LEARNING OBJECTIVE REVIEW QUESTIONS AND NOTES
[Last update: 5/15/04]
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1: Recognizing psychological, social, and cultural influences on health.
- List the two components of psychological health
{ANS: emotional states and mental states}.
- List the three types of behavioral factors that influence health.
{ANS: predisposing factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors}
- List the types of health considered in the book
{ANS: physical, mental, environmental, spiritual, social, and intellectual}.
- What is the single greatest barrier to minority health in the U.S. is
poverty?
{ANS: Poverty. The primary health effects poverty are due to social and behavioral
differences, not health care or genetic differences}
- T/F: Minority students experience different
types of stressors that non-minority students.
{True, but a better way to think about
this is culture and world-view determine the response to stress.}
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 2: Recognizing the inter-relation of psychological, social, and cultural influences on health.
- T/F: Life expectancy and other health outcomes differ by race and gender.
{ANS: Yes, and sometimes in unexpected ways.}
- T/F: Declines in physical activities occur most rapidly in late adolescence and
early adulthood.
{ANS: True. That's why it is important for you guys to stay active now.}
- M/C: All of the following have contributed significantly to increases in life expectancy EXCEPT: (a) the control of infectious diseases through
improvements in sanitation and water quality, (b) the discovery of antibiotics, (c) the control of chronic diseases through lifestyle
changes and effective treatments, (d) intensive care medicine applied toward the end of life
{ANS: d -- Heroic efforts toward the end of life contribute little to
overall public health in the scheme of things.}
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 3: Develop social skills to enhance learning and develop positive interpersonal relationships with diverse
types of people.
- T/F: Homophobia is the fear and hatred of gays and lesbians. {True --
obviously.}
- T/F: Social health is the ability to develop satisfying personal and work relationships.
{ANS: Like cattle and horses, but unlike cats, humans are social
creatures.}
- Effective communication strategies include the following (a) using "I statements" (b) asking how the other person feels (c)
being a good listener (d) respecting confidences (secrets) of others (e) all of
the above
{e -- We will also discuss student social norms -- e.g.,
coming late to class; open, honest, and considerate communication; how to
approach the professor when you are unsatisfied with a grade}
- T/F: The first step in changing an unhealthy behavior is awareness and
true understanding of the negative consequences. {True -- obvious}
- M/C: The idea of enhancing health by building knowledge and skills in individuals and
modifying their environment to foster
healthier lifestyles is (a) wellness (b) intellectual health (c) holistic health (d) health promotion
{ANS: d -- "environment" is used in the broad sense to include the
social, economic, political, and biological environment}
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 4: Recognizing yourself as an individual undergoing a stage of your life development, and recognize how
health is affected by the social and university environment.
- M/C: The leading cause of death among college aged men and women is: (a) motor vehicle crashes (b) drug overdoses (c) suicide
(d) alcohol poisoning
{a }
- M/C: Which of the following are common stressors on college campuses? (a) tests (b) finances (c) relationships (d) competition
(e) all of the above
{e - duh!}
- T/F: Every year students spend more on alcohol than on books, soda, coffee, juice, and milk combined.
{True}
Additional points:
- Health is not controlled by a single factor but by an interaction (interdependence) of environmental factors
(physical, biological, physiological, social, cultural, and psychological) and
genetic factors.
- It's difficult, but you must always asses the Credibility, Accuracy,
Reasonableness, and Support of health information.
- Definitions of health vary, although it is clear that "health"
is not an all or none phenomenon (so-called
wellness continuum)
- Self-care and health education have become more prominent and legitimate
forms of health care.
- Your social and physical environment have strong influences on your health
[in class comments regarding causal webs]
- You need to be responsible and active in protecting your safety and health (e.g., avoid unsafe sex, binge drinking, driving under
the influence, etc.).
- You must be active and confident in searching out health care services
in the community.
- Please do not forget your moral
obligations to be intelligent, compassionate, and responsibile.