Refer back to the interview and evaluation you conducted in the Topic 2 Family Health
Assessment assignment. Identify the social determinates of health (SDOH) contributing to
the family’s health status. In a 750-1,000-word paper, create a plan of action to incorporate
health promotion strategies for this family. Include the following:
Describe the SDOH that affect the family health status. What is the impact of these SDOH
on the family? Discuss why these factors are prevalent for this family.
Based on the information gathered through the family health assessment, recommend age-
appropriate screenings for each family member. Provide support and rationale for your
suggestions.
Choose a health model to assist in creating a plan of action. Describe the model selected.
Discuss the reasons why this health model is the best choice for this family. Provide
rationale for your reasoning.
Using the model, outline the steps for a family-centered health promotion. Include
strategies for communication.
Cite at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly sources to complete this assignment. Sources
should be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria.
Family Health Assessment Assignment Part II
Referring to the Family Health Assessment, it is clear that some social determinants of
health (SDH) contribute to the family’s health status. These encompass particular social and
economic conditions that impact the well-being of the family. Of particular emphasis remain the
family’s socioeconomic status as it focuses on the amount of cash, influence, and resources at
their disposal (Adler et al., 2016). The family’s socioeconomic status is determined by different
aspects such as education level, career, and income. In this case, the level and quality of
education obtained by the family members directly impact their awareness of health issues. It
consequently impacts their access to healthcare and adherence to the same. Being in stable
employment means that the family is able to afford food and medical care. On the other hand,
their community of residence influences their access to high-nutrition value foods. It also
influences their access to safe water and functioning amenities involving hygiene and sanitation.
FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT PART II 2
The community also influences the family’s access to exercise facilities and parks for personal
engagement.
Studies reveal that particular behaviors, including smoking, nutrition, and exercise, as
well as social factors directly impact health outcomes (Adler et al., 2016). In this case, social
aspects tend to influence the family’s health behaviors. The family boasts of educated parents
whose income ensures that the children live in a community that does not pose threats to well-
being such as exposed garbage, insecurity, and inferior housing. The community contains an
abundance of parks, sidewalks, and playgrounds that promote healthy habits such as running,
walking, and riding. Further, evidence reveals that stress adversely impacts well-being across the
lifespan. The family’s sleeping patterns and resting tends to predispose them to stress.
Addressing such aspects is not only imperative for enhancing their health, but also for decreasing
health issues that often arise from social factors.
Basing on the family health assessment, various age-appropriate screenings apply for
each family member. With the family being comprised of two parents and three children,
screenings cover two areas; the children, and the adults. With both children being over five years
but below ten years, screenings focus on weight status, hearing, and vision. The recommendation
requires assessing both children’s weight and height at least once every year through a healthcare
practitioner (Shimizu, Bouchard, & Mavriplis, 2016). Through the provided guidelines, the
children will be safeguarded from obesity. The screening will help the children cultivate healthy
habits, such as healthy eating and being physically active, which will avert severe and expensive
health issues throughout their lives. Screening for visual acuity will require assessments at two-
year intervals through an age-appropriate examination such as the Snellen chart (Shimizu,
Bouchard, & Mavriplis, 2016). Screening for hearing is recommended at two-year intervals
FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT PART II 3
through audiometry tests. Monitoring and sustaining healthy sight and vision remain important
for growing children.
Regarding the adults, both parents require screening to determine their cholesterol levels
and conducting a lipid profile. Being under 40 years, both parents require a one-time screening
and if found to have a normal lipid profile with no risk factors, screening every five years is
recommended (Shimizu, Bouchard, & Mavriplis, 2016). Screening for blood pressure and fasting
blood sugar levels remain crucial every year in the early detection of diabetes and hypertension.
Separately, the wife needs examinations for breast lumps through a mammogram as well as a
pelvic exam to ensure timely identification of any warning signs. The same case applies to Pap
smear tests with the recommendation of once every three years. Since the husband is below 50
years, a testicular exam is not necessary.
Towards helping the family, the chosen health model to support the creation of a plan of
action is the health belief model. In this model, behavior change and adoption of the
recommended behavior arises from a combination of the perceived threat of not taking up the
recommended behavior and the benefits of implementing the behavior. The perceived threat of
failing to take up the desired behavior coupled with the benefits of taking up the behavior will
exceed the possible hurdles in taking action (Sulat et al., 2018). For instance, in advocating for
the family to implement the approved physical activity levels, their perception of the risk of
disease with consideration of its severity together with the benefits of taking action will prevail
over the supposed obstacles to action. Consequently, the focus remains on passing information
about the risks of not taking up the behavior to depict high susceptibility to disease and the
immense benefits of taking up the behavior while downplaying the perceived barriers to action.
FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT PART II 4
Being a well-educated family, this model applies effectively with high acceptability due to its
basis on knowledge-based behavior.
Through the health belief model, the process will involve a comprehensive and
progressive provision of health education with the aim of equipping the family with the
knowledge and skills desired to practice and uphold healthy behaviors. It delivers appropriate
guidelines addressing the most concerning health issues facing the family (Sulat et al., 2018). In
this case, the focus remains on personal wellness, physical activity social and psychological
well-being as well as nutrition. The approach will facilitate knowledge implementation through a
range of interactive techniques. Health behavior cultivation through guided engagement remains
a point of emphasis towards realizing the health promotion plan. Its high acceptability and
guidance in implementation offer the promise of results in the development of healthy lifestyle
behaviors for the family.
Towards a family-centered health promotion, four steps will take place. The first step
involves conducting an environmental analysis to determine the family’s goals. The family will
participate through identifying the benefits, and actions needed in the process (Sulat et al., 2018).
The second step focuses on goal setting by obtaining pertinent information on the needed
outcomes. It will take account of the family’s input in determining the priority levels of the
outcomes. Both the nurse and family will engage in discussions to set the time frame and the
approaches to implementing the plan. In the third step, questioning and interactive sessions will
take place between the nurse and the family. The nurse remains in charge of exploring methods
as well as monitoring and evaluation. The fourth step forms the closure or exit and involves
reflections on the progress. The family will know the adequacy of their efforts while the nurse
will evaluate the established goals.
FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT PART II 5
References
Adler, N. E., Cutler, D. M., Jonathan, J. E., Galea, S., Glymour, M., Koh, H. K., & Satcher, D.
(2016). Addressing social determinants of health and health disparities. National
Academy of Medicine, 1-16.
Shimizu, T., Bouchard, M., & Mavriplis, C. (2016). Update on age-appropriate preventive
measures and screening for Canadian primary care providers. Canadian Family
Physician, 62(2), 131-138.
Sulat, J. S., Prabandari, Y. S., Sanusi, R., Hapsari, E. D., & Santoso, B. (2018). The validity of
health belief model variables in predicting behavioral change. Health Education.