Describe the family structure. Include individuals and any relevant attributes defining the family composition, race/ethnicity, social class, spirituality, and environment

NRS 429 Family Health Assessment Part I

Describe the family structure. Include individuals and any relevant attributes defining the family composition, race/ethnicity, social class, spirituality, and environment

Family health assessment entails gathering information from a family about the activities or practices they use to promote health and prevent disease. The key components of the family health assessment process include evaluating existing family information, meeting with the family, interviewing family members, performing specialized assessments, and identifying family needs and circumstances that contribute to these needs. Making judgments and decisions about necessary services, documenting the information and decision-making with the family, and disseminating the information to the family are all part of family health assessment (Park & Lee, 2020). The goal of this paper is to examine the findings of a family health assessment conducted as part of this assignment.

Family Organization

During this assignment, Family Y was interviewed. Family Y is an African-American family from Maricopa County, Arizona. Mr.Y (husband and father), Mrs.Y (wife and mother), three daughters, and one son make up the family of six. Mr. Y is 62, Mrs. Y is 59, and the children are 35, 32, 28, and 23 years old. With an annual household income of $95,000, the family falls into the lower-middle class. Mr. Y is a retired high school teacher who now owns a restaurant in his neighborhood. Mrs.Y, on the other hand, works as a clerical officer in a government office. The first and second daughters are married and no longer live with the family. After becoming an advocate, the third daughter moved out of the family home two years ago. The son is a fourth-year university student majoring in Engineering who currently resides with the family. Family Y is a protestant family who goes to church at least twice a month on Sundays. They also live in a suburban estate in Tempe, Maricopa County, Arizona, where they have access to social amenities such as healthcare facilities, schools, shopping malls, and transportation. Every member of the family has private medical insurance.

Family Health Behaviors in General

Family Y is in generally good health and has implemented a variety of healthy lifestyle practices to promote health and prevent disease. Mr.Y has a positive medical history of Type 2 Diabetes and hypertension, both of which were diagnosed at the age of 43. No one else in the family has been diagnosed with a chronic illness. Mr.Y changed his lifestyle to prevent diabetes and hypertension from worsening, including quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, engaging in regular physical activity, and limiting his consumption of high-calorie foods. Mrs. Y and her children have also adopted some of these lifestyle practices, such as regular physical activity and a healthy diet, because they are aware of the risk of developing lifestyle diseases.

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Nutrition and Activity/Exercise were identified as functional health patterns as strengths in the family interview. The Nutrition pattern was a strength due to the family’s adoption of healthy eating habits, which included limiting intake of high-calorie foods, processed foods, and carbonated drinks. The family consumes vegetables and fruits on a regular basis, as well as healthy fats, lean meats, legumes, and nuts. Mr.Y follows the DASH diet to help promote weight loss and blood pressure control (Crone et al., 2021). Furthermore, the family members drink at least 2 liters of water per day and drink alcohol in moderation. There are no GI issues, eating or swallowing discomforts, or dental problems among the family members.

Based on the family’s history of participating in regular physical exercises, the Activity/Exercise pattern was a source of strength. The family has joined a local gym and participates in moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercises as well as muscle strengthening exercises such as weight-lifting. Furthermore, the family participates in regular recreational activities such as swimming and hiking, which has significantly improved their fitness and cardiovascular endurance (Crone et al., 2021). Family members have enough energy to complete required activities and the ability to perform all Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) without limitations.

Health Issues/Barriers

In the functional health patterns of Values/Health Perception, Sleep/Rest, and Coping, various health problems and barriers were identified. Because some family members did not consistently attend annual well-check-ups, barriers in the Health perception-Health Management pattern were identified. They also reported a lack of consistency in self-examinations such as breast and testicular exams, as well as an insufficient level of immunization. The Sleep/Rest pattern revealed health issues such as dysfunctional sleep patterns and sleep interruptions caused by nightmares. Mrs.Y reported sleep disturbances in the previous two years and was prescribed sleeping pills for sleep-onset issues and early awakening. Some of the problems identified in the Coping pattern include ineffective ways of dealing with stressful issues by some family members. Some family members, for example, have compromised coping mechanisms and impaired adjustment to life crises, resulting in the use of stress-relieving drugs.

The use of the Family Systems Theory

Bowen’s study of the family gave rise to family systems theory (FST). The theory considers the family to be an emotional unit. FST is a relationship system demonstrated by a family as the interlocking concepts of familial development (Erdem & Safi, 2018). As a result, by having the family work together to understand their group dynamic, FST can be used to promote changes in family members. It can also be used to improve family communication and identify how one’s behavior affects other family members. What happens to one family member affects all other family members, according to the guiding principle (Bortz et al., 2019). When a family member develops a lifestyle condition, other family members realize that it could happen to them as well. As a result, they follow the healthy lifestyle practices that were recommended to the other family member. For example, other Family Y members, like Mr.Y, engage in regular physical activities and eat a healthy diet because they believe they are at risk of diabetes and hypertension.

Conclusion

Family Y, an African-American family from the lower-middle class, was interviewed for this assignment. Family Y has a good overall practice and has implemented a variety of healthy lifestyle practices. The Nutrition-Metabolic and Activity-Exercise patterns both had strengths. Health issues and barriers, on the other hand, were identified in the Values/Health Perception, Sleep/Rest, and Coping patterns.

References

P. Bortz, M. Berrigan, A. VanBergen, and S. M. Gavazzi (2019). Family systems thinking as a framework for theory integration: Conceptual overlaps in differentiation, attachment, parenting style, and identity development in adolescent families Family Theory and Review, 11(4), pp. 544-560. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12354

M. R. Crone, M. N. Slagboom, A. Overmars, L. Starken, M. van de Sande, N. Wesdorp, and R. Reis (2021). A Family-Engagement Approach to Increasing Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Well-Being in Children and Their Parents. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 747725, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.747725

G. Erdem and O. A. Safi (2018). Bowen family systems theory through a cultural lens: contributions of family change theory Family Theory and Review, 10(2), pp. 469-483. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12258

H. Park and K. S. Lee (2020). The relationship between family structure and adolescent health behavior, mental health, and perceived academic achievement: a 2018 Korean nationally representative survey. 1-10 in BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08655-z