Families as means for Health promotion
Family is a small social system and primary reference group made up of two or more persons living
together who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption or who are living together by agreement over
a period of time.
Family: Interacting individuals related by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption.
Interdependently perform relevant functions through expected roles.
Central/enduring influence in individual and family development, behavior, understanding, and
attainment of health/health behaviors.
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Patterning diet, activity, hygiene, coping
Modeling lifestyle behaviors
Providing resources
Fostering resilience
Individualization with family cohesiveness
Systems theory
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Patterns of living among individuals in family system
Family patterns influenced by
o Individual behaviors
o Individual responses
Unique culture, value system, history
System boundaries
o Identify family from nonfamily
o Control information flow
Living, open system – change in one member changes system
Family structure vs family function
o Structure: Family composition including roles/relationships
o Function: Processes within systems
Family risk factor categories
o Lifestyle (Overeating, drug dependency, smoking)
o Biological (Genetics)
o Environmental (Stress, pollution)
o Social, psychological, cultural, spiritual (crowding, isolation)
o Health care system ( overuse, lack of access)
Epidemiology perspective
o Disease association described in terms of risk
o Risk factor theory: Family part of environment and important support system to decrease
risk.
o Calculating risk estimates: compare those with/without risk factor
o Chronic disease: Predisposes family to greater risk, phases of adaptation for family
Risk Behaviors
o Associated with age-specific developmental stages
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o Habits learned in family develop individual lifestyle behaviors.
Comprehensive family assessment
o Consider family as group; member as individual
o Listening to the family
o Engaging in participatory dialogue
o Recognizing patterns
o Assessing potential for active, positive change
 Developmental Framework and risk-factor estimate approaches
o Nurses roles
 Role model: collaborate with family; provide info; decision making
Functional health pattes:
o Gordon: 11 functional health patterns
o Systems approach with emphasis on developmental stages and risk factors
o Evaluation of dysfunctional patterns in families
o Risk factors predict potential dysfunction
o Nursing process
 Family assessment: history, interview, roles, risks
 Nursing diagnoses
 Associates/etiological factors and influencing factors
 interventions