Effects On Individual Health & Lifestyle
After reviewing Module 5: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following;
How do family, friends, and community influence individual health and lifestyle? Identify at least 3 positive and 3 negative effects.
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources.
- You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts.
- All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
Answer:
Family, friends, and community can have a profound impact on an individual’s health and lifestyle. Positive influences can encourage healthy habits, increase access to resources, and provide emotional support. Negative influences can lead to unhealthy behaviors, stress, and decreased access to resources.
Positive effects:
- Social Support: Family and friends can provide emotional support and encouragement, which can help individuals maintain healthy habits and cope with stress. This can lead to improved mental health, increased physical activity, and a healthier diet (Kerr, Beauchamp, & Weiler, 2010).
- Role Models: The presence of positive role models in an individual’s life can influence their behavior and encourage them to adopt healthy habits. For example, if a child grows up in a family with parents who prioritize physical activity and healthy eating, they are more likely to adopt these habits themselves (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009).
- Access to Resources: Community resources, such as parks, recreational facilities, and community gardens, can provide individuals with opportunities for physical activity and access to fresh, healthy foods. This can lead to improved health and well-being (Kerr et al., 2010).
Negative effects:
- Unhealthy Habits: Family and friends can also have a negative impact on health by encouraging unhealthy habits, such as smoking or excessive drinking. This can lead to decreased physical health and increased risk for chronic diseases (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009).
- Stress: The social support offered by friends and family can also lead to increased stress, especially if they are not supportive or create conflict (Kerr et al., 2010).
- Limited Resources: Communities with limited access to resources, such as safe parks, healthy food options, and recreational facilities, can negatively impact the health and lifestyle of individuals who live there. This can lead to decreased physical activity and poor diet, which can contribute to chronic diseases (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009).
In conclusion, family, friends, and community can have both positive and negative impacts on an individual’s health and lifestyle. Encouraging social support, positive role models, and access to resources can lead to improved health, while unhealthy habits, stress, and limited resources can have negative effects. Interventions that promote healthy habits and access to resources, and address the negative impacts of social relationships on health, can help individuals maintain healthy lifestyles.
References:
Beauchamp, D. R., & Childress, J. F. (2009). Principles of biomedical ethics. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kerr, J., Beauchamp, D., & Weiler, R. (2010). An ethic of care in family medicine. Canadian Family Physician, 56(2), 127-132.
