The Factors that influence health Mental and physical, can be modified to have a healthier life, both physical and mental.
There are several aspects that affect your health. According to a concept introduced by Lalonde in 1974, factors influencing health can be grouped into four broad categories:
- Biological factors.
- Environmental factors.
- Factors related to lifestyle.
- Health care.
Factors affecting health
Environmental factors
The different environmental factors, both physical and social, can influence notoriously in your life, causing various diseases.
1-Physical environmental factors
The degree of contamination of the air you breathe and the water you drink or use for cooking influences your health.
The presence of radiation, heavy metals, pesticides, viruses and bacteria in the environment in which you live can cause up to 20% of diseases.
Among the most frequent contaminants are:
Ionizing radiation . One of the clearest examples is the ultraviolet rays of sun. This type of radiation can damage the DNA of your cells and cause premature aging of tissues and skin cancer.
Radiation from radioactive minerals or from waste from nuclear power plants is also capable of causing a wide range of diseases.
Temperature variations. Since your body is homeotherm, ie has a constant temperature, environmental changes in temperature can cause various disorders.
Noise. The noise level in your work environment, in your city or in your home can also negatively influence your health, causing stress, hearing loss, Sleep disturbances , Increased cardio-respiratory rhythm, etc.
Air Pollutants . Especially in large cities, it is common for air to be contaminated with carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides or particulates. If you breathe contaminated air, you can have serious respiratory problems.
Contaminants in water . The residues present in the water, such as Fecal coliforms , Nitrates, phosphates and heavy metals can also be very harmful to your health.
2-Factors of the social environment
Poverty, unemployment, ignorance and poor cultural development are also factors that influence your health.
It is believed that the socio-economic situation is an important factor in this regard.
Labor activity and economic incomes favor social integration, while poverty and unemployment can lead to situations of social marginalization, which negatively influence and can cause stress and mental disorders.
On the other hand, cultural factors condition behavior in various aspects that can affect your emotional health, for example, discrimination on the basis of race, religion or sex.
Family and social life and the feeling of belonging to a group are also important aspects of a person's health.
Lifestyle
It is believed that the lifestyle Which you carry affects 50% in the state of your health. And these factors depend entirely on you.
It is your choice to lead a healthy lifestyle or do the opposite. Following are the main lifestyle factors that directly influence your health.
3-Power
A balanced diet, rich in fresh fruits and vegetables with a controlled intake of refined sugars and saturated fats favors good health.
If you have adequate nutrition, you will have less risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, among other chronic diseases.
4-Physical activity
Surely you have also read in many places that regular physical activity helps prevent diseases.
Well, it's very true. Activities such as a 30-minute daily walk or aerobic gym sessions twice a week help prevent overweight and obesity and improve the state of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems while also improving immunity.
Here you can read More of its benefits.
5-Addictions
The addiction Tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs can certainly cause you various diseases.
In addition, other addictive behaviors like betting - Gambling - or compulsive shopping can also have a very negative impact on your life and therefore also on your health.
6-Risk behaviors
Risk behaviors in sexual relationships (having multiple partners and maintaining relationships without adequate protection against sexually transmitted diseases), as well as risky behaviors in other aspects, such as driving a vehicle, are undoubtedly factors that can influence health Of any individual.
7-Human biology (genetics)
Biological factors are inherent in each particular organism and you can hardly change this aspect.
Surely you have noticed that some people seem to be more resistant to certain diseases, while others get sick much more often.
This may have to do with the strength of your immune system. Some people get colds often, while others do not.
It is also known that certain characteristics in the cellular receptors or in the production of certain substances in the brain can cause illnesses.
These are biological aspects that you can not control.
On the other hand, there are also genetic predispositions to suffer certain diseases.
While it is true that your lifestyle is often the one that can trigger a condition to which you are genetically predisposed, it is believed that biological factors influence 20% in your overall health.
8-Medical care
Studies indicate that the medical care you can receive affects 10% in your overall health.
The quality of the service, as well as its availability, accessibility and costs are the main aspects that determine the medical care you receive.
Of all the factors that influence health, 50% correspond to different aspects related to lifestyle.
Therefore, at least half of your health is in your own hands.
Follow a healthy lifestyle and this way you can improve your sense of general well-being.
You may also be interested in:
- Tips for having a good diet .
- Habits to lead a healthy life .