Individual Characteristics - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Individual Characteristics and HealthSlide2

Session Aims

To explore different

influences on health at an individual level

To critique

some of the key factors influencing health at an individual level drawing on current theory, research and debates

To understand the extent

to which individual characteristics and experience influence health throughout the life spanSlide3

Individual Characteristics

Developmental factors (foetal experiences, age and constitutional factors)

Social factors (such as gender)

Psychological factors (such as personality)Slide4

Individual Characteristics

Those which we are born with

Those which we have little, or no, control over

Note the

complex relationships between the individual and their environment

as explored by ecological

perspectivesSlide5

Influence of foetal development

Development ‘in utero’

Embryonic period (very early stages of pregnancy – development of organs and systems)

Disruption of normal development at this stage can have lasting effects on health

For example,

Spina

Bifida, where the neural tube does not develop properly, can result in paralysis and cognitive impairmentSlide6

Teratology

‘Teratology’ – study of birth defects and problems arising in pregnancy from environmental

influences

Examples of ‘Teratogens’ include alcohol

, cigarettes, drugs (over the counter medication as well as illegal drugs), exposure to mother’s illness and environmental pathogens (i.e. pollution) (

Bukatko

and

Daehler

, 2001).

Any of these might impact on the foetal development and subsequent health experience.Slide7

Foetal Programming

Foetal programming purports that

the origins of some diseases experienced in adulthood are connected to adverse influences in the early developmental stages of life – particularly life before birth (as a foetus) (De Boo and Harding, 2006).

Sometimes referred to as the ‘Barker Hypothesis’

The

hypothesis suggests that the foetus makes physiological adjustments in utero in response to environmental circumstances which prepare it for life after birth and beyond.Slide8

Some Examples

Size at birth is related to experience of disease and poorer long-term health outcomes in later life (The Marmot Review, 2010)

‘

M

any

lines of evidence, including epidemiologic data and data from extensive clinical and experimental studies, indicate that early life events play a powerful role in influencing later susceptibility to certain chronic

diseases’

(

Gluckman

et

al

, 2008:61

)

Another example is smoking during pregnancy which not only influences weight at birth but can also increase the likelihood of miscarriage and the development of childhood asthma (

Jaakkola

and

Gissler

, 2004).Slide9

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

‘FAS is a developmental disorder that can occur after heavy alcohol use by pregnant women’ (

Strömland

et al,

2005:1121).

FAS

can cause a range of problems including growth (pre and post natal), abnormal facial features, mental disability and behavioural

problems.

There

are a number of complex social factors involved in heavy alcohol use during pregnancy and a range of maternal risk factors associated with FAS including socio-economic status and family/friends with alcohol problems as well as psychological factors (May and

Gossage

, 2001).

The

adverse effects of FAS can last into young adulthood and beyond and research has shown that the relationship between the length of time that alcohol is consumed during pregnancy and

neuro

-cognitive development carries on being significant into early teenage (

Korkman

et al

, 2003)Slide10

Influence of age

H

ealth

is influenced in different ways at different points during our journey through

life.

Our health needs and health goals change throughout our lives (

Sarafino

, 2002) and are inextricably linked to our age.

This

is also influenced by maturational factors such as development of organic systems, physical structures and our motor capabilities. Slide11

Life Stages

Pre-conception to birth

Infancy (0 – 4 years)

Childhood (including pre-puberty 5 – 9 years)

Puberty and Adolescence (10 -18 years)

Early Adulthood (19 – 25 years)

Middle Adulthood (26 – 50 years)

Late Adulthood (50 – 70 years and onwards)

Death and Dying Slide12

Influence of biology and biological sex

Whether we are born biologically ‘male’ or ‘female’ has an influence on our

health.

This

influence begins before birth. For example, male foetuses are more prone to miscarriage than female foetuses

.

Biochemical factors (hormonal factors) are also important in terms of differences between the biological sexes. In women certain hormones provide a protective factor for some diseases. For example levels of oestrogen are influential in the development of cardio vascular disease and osteoporosis

.

