Family Health Assessment
Maria Teresa Alvarez
Grand Canyon University
Family Centered Health Promotion NRS-429
Professor Stacey Whitney
Family Health Assessment
Introduction
Family is an important determinant of the health status of society. Family is the basic unit of society, hence, health practices at the family level will culminate at the societal level. Family health assessment provides reliable information regarding health behaviors of the members. Therefore, it plays a significant role in improving the overall health of individuals (Priest, 2021). In that regard, this paper discusses the findings of a family health assessment administered through a family-focused functional assessment questionnaire.
The Family Structure
This assessment was conducted to the family of a neighbor that the writer deemed could open up and provide an open discussion. The family lives in Union New Jersey, which is a middle-class neighborhood. It is a family of four, including the mother, the father, one son, and two daughters. The father is 45 years old while the mother is 38 years old. The son and the two daughters are 17, 13, and 9 years old respectively. All members of this family are Caucasians. They are Christians and attend a catholic church once a week. The children are attending different schools with the younger one going to a nearby elementary school. Both parents are teachers at a nearby high school.
The Overall Health Behaviors of the Family
The assessment results showed that the family perceives themselves as healthy. They eat a balanced diet and a lot of fruits in their diet. They source food from nearby Caucasian stores. The family eats big portions of food and does not worry about excess calories. They eat more than thrice a day and take snacks during the day, especially on weekends. They go to bed at 10 pm and wake up by 5:30 am. Therefore, they have good and consistent sleep patterns (Schulenkorf & Siefken, 2019). They denied any sleep disorder and have normal bowel movements. They deny any cognitive or sensory problems. The couple spends a lot on school fees. Their self-esteem is low due to fear of financial problems. They have a peaceful family and go out for physical activity together every evening after work. They play their roles well and are open to each other (Kaakinen et al., 2018). They pray and share their problems to cope with stress and other issues. Their coping strategy has a positive impact on everyone. The family does not go for regular medical checkups because they believe they are healthy.
The Functional Health Pattern Strengths Noted in The Findings
The first functional health pattern strength is the ability of the family to engage in physical activity. It is a strength because inactivity is associated with detrimental health outcomes such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and others (Schulenkorf & Siefken, 2019). Another strength is the coping strategy of the family. They pray and share their problems to reduce stress and anxiety. The coping strategy has a positive health impact on the individuals. The first barrier to health is the lack of regular medical checkups. Having a family doctor or regular medical checkup helps in early diagnosis, hence, improved quality of life (Kaakinen et al., 2018). The second barrier to health is the large portion of food that the family eats. This situation leads to excess calories which can cause obesity and other illnesses (Schulenkorf & Siefken, 2019). The third concern is low self-esteem due to fear of a financial crisis in the family, which may lead to stress and anxiety. These three areas need to be addressed to help the family stay healthy.
Application of The Family Systems Theory
Family Systems Theory suggests that a family is a complex social system where members interact to influence the behavior of one another. Based on the theory, every member has a role to play to ensure the effective functioning of the family (Priest, 2021). In this case, parents have a special role to play in shaping the behavior of their children in all aspects of life. In terms of eating behavior, the parents can educate the children and lead by example regarding healthy eating habits (Priest, 2021). The father must be full of enthusiasm and self-confidence to drive away low self-esteem in the family.
Conclusion
Family health assessment provides insights into the overact health and behavior of the members. It can be used to develop proper interventions for each family. The identified family has a good family structure. They are in good health but some of their health behaviors are a threat to their future health. Family education is important in this case to improve their health behaviors.
References
Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research. FA Davis.
Priest, J. B. (2021). The science of family systems theory. Routledge.
Schulenkorf, N., & Siefken, K. (2019). Managing sport-for-development and healthy lifestyles: The sport-for-health model. Sport Management Review, 22(1), 96-107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2018.09.003
Appendix
Family-Focused Functional Assessment Questionnaire
Values/Health Perception
- Do you consider yourself healthy?
- How can you rate your health status?
- What are some of the values that determine your health status?
Nutrition
- How can you describe your diet?
- What type of food do you eat frequently?
- Are you worried about your diet?
Sleep/Rest
- How many hours do you often sleep?
- Do you have peaceful sleep at night?
- Do you experience nightmares?
Elimination
- Do you experience pain when urinating?
- Do you have any difficulty with long calls?
- How often are your long and short calls?
Activity/Exercise
- Are you physically active?
- If yes, how many hours a day?
- Name all the physical activities you do?
Cognitive
- Can you easily remember the names of people or events?
- Do you experience any difficulty concentrating?
- Are you able to learn new things?
Sensory-Perception
- Do you have problems with smell?
- Do you have any vision problems?
- Are all your five senses working well?
Self-Perception
- How can you rate your self-confidence?
- How do you perceive yourself?
- Who is your role model?
Role Relationship
- What role do you play in your family?
- Do you consider yourself responsible?
- Do you complain so much when given responsibility?
Sexuality
- Are you sexually active?
- What is your sexual orientation?
- How many sexual partners do you have?
Coping
- How do you reduce stress?
- Do you often share with family or friends when stressed?
- How does your coping strategy affect people around you?