A major proportion of deaths could be prevented if people were to change their health behaviors - Essay Example

? A major proportion of deaths could be prevented if people were to change their health behaviors Human behavior and unhealthy lifestyle have an important impact on the health of people. Health concerns get aggravated by many factors, and many of them are caused by the behavior patterns of people. Most of the factors are preventable like smoking, dieting, sedentary lifestyle and unprotected sex life. These health risk factors vary between individuals as the behavior pattern, life style and food habits are deeply influenced by the social, cultural and economic background of human beings. Creating awareness through proper interventions to change behavior can alter the current trend of diseases. Evidences have shown that behavior patterns can be major reasons for chronic diseases and premature deaths. There should be systematic and evidence based strategies to educate the people about health related behaviors and lifestyles. Behavior impact on health There is enough evidence to suggest that changing the behavior patterns that are related to health can have a major influence on the mortality and morbidity. Behavior patterns are embedded in the lifestyles of people that include smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet and so on. The other factors like social circumstances and genetic compositions that contribute as health risk, cannot be modified nor can their impact be reduced. Unlike the other factors, behavior patterns can be modified to change the pattern of disease. However, lack of proper strategy and coordination between different strategies have failed or partially failed to make changes in human behavior, and as such different theories are applied in an uncoordinated way. There are significant turning points in the lives of individuals when people review their own behavior like leaving school, entering professional life, becoming a parent, retirement etc (Behavior change: Public health need and practice, 2007). A major cause of chronic diseases is the behavior pattern of human beings like prolonged smoking and alcohol consumption, malnutrition and sedentary lifestyle. While chronic tobacco consumption is considered as a common factor for cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems and cancer, prolonged alcohol consumption is considered as contributory factor for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and neuropsychiatric health disorders. Apart from this, intensive alcohol consumption carries the risk of physical injuries from accidents. Sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise can lead to obesity causing coronary heart disease and hypertension. Study suggests that the health behaviors of human beings are in turn affected by the economic condition and social status of an individual. The general solution lies in creating awareness of the impacts of behavior patterns on chronic diseases that can increase the mortality risk. Education can make a person aware of the long term affect of obesity, thus will make the person conscious about his dietary intake to control weight. Similarly, education can provide an individual sufficient knowledge about the negative impacts of smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol (Schneider & Schneider, 2012, pp.1-3). The socioeconomic impact on behavior patterns is however dependent on the income group to which an individual belongs. For instance, increasing the tax on tobacco and alcohol can reduce consumption to a large extent among low-income individuals, but high taxation has almost no effect on the consumption level among the high-income individuals (Schneider & Schneider, 2012, p.11). In America, reports claim that seven out of ten deaths occur from chronic diseases, while 50 percent of death happens due to heart failure and cancer. To lead a healthier life, it is necessary to maintain a regulatory pattern of behavior and lifestyle. The recommendations for a longer life is to avoid excessive consumption of alcohol, stay away from smoking tobacco, maintain healthy diet by eating food with rich nutritional values like fruits, vegetables and low-fat foods, and participate in physical activities like walking, jogging or running (Four Specific Health Behaviors Contribute to a Longer Life, 2011) Biopsychosocial causes Human psychological conditions can affect the health of people by causing chronic diseases like low back pain. It is a doctor’s role to identify the fear and depression associated with low back pain, headaches and other chronic diseases. Proper treatment of the depression can reduce disability and the risk of death from chronic diseases. It is often a difficult task for the doctors to recognise the psychological beliefs of illness, and so treatment of fear of back pain cannot be done adequately. Only through concise educational approaches can fear-avoidance beliefs be reduced. As primary care, it is necessary for doctors to treat these psychosocial factors like fear and depression, only then medical treatment of an entire person will be strengthened and