Reproductive

health experience differs according to biological sex.

Biologically

determined differences in the origins of certain diseases and illnesses are also physiologically based, for example, to do with the specific male and female reproductive system.Slide13

Influence of gender

Lifestyle factors differ according to gendered roles and responsibilities.

S

ocially constructed ideas around feminine and masculine heterogeneity can impact on health throughout life.

An example is help-seeking behaviour which differs according to constructions of masculinity and femininity - Research shows that women are more likely than men to seek help and advice when experiencing symptoms of ill-health.

Gender differences also exist in a range of mental health experiences throughout

life.Slide14

Influence of hereditary & genetic factors

Illness and disease, particularly in later life, are due largely to the interaction of genetic and environmental factors from very early childhood (Weaver, 2001

).

‘Genetic Endowment’

refers

to our biological destiny and it can be extremely influential in the development of health throughout life

.

There

are many examples of diseases which have a genetic component and which we may have a pre-disposition to developing as we age due to our genetic inheritance. Such examples include degenerative diseases such as dementia and certain cancers such as breast and bowel cancer. In addition there are also certain hereditary diseases carried on sex chromosomes such as haemophilia and colour blindness

.

For

example, cholesterol levels are, in part, determined by genetic factors however, lifestyle and environmental factors also have a part to play. Slide15

Influence of personality

Personality may influence health in a number of different ways. For example, in terms of what we do and why we do it, as well as how we respond to things

.

each of us has a unique, ‘personality’ which may reveal itself through different characteristics and cause us to behave and react in certain ways but that groups of people may share similar personality characteristics

.

Type A and Type B personalities

Risk-taking and personality (sensation-seeking)

Capability and resilience – linked to health experienceSlide16

Nature/Nuture Debate

This essentially concerns the extent to which we are programmed by our biology (our genes and biological sex for example), or by our social environment to develop and behave in certain ways. This has implications for health and health experience

.

The ‘Nature versus

Nuture

’ debate is essentially concerned with whether we are a ‘product’ of our heredity or whether we are a ‘product’ of our environment. Slide17

The evidence suggests that health experience varies according to, and is determined by, the result of a variety of individual factors as proposed by

Dalgren

and Whitehead’s (1991) model of determinants of

health.

There is also the link between individual characteristics and behaviours which needs to be considered in terms of health and health outcomes. Certain behaviours may be expected, or even predicted, of a person based on their age, sex and gender.

Whilst biological differences may be relatively easily separated out, socially constructed differences (gendered roles of what is means to be labelled ‘male’ and ‘female’) present a much more complex picture

.Slide18

Promoting Health: A Lifespan Perspective

Life course approaches to promoting health are based on the assumption that health experience is influenced by different things at different stages in

life

The Health Career is a means of conceptualising how these factors impact on health as well as opportunities to promote health which will also vary across the life span

.

For example, in early childhood several things may influence health experience such as schooling and immediate family. In adulthood influences will change and different things may come into play such as significant relationships, the nature of employment and access to health care

services

This is important because we continue to change and develop during the course of our lives and therefore our health needs will also be different at different points in time.Slide19

Considering individual factors and their impact on health is important in health studies for two key

reasons:

It can

help develop and deepen our understanding of health experiences at an individual level.

An understanding

of individual characteristics can help us to design appropriate interventions to promote health. When these factors are taken into account there is an increased likelihood of success.

However

,

it

is not a straightforward process

- individual factors

interact with a range of other factors such as our social, political and physical

environment. These

have to be taken into

accoun

t.Slide20

Summary

Individual characteristics are

varied. They influence

health in

many different

ways

throughout

the lifespan

.

Differences at an individual level not only influence health but also a range of other factors such as health behaviour and how we interact with, and respond to, our wider social and physical environment.

Individual characteristics cannot be viewed in isolation and need to be considered in terms of the complex inter-relations with other systems such as social environment to get a broader view of health and health experience.