1.

Describe the health risk factors and potential health

problems for Patty. Use current statistics and factual
information to support your answers.
Describe: provide characteristics and features.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a risk factor as any
attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the
likelihood of developing a disease or injury. The risk factors associated
with Patty include unsafe sex practices, drug use, binge drinking,
inactivity, skipping meals, poor body image and lack of sleep. These
behaviors may lead to many potential health problems such as high blood
pressure, cancers and STIs.
Patty lives are a very inactive lifestyle, spending 11 hours day working
behind a computer desk. Not participating in regular physical activity can
lead to many serious short and long-term health problems. Some of these
problems include increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes,
breast and colon cancers and osteoporosis. An inactive lifestyle may result
in feelings of depression and low-self esteem. These behaviors may impact
on Pattys mental, social and physical health. It would impact on her
physical health as she is not participating in the recommended physical
activity guidelines. Her social health would suffer as physical activity
promotes interaction with peers and allows you to meet new people.
Limited physical activity would impact on Pattys mental health as regular
exercise increases self-esteem and releases endorphins. In 2007-08,
almost 60% of Australians aged 15 and over did not participate in the
recommend physical activity guidelines. The WHO site states that
inactivity results in 1.7 million avoidable deaths per year.
Skipping meals is on a regular basis is another risk factor for Patty. She
oftens replaces these meals with products with low nutritional value such
as coffee and cigarettes. A well-balanced diet is crucial for an individual to
live a healthy and active lifestyle. Patty would be lacking many essential
nutrients including carbohydrates, protein, omega-fatty acids and vitamins
and minerals. In the short term a poor diet may contribute to stress,
tiredness and the capacity to work. Poor nutrition may lead to potential
health problems such as osteoporosis, depression, eating disorders, tooth
decay and a higher risk of developing cancers. A recent statistic from WHO
states that approximately 1.7 million of deaths worldwide are attributable
to low fruit and vegetable consumption.
Patty also associates her self in unsafe sex practices on a regular basis.
She has multiple sex partners and believes that using condoms is
unnecessary as she is on the pill. Patty also believes that the likelihood of
contracting STIs is unlikely. Participating in regular unsafe sex
significantly increases the chances of developing Sexually transmitted
diseases such as herpes, chlamydia, AIDS, HIV, syphilis, genital warts and
others. Chlamydia rates are currently on the rise in young people. In 2011,
there were about 80,800 chlamydia infections reported in Australia.
Chlamydia rates are also higher in females than males; there were 40%
more notifications for women than men.

Binge drinking is another risk factor for Patty. Consuming large amounts of
alcohol can a have a serious impact on an individuals health, which can
lead to injury and other health problems. Binge drinking would have
impact on Pattys physical and emotional health as alcohol is a depressant
and may lead to feelings of sadness. Binge drinking may also make Patty a
vulnerable target for sexual assault or stealing of valuable possessions
e.g. wallet. In 2013, the National Council on drugs report found that almost
1 in 8 deaths of Australians under the age of 25 were due to alcohol.
Another key finding of the report was that 1 in 5 hospitalisations of people
under the age of 25 were due to alcohol consumption.
Lack of adequate sleep is a risk factor that can lead to many health
problems. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problem such as
heart disease, stroke, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and
diabetes. Sleep is an important part of well-balanced lifestyle. It is crucial
for optimal performance and the ability to concentrate. The amount of
time the Australian recommends that young people sleep for is about 8-9
hours.
Lastly, another risk factor is poor body image. It refers to how person feels
or perceives their body shape. Often poor body image is associated with
thoughts of thinking your body image is larger than it actually it is. The
potential risks of poor body image include eating disorders e.g. anorexia,
low-self esteem, social isolation, the use of illicit drugs and experimenting
with a range of fad diets. Poor body image would significantly impact on
Pattys mental, emotional and physical health. It would have an influence
on her mental health as she would have low-self concept and physically
her body would be deprived of essential nutrients if she went on a Fad
diet. Currently, Poor body image is growing problem among young people,
especially females. This is due to influences from the media and high
expectations of society to have the ideal body.
In conclusion, the risk factors of Pattys lifestyle include poor diet, unsafe
suxual practices, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, poor body image, drug use
and binge drinking. All these aspects of her lifestyle may contribute to
many health problems and in the long term shorten her life span.