the quality of life will be improved. A person’s disability can be caused by external factors like accidents and internal factors like genetic problems. However, psychologies of a person like fear, depression and anxiety can also contribute largely towards disability because these psychological factors weaken the highest forms of human capacities like “concentration, motivation, energy and self-confidence.” (Korff, 2005, p.118) Studies have proved that once the chronic psychological illness gets treated, the disability also reduces. Chronic diseases like heart problems, diabetes and arthritis are closely related to the psychological conditions of a person. It is common occurrence that anxiety and depression increase the blood sugar level or can even cause major heart attacks that can become fatal. Psychological illness can be contributory factors for chronic illness as the former can provoke a person to smoke tobacco or drink alcohol, and can cause obesity too. It is also equally true that chronic physical illness can give rise to fear, depression and anxiety. Thus, there is an interrelation between physical and psychological illness (Korff, 2005, pp.117-119). Health psychology theory In the developed countries of the world, major reasons for premature death are considered as chronic diseases that result from negative behavior patterns and lifestyle of human beings. Health psychology focuses on “the beneficial role played by healthy lifestyles and positive mental attitudes in the prevention and treatment of illness and injury.” (Snooks, 2009, p.11) Awareness of health issues through education can encourage people to discuss about the same with medical practitioners for advice on a healthy lifestyle. Health is defined by WHO as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (Snooks, 2009, p.12) A person who is healthy physically can nevertheless be suffering from psychological problems. For instance, a person arriving from a foreign country to the US for higher education may be physically fit and strong, but the person may feel depressed in a new country and in a new cultural environment. The person may feel socially isolated among new people. This kind of experience is termed as cultural shock. Health psychology distinguishes between diseases related to behaviors and actual disease, like chronic fear and depression can lead to rising blood pressure, heart attacks and premature deaths (Snooks, 2009, pp.12,16). Health psychology can make major contributions towards development of positive heath related behavior patterns for the proper management of public health. This is not the only responsibility of health psychology; it needs to identify new behavior risks (Faden, 1987, p.167). In a UK study, it has been reported that even a minor psychological distress can lead to premature death. The report is based on study conducted on people who are otherwise healthy and free from physical diseases. There have always been doubts about the connection between mental illness and risk of death. Medical science, till date, could not confirm the extent of the effect of psychological problems on physical health, or whether patients who are seriously ill become anxious because of their slow recovery. Researchers say that deaths from cardiovascular diseases are common effects of psychological distress; similarly, deaths from other causes can equally be effects of psychological distress. It has been observed that prolonged mental stress can give rise to “hormonal dysregulation and increased levels of inflammatory markers” (Blue, 2012), which in turn are considered as reasons for the link between mortality rate and mental health problems. As part of solution, emphasis should be given on removing the conditions that lead to distress and anxiety. While workplace tension can be reduced or modified, the more persisting conditions arise from unequal socioeconomic status and other societal stresses (Blue, 2012). The nature of health problems depend on the age, gender and ethnicity. These factors are important aspects in health psychology research. In America and other developed countries, the importance of demographic factors increases with increasing changes in the age and ethnic compositions among the populations. The psychosocial influences on health vary with age compositions. The most prevalent health risks of children and adolescents are different from the health risks of the middle-aged group, and similarly the health risks of the latter are differently from the old-age group (Smith, 2006, p.23). To avoid stress and anxiety, it is necessary to maintain a positive attitude in daily life. Entertaining negative feeling and a bad attitude can have a negative affect on the health. Researchers have found out that there is an obvious link between high blood pressure and pessimistic attitude. Pessimism can make a person distressed and anxious which in turn can cause chronic diseases and premature death. A positive attitude in daily life can have a major impact on emotional well-being and cardiovascular health. In order to maintain a positive attitude, it is necessary to tackle the challenges of everyday life