An Invitation to Health
Chapter 1:
Your Invitation to Healthy
Change
Health and Wellness
Wellness
Health
•
•
Sound in body, mind,
and spirit.
Not merely the
absence of disease or
infirmity, but a state of
complete physical,
mental, and social
well-being.
•
•
Purposeful, enjoyable
living.
A deliberate lifestyle
choice characterized
by personal
responsibility and
optimal enhancement
of physical, mental,
and spiritual health.
The Wellness-Illness Continuum
The Dimensions of Health:
Physical Health
Positive steps away from illness and toward
well-being:
•Nutritious diet
•Regular exercise
•Avoidance of harmful behaviors and substances
•Monitor early signs of illness
•Accident protection
The Dimensions of Health:
Psychological Health
Emotional and mental states—our
feelings and our thoughts.
The Dimensions of Health:
Spiritual Health
Sense of connectedness to a greater power.
Identify one’s basic purpose in life.
Learn how to experience love, joy, peace,
and fulfillment.
Help ourselves and others achieve full
potential.
The Dimensions of Health:
Social Health
Ability to interact effectively with other people and
the social environment.
Ability to develop satisfying interpersonal
relationships.
Ability to fulfill social roles.
The Dimensions of Health:
Intellectual Health
Ability to think and learn from life experiences.
Openness to ideas.
Capacity to question and evaluate information.
The Dimensions of Health:
Environmental Health
Impact your world has on your well-being.
Healthy People 2010

The federal government identifies the most significant
preventable threats to health and creates leading
indicators that assess the health of Americans.

Healthy People 2010 is the prevention agenda for the
nation.
1st Goal
To help individuals of all ages increase life expectancy
and improve their quality of life.
2nd Goal
To eliminate health disparities among different
segments of the population.
Is Race a Factor in Health?

Yes—some races have higher rates of:







Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Infant mortality
Mental health
Infectious disease
HIV and other STIs
What Can I Do to Improve My Health If
My Racial Background Puts Me at Risk?
Know about your family’s medical history–this is the
single greatest risk factor for disease.
Ask about risks for any medical conditions or
disorders based on your family history, racial, or ethnic
background.
Find out if there are tests that could determine your
risks.
Find steps you can take that may lower your
vulnerability to disease.
Bring someone else with you for support and to help
you remember what you learn.
Staying Healthy on Campus




Prevention
• Identify health risks.
• Reduce stressors.
• Prevent potential medical problems.
• Enhance well-being.
Protection
• Avoid risky behavior.
• Prevent injury and unwanted risks.
Understand Risky Behaviors
Become An Informed Consumer
Making Quality Health-Care
Decisions

•




Improving Your Health Literacy
Understand health information and use it to make
good decisions about health and medical care.
Finding Good Advice Online
• Check the creator and references.
• Consider the author.
• Look for possible bias.
Getting Medical Facts Straight
Making Sense of Medical Research
Evidence-Based Medicine
The Stages of Change and
Some Change Processes
What are The Stages of Change?
Pre-contemplation
•No intentions of making a change in the
next six months.
•Change remains hypothetical, distant, and
vague.
What are The Stages of Change?
Contemplation
•Aware they have a problem behavior and
consider changing within the next six months.
•Understand that change is necessary, but there
is a lack of commitment.
What are The Stages of Change?
Preparation
•Intend to change a problem behavior
within the next months.
•Gather information and supplies for change.
What are The Stages of Change?
Action
•Modifying their behavior according to their plan.
What are The Stages of Change?
Maintenance
•Continued to work at changing behavior and
have avoided relapse for at least six months.
What are The Stages of Change?
Termination
•After two to five years behavior can
become so deeply ingrained that a person
cannot imagine abandoning it.
Making Change Happen





Choosing a Change
Get Real
• How close are you to making a choice?
• What is your usual approach to choosing?
• Evaluate past decisions.
Get Ready
• Assess your greatest change need.
Get Going
Lock It In
Making Healthy Changes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Use seat belts.
Eat an extra fruit or vegetable every day.
Get enough sleep.
Take regular stress breaks.
Lose a pound.
If you’re a woman, examine your breasts regularly.
If you’re a man, examine your testicles regularly.
Get physical.
Drink more water.
Do a good deed.