Topic 2 DQ 2
Why is the concept of family health important? Consider the various strategies for health promotion. How does a nurse determine which strategy would best enable the targeted individuals to gain more control over, and improve, their health?
Family is a concept that everyone understands. But, although it is a universal concept, the meaning is much more nuanced. How families are described may differ from individual to individual, and even between cultures, nations, or religions. The family as an integrated and functional unit of society has for a considerable period of time.
Desai in 1994 redefined family as a unit of two or more persons united by marriage, blood, adoption, or consensual union, in general consulting a single household, interacting and communicating with each other
Why is the concept of family health important:
Some examples of the various family structures that are common today are:
- Nuclear Families: this is the traditional family structure consisting of a mother, father, and their biological or adopted children.
- Single Parent Families: this structure involves either a mother or a father, but not both, raising their children on their own.
- Childless Families: a married couple without children is often overlooked as a family, but more and more couples are making the decision not to have children.
- Blended Families: blended families often include one or both parents being remarried, with children from both spouses’ previous marriages and children from the current marriage living in the same household as step- or half- siblings.
Traditional families once dominated many neighborhoods, today there are many ways to create a family that go beyond the traditional idea of a married mother and father raising children. Today, American society displays greater diversity, and many American households can be considered non-traditional under this definition. It is extremely important for nurses to acknowledge nontraditional family structures because understanding what constitutes family for a particular societal unit aids the nurse in assessment and intervention for family health promotion. Each family structure should be considered different and as such, the approach for health promotion has to be tailored to each individual family structure so that the information can be successfully received and processed leading to healthy behavioral change throughout the family unit.
According to the family systems theory of Bowen, each person or subsystem of a family unit or system affects other parts of the system; thus, a person cannot be examined in isolation from the family and consequently be understood through studying or recognizing the family’s complexity and emotions. While the degree of interdependence can vary from one family to another, all families have some level of interdependence among members. Bowen suggests that human beings may have evolved to be interdependent on family members to encourage cooperation among families required for things like shelter and security. But the distress one person feels can spread to family members in stressful situations, and the interdependence becomes more emotionally taxing than soothing.
References
Sonawat R. Understanding families in India: A reflection of societal changes. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa. 2001;17:177–86.
The Family and Family Structure Classification Redefined for the Current Times. J Family Med Prim Care.2013 Oct-Dec; 2(4): 306–310. doi: 10.4103/2249-4863.123774. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4649868/ Understanding Families and Health Promotion.
Families share the same habits and lifestyle. Family health is important because it is essential to understand that everyone contributes to the function of the family as a whole. According to Bowens Family Systems Theory, changes to one part or subsystem of a family influences other parts of the system. (Yonder et al., 2016) The knowledge obtained from family health can be used to study health habits such as the nutrition disease process, and how the family loves, cares, and protects each other.
There are various strategies for health promotion( literary and education). However, in family dynamics, family-centered care has been so far the best and most efficient way to promote the well-being and health of individuals. This is because the behavior of one member influences the other. While giving the families the control to take decisions about their health, nurses try to incorporate family dynamics in most efforts to prevent disease and promote the health and wellbeing of family
Nurses play a huge role in illness prevention and health promotion. We, as nurses, assume the role of educators to facilitate health and wellness. To determine the best strategy for a targeted individual, the nurse must start by conducting a comprehensive assessment of those individuals. In addition, the nurse will create a good rapport to elicit information from which the nurse would base his or her education. Through interaction, the nurse will understand individuals’ strengths and weaknesses and develop strategies to fit the needs of the family group. This helps them to determine the areas requiring them to provide more information and helps them gain control over their health.
References
Shilubane, H. N., & Potgieter, E. (2007). Patients’ and family members’ knowledge and views regarding diabetes mellitus and its treatment. Curationis, 30(2), 58–65. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.4102/curationis.v30i2.1074
De Mattos Penna, C. M., de Souza Meneghini, P. V., & de Souza Queiróz, E. (2016). Family Concepts in Strategy Family Health: The Community Health Agent’s View. Ciencia, Cuidado e Saude, 15(3), 421–428. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v15i3.32190 Topic 2 DQ 2
