Pdhpe_Perceptions_of_Health

Question 1 For my health behaviour change, I have decided that I want to change my daily consumption of water. I chose this specific health behaviour, as water is one of the most valuable things for our bodies and is an easy behaviour to change. Water is an important component to long-term health as well and advantages in our bodies by improving skin appearance, removing toxin and wastes, providing energy, more nutritional supplements and promoting your mind body fitness. Approximately each day I drink around 1 litre of water, which is only half the recommended daily amount. With my blood pressure also being slightly low, this amount has been insufficient to my needs and have caused me occasionally to faint and usually feel dizzy when getting up rapidly from a lying or sitting down position. People with low pressure need the additional intake of water to compensate for the weakness of the tone and vasoconstriction capabilities of the vessels. I believe by increasing my daily intake of water it will effectively improve my quality of life and my overall health. Question 2. The factors that influence my health behaviour change, to increase my daily water consumption are determined by my Individual, Socio-economic and Environmental factors. Individual factors influence my knowledge, skills and attitude. By having an increased knowledge on the positives and benefits to drinking water my attitude towards improvement in the health behaviour is increase and I therefore am more determined in doing so. My Socio-economic factors modify my control to some extent and may also reflect on my individual factors. Having a higher level of education increases my knowledge on this issue and contributes to improving my overall health status. Today in schools this form of ‘health education’ is mandatory for all student from Kindergarten to year 10. Environmental factors such as my geographical location reflect much toward the quality of the water. Living in area where there is very minimal pollution and the water quality is excellent makes me more content to consuming more water each day. As for people living in 3rd world countries where the only water available to them is dirty and results in them becoming sick demonstrates how someone from this type of location would not be as eager to drink more. In all, these factors give me a positive outlook towards the health behaviour and make me determined in making a change. Question 3. Factors influencing my health behaviour and its possible change are: • Individual Factors- influence my knowledge on the behaviour, this knowledge can be composed through such things as; mandatory health education, campaigns presented through the media in, magazine, organizations, television etc. Campaigns presented through advertisements are more often the most effective and usual tell us about important nutritional supplements and inform the public on the recommended daily water intake should be and risk of not drinking enough might do; Through the dissemination of health information by health professionals such as chemists, community nurses and dentists and global access to health information via the Internet. Through these components my point of view is constructed and influenced to change. • Socio-economic Factors- relates to a persons level of income, education and employment. With employment being a major component in individuals lifestyle and health behaviours many aspects can be influenced to improve their quality of life. Education provides people with greater knowledge to health decisions, having a higher knowledge will influence the person to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Income is also very closely related and also persuades ones choices due to their higher or lower income. Generally higher income earners will have a higher health status as they usually have more access to services. • Environmental Factors- refers to the positives and negatives one has due to their locations and how it influences their health lifestyle. People living in rural areas are more likely to be poorer and have not as good access to health services and products but have better air and water quality, where as to a person living in an urban area there access to health services is better but their quality of air and water is worse. Question 4. Most campaigns and promotions today promote the need to do more exercise, eat better food or just keep fit in general, forgetting about the importance of water. This particular ad, part of the ‘Drink more water’ promotional poster campaign aim to influence younger generation by informing that the very popular ‘soda’ drinks are harmful to our bodies and that a better alternative would be ‘drink more water’. The ad is effective to influence this changed through the use of images and quotes. There are two posters, one being male orientated and other female the image included on each focus on parts of the body that are very important in men and women in today society. Beside each picture a quote is presented on the female; “The sugar in soda fills your body with empty calories that can leads extra weight gain and obesity.” And on the males; “The phosphorus in soda leaches calcium from you bones causing increased weakness and fracture.” With both these quotes relating to the issues most important to the typical male and female this promotion is made effective in encouraging the consumption of more water.