2. Discuss how Patty needs to realistically modify her lifestyle to

improve her health. Justify why It is necessary for Patty to make

these changes. (Current modifications to her diet, current

physical activity patterns, personal drug use, relationships and in
your answer suggest strategies for modifying personal health
behaviors)
Patty needs to modify many aspects of her lifestyle to improve her overall
level of health. Some of the aspects of Pattys lifestyle that she needs to
modify include diet, physical activity, drug use and sexual activity. The
ability Patty has to make these changes depends on how difficult these
determinants are to modify. It is essential that Patty makes these
alterations to her life style as it would limit the chances of developing
serious health problems in the future such as cancer, sexually transmitted
diseases and mental health problems. It would also assist Patty in living an
enjoyable and well-balanced lifestyle.
An individuals perception of health can also determine whether they will
take appropriate action. A persons perception of health is said to be
highly subjective rating and can change over time. Patty needs to change
her current perspective of health to improve overall wellbeing.
One of the characteristics of Pattys lifestyle that she needs to modify is
reducing or limiting drug use. Patty smokes on a regular basis and binge
drinks on the weekend, which can have a serious impact on her health.
Instead of Binge drinking on the weekends, she could look into drinking 2
standard drinks on a daily basis. This has been proven to improve the
lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related diseases or injury. Patty may find
it difficult to reduce alcohol consumption, as her dad was a heavy drinker
growing up. Besides binge drinking, Patty smokes about 2 packets of
cigarettes on a daily basis. Smoking can lead to various cancers and limit
an individuals ability to participate in physical activity. Strategies that
Patty could undergo to quit smoking include using nicotine patches or
slowly reducing the amount of cigarettes she has daily.
Another part of Pattys lifestyle that she needs to change is the the
amount of physical activity she participates in. The Australian government
recommends that young adults participate in 30-60 minutes of moderate
to intense physical activity on a daily basis. Patty could implement
physical activity into her lifestyle by running or walking to work. If she
doesnt live near her work, there is always the option of caching the train
or bus and walking the rest of the way to work. Patty could also register at
a local gym or get a bunch of her friends to participate in a team sport on
the weekend. She could give thought to getting a dog or another pet,
which would encourage her to make regular trips to the local park and get
outdoors. Overall physical activity would improve Pattys self-confidence
and build new friendships.
To add to this, Patty needs to modify her diet to improve her well being.
Firstly, she should try to eat 3-5 small meals a day and incorporate
carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and fruits and essential omega-fatty
acids into her diet. Following the Australian food guidelines would be a
good start to improving her eating patterns. She should try to aim to eat 23 pieces of fruit and 5 vegetables on a daily basis. Eating 3-5 small meals
will provide her body with energy throughout the day and it will boost her
metabolism. Patty could also try to plan her meals ahead and drink tap

water instead of coffee. Planning meals ahead increases the chances the
she will stick to her diet and also be aware of how much she is consuming
on a daily basis. Sticking to a well balanced can be tough, so it is
important to provide yourself with weekly rewards. Patty could rewards
herself with a glass of champagne or small portion of her favorite food.
Patty needs to adopt safe sex practices into her lifestyle to reduce the
chances of developing sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia.
The first way she could decrease the chances of contracting STDs is by
reducing the amount of sexual partners she has. Patty could attempt to
maintain a closed relationship, where she only has one sexual partner.
Patty could also increase her knowledge of the STDS through educational
pamphlets at the local medical centre or library. This would increase her
awareness of the consequences involved with unsafe sex. Patty should
also look into purchasing condoms from the local grocer or chemist. She
should gradually start to use them on the weekends.
Lastly, Patty needs to improve the bonds she has with her family and
peers. Establishing strong relationships will increase Pattys selfconfidence and assertiveness. To improve the current relationships she has
with her friends she needs to be more assertive and allow her peers to
help her with her daily struggles. Patty could increase the bonds she has
with her friends by going out shopping or to dinner on weekly basis.
Relationships with family are also important part of healthy lifestyle. Patty
could attempt dropping in to see how her mother and brother are going or
give them a call if she still has their contact details. Relationships are
important to create certaintys in ones life.
In conclusion, Patty needs to make many adjustments to her to lifestyle to
improve her health. She needs to modifications to diet, physical activity
levels, relationships with family and peers and personal drug use. It is
essential that patty make these changes as it will improve her quality of
life and decrease the chances of developing serious health problems.

3. Discuss the determinants of health that would prevent Patty

from changing her attitudes and behaviors.
The determinants of health can be described as factors that raise or lower
the level of health of an individual or population. These factors may be

socio economic, behavioral, sociocultural or environmental. The

determinants can also be classified into two groups; either modifiable or
non-modifiable. Modifiable Health determinants are those that can be
changed or altered whereas non-modifiable determinants are unable to be
changed. The determinants that prevent Patty from changing her
behaviors include socioeconomic factors, current knowledge and skills and
sociocultural factors.
Sociocultural factors that prevent Patty from changing her attitudes
include her family background, influences from the media and her peers.
As a child, Pattys father drank alcohol every night and smoked two packets
of cigarettes on a daily basis. This would have a negative impact on
Pattys health as she may see taking drugs and alcohol as a normal thing
to do. Therefore it may be difficult to persuade her to stop binge drinking
and regularly substituting meals with cigarettes. In addition, she is heavily
influenced by what is published in magazines and a variety of television
shows. This may make it difficult to take on board heath advice that is
provided to her by health professionals or other reliable sources. For
example Patty may not listen to a health professional that fad diets are
short term and bad for your health as you are eliminating certain food
groups. To add to this, Patty is easily influenced by her peers. She often
compares her physical appearance and material possessions such as a car
or apartment. Being easily influenced by her peers may make patty highly
prone to peer pressure. This may lead to the adoption of health risk
behaviors such as binge drinking or using illicit drugs. Pattys lowself
esteem may also prevent Patty from trying new things as she is worried
about what her friends will think. She needs to get out of this mindset and
be assertive with her friends in order to change her current attitudes.
Individual factors are another key determinant that inhibit Patty from
changing her current attitudes and behaviors. Individual factors refer to
the knowledge and skills, attitudes and genetics an individual has. They
can influence a persons health behavior and future health status. Firstly,
Patty has a poor attitude towards smoking, physical activity and binge
drinking. This may hamper her ability to make positive changes to these
parts of her lifestyle. Patty has always lived a busy lifestyle, which has
made her believe that sleep takes up too much precious time. It may be
hard to improve her sleeping patterns as it has become a habit for her to
get insufficient sleep on a regular basis. Patty also has a strong belief that
it is unnecessary to wear condoms if you are on the contraceptive pill. It is
difficult to modify personal beliefs and values. Pattys lack of
understanding of good nutrition may hamper Pattys ability to eat a wellbalanced diet.