positively (The Tremendous Effects of a Positive Attitude, 2006, p.1). Obesity is a growing concern among populations and require long term treatments. It can be caused by psychosocial factors like hunger, overeating and stress. Although food intake in necessary for the body’s energy requirement, it is however, the excessive eating habits of individuals that lead to obesity. Psychological stress is one factor that induces a person to consume food even in absence of hunger. Other than this, studies have confirmed that obesity can also be caused by shorter durations of sleep, and sleep deprivation can occur due to emotional stress among other reasons (Shepherd, 2009, p.53). Principles of health psychologists The first principle is responsibility. Unlike other areas of psychology which are concerned with mental health, health psychology is concerned with physical health. So health psychologists have responsibilities for an individual’s physical health. The second principle is competence. It is important that a health psychologist have sufficient experience and competence while treating physically ill patients. As third principle, a health psychologist needs to be sensitive to the cultural standards of the patients. For instance, a person who regularly consumes fast food cannot be persuaded to completely change his eating habits to home-made food. So, a health psychologist must recommend variations in the patient’s diet chart. Unlike other psychologists who have to maintain strict confidential relationship with their patients, health psychologists have less confidential relationship with his patients. This is because often the medical records of the patients are seen by a team of experts. Health psychologists should be able to maintain communications with other professionals like nutritionists, physical therapists and physicians. In addition, a health psychologist must have all the competencies. Finally, health psychologists should conduct psychological tests on patients to predict survival time, necessity of cosmetic surgery, or potential of rehabilitation. In such cases, the treatment is likely to be done by a physician (Swencionis & Hall, 1987, pp.204-213). Conclusion In the modern society, behavior patterns of human beings have a major impact on their physical and mental health. Behavior change is increasingly becoming the central point of focus of public health interventions. Human behaviors like alcohol abuse, tobacco consumption, sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical exercise are major health risk factors. Chronic diseases like lower back pain, obesity, cancer, heart problems, diabetes and arthritis are some of the diseases that are related to the behavior patterns and lifestyles. Psychosocial factors like fear, anxiety and depression can lead to major chronic diseases and premature deaths as a result of those diseases. Stroke or heart attack can be a common consequence of the psychosocial factors, and more often they can be fatal. Maintenance of positive attitude in daily life can act as an important remedial measure for fear and anxiety. It is important to create awareness through education about how death rates can be reduced by changing behavior patterns. References Behavior change: Public health need and practice, (2007) NICE, retrieved on November 28, 2012 from: http://publications.nice.org.uk/behavior-change-ph6/public-health-need-and-practice Blue, L. (August 1, 2012), Study: Shaky Mental Health Linked to Higher Death Risk, Time Magazine, retrieved on November 29, 2012 from: http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/01/study-shaky-mental-health-linked-to-higher-death-risk/ Faden, R.R. (1987), Health Psychology and Public Health, pp.165-174, In Stone, G.C. et al. (eds) Health Psychology: A Discipline and a Profession, Chicago: University of Chicago Press Four Specific Health Behaviors Contribute to a Longer Life, (2011) CDC, retrieved on November 29, 2012 from: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/LiveLonger/index.html Korff, M.V. (2005), Fear and depression as remediable causes of disability in common medical conditions in primary care, pp.117-132, In White, P. (ed) Biopsychosocial Medicine: An Integrated Approach to Understanding Illness, New York: Oxford University Press Schneider B.S. & U. Schneider (2012). Health Behavior and Health Assessment: Evidence from German Microdata. Economic Research International, 2012, 1-13 Shepherd, A. (2009). Obesity: prevalence, causes and clinical consequences. Nursing Standard, 23(52), 51-57 Smith, T.W. (2006), Measurement in Health Psychology Research, pp.19-51, In Friedman, H.S. & R.C. Silver (eds) Foundations of Health Psychology, New York: Oxford University Press Snooks, M.K. (2009). Health Psychology: Biological, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives. USA: Jones & Bartlett Learning Swencionis, C & J.E. Hall (1987), Ethical Concerns in Health Psychology, pp.203-216, In Stone, G.C. et al. (eds) Health Psychology: A Discipline and a Profession, Chicago: University of Chicago Press The Tremendous Effects of a Positive Attitude (2006). On Wellness, 2(4), 1-6 Read More