, Reeves, L. & Roth, R (2003). Concepts in Fitness. A balanced approach to good health Graham, H (1987) Women 's smoking and family health. Social Science and Medicine Hunt, S. and McEwen, J. (1980). The development of subjective health indicator. Sociology of Health and Illness, 2, 231-246 McKenna, S.P. and Payne, R.L (1989). Comparison of the General Health Questionnaire and the Nottingham Health Profile in unemployed and re-employed men. Family Practice, 6, 3-8