An additional determinant that hinders Pattys ability to change her

attitudes is
socioeconomic factors. A individuals socioeconomic status depends on a
combination of variables which include occupation, education and income.
Currently Patty is a postgraduate student who works full time as a graphic
designer. She also lives by herself and receives no financial support from

family. As Patty has only just entered the work industry she may believe
working long hours is essential to maintain her current job. Although
health professionals may advise her to reduce work time and participate in
more physical activity she may not listen. Patty may value her job and
financial security as a higher priority than her well-being. This is one of the
most important influences that would hinder Patty from changing her
behaviors. She needs to find ways to work around this issue, without
displeasing managers or employers.
In conclusion there are many determinants of health that hinder Patty from
changing her attitudes and behaviors. The determinants that affect Patty
include socioeconomic factors, sociocultural influences and current
knowledge and skills. Although there are many factors that prevent Patty
from changing her behaviors, it is still possible to make a change through
educational resources and supportive environments within the workplace
and her community.

4. Examine the personal skills Patty needs to develop to initiate a

behavior change and discuss how a supportive environment can
be created to better facilitate these behavior changes.
The Ottawa charter is the name of an international agreement that
provides the framework for health promotion. There are 5 key action areas
which include developing personal skills, creating supportive
environments, re-orientating health services and Building healthy public

policy. The two main areas that will assist Patty to initiate behavior change
and adopt a healthy lifestyle are developing personal skills and creating
supportive environments. Developing personal skills supports the personal
and social development of an individual. It enables people to learn
throughout life and cope with disease or illness. DPS is designed to help
modify personal behaviors and improve the degree of control an individual
has over their health. It is facilitated in the home, at work and community
settings. Creating supportive environments involves making the
environments people live in a good source for health. The government,
employers, unions and families are responsible in creating these
environments.
Patty needs to increase her knowledge and understanding of nutrition in
order to have a well balanced diet. Personal skills can be developed
through online learning programs and health brochures in medical centers.
The pamphlets at medical centers and the local library would assist patty
in adopting effective and safe weight loss strategies aswell as increasing
knowledge about nutritious food items. Youtube and social media sites can
also help Patty increase her knowledge on the importance of good
nutrition. There are many social media pages that provide meal plans,
facts about nutritious foods and the times of day you be eating.
Supportive environments could be created though healthy canteen
initiatives in the workplace, vended machines with healthy food and drink
choices, free healthy eating seminars in shopping centers and the
promotion of government campaigns in the area such as swap it dont
stop it.
Physical activity levels can be improved through developing personal skills
and creating supportive environments within the area. Personal skills can
flourish through programs such as the Jump rope challenge initiated by the
healthy heart foundation. It is designed to increase awareness of the
benefits of physical activity. Supportive environments can be implemented
into Pattys community by providing free exercise equipment in parks,
constructing path ways and bicycle tracks, setting up lighting in local
parks, constructing gyms in the local area and organizing charity runs at
work.
Personal skills can be developed for drug use through Quit Smoking
programs and the promotion of anti-smoking media campaigns e.g. every
cigarette is doing you damage. Although these programs increase a
persons knowledge about the harmful affects of smoking these skills
cannot be initiated without supportive environments. Supportive
environments can be created by smoking free zones in public buildings,
the work place and public transport. Designing smoke free areas in Pattys
work place would reduce the amount of cigarettes she has on a daily
basis. Free phone services, such as quit and the cancer helpline could also
be implemented into the area. Online counseling and advice services
could also be provided.
Personals skills for sexual practices may improved through free
educational seminars and the promotion of government campaigns.
Pattys community can create supportive environment for safe sex
practices through selling

In conclusion, creating supportive environments within the community is

essential for Patty to initiate behavior change. Developing personal skills is
simply not enough to change the attitudes and behaviors of an individuals
lifestyle. Even if a person has a good understanding of physical activity
requirements they cant utilize their knowledge if the environments around
them arent supporting these changes.