Branches

Our overall health has many branches and those branches represent the lifestyle choices we make every day. Although the way we put these into practice in our daily lives may differ due to factors such as personal preference, availability of resources, and cultural nuances, the core recommendations remain relevant to all.
Regular physical activity is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and it is beneficial for mental and physical health. At least 60% of the global population fails to achieve the recommended weekly minimum physical activity which aids in preventing noncommunicable diseases, including heart disease, cancer and stroke. There are different physical activity recommendations for people depending on age. For adults, the minimum amount of physical activity is at least 30 minutes per day and for children, beginning at age 5, 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity daily physical activity is suggested. The more time spent moving, the greater the benefits. An individual can start with a few minutes of activity a day and gradually increase time and pace. A simple pedometer can be used to measure steps, which are recommended to number about 10,000 over the course of a day. Its important to get active while doing stationary activities like watching television because the risk of heart disease is doubled for those who spend more than four hours at a time sitting down. Remember, physical activity should last for at least 10 minutes at a time and the minimum amount of physical activity required for prevention of disease is about 30 minutes of moderate activity per day. Balanced nutrition is influenced by daily decisions as well as cultural and social determinants. The double burden of malnutrition featuring simultaneous over- and undernutrition has resulted in worldwide hunger and obesity, often in the same populations. Key strategies to reduce the double burden of malnutrition in adults and children include:

Breastfeed newborn children (when appropriate) for up to six months and promote the introduction of complementary feeding at six months. Promote eating a healthy breakfast at home and bringing healthy meals and snacks prepared at home to work or school. Encourage 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, limit sugary foods and drinks, avoid adding salt to food and limit energy intake from total fats.

Tobacco use is harmful to the user and smoking tobacco also negatively affects those people around the smoker. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can significantly increase a persons likelihood of suffering from non-communicable diseases, including lung cancer, emphysema, and coronary heart disease. Smokeless tobacco also negatively affects health, can cause cancer of the mouth, and research suggests it might play a role in other cancers, heart disease and stroke. Not smoking and smoking cessation can increase life span and quality of life, in addition to contributing to an overall healthier lifestyle.

Tobacco dependence is a chronic condition that often requires repeated interventions, but helpful resources exist. Smokers can and do quit smoking. In fact, today there are more former smokers than current smokers. People who stop smoking greatly reduce their risk for disease and premature death. Although the health benefits are greater for people who stop at earlier ages, cessation is beneficial at all ages. Alcohol consumption patterns are in part defined by individual societies. There is no standard definition on low-risk drinking patterns, yet the negative effects of alcohol on health are clear. Drinking can weaken the immune system and result in or exacerbate noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and various cancers. Refraining from drinking or responsible, moderate use of alcoholic beverages can help increase individual vitality and reduce the likelihood of alcohol-induced social harm. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is a leading cause of death worldwide. To reduce alcohol-attributable problems, WHO suggests:

Setting an alcohol tax. Implementing / enforcing legal drinking ages for purchase and consumption. Setting maximum blood alcohol concentrations for drivers and enforce them with sobriety checkpoints and random breath testing.

In addition to these policy interventions, nurses are well positioned to assess, educate, and find other resources to assist patients in addressing any alcohol-related problems.

Environment
Our personal health is influenced by our surrounding environment and the ways we engage with it.
A long-term personal vision of health and wellbeing is important to maintaining health over time. Positive decision making at all stages of our lives can reap sustained benefits over a lifetime. Attitudes and perspectives on health are often shaped by circumstances before birth and from a young age by a variety of environmental and personal influences, including family, friends, teachers and health care providers. As health care providers, nurses can both promote and be a point of reference for personal wellbeing, the wellness of patients and the overall health of the communities in which they work. Beyond simply instilling a long-term health vision, nursing interventions have been shown to play a critical role in empowering others to seek healthy lifestyles. These interventions include health education, health assessments, ongoing monitoring and support as well as primary health care and treatment. Nurses can have positive influences on patient behavior through patient education, as well as by modeling healthy lifestyles. For example, nurse-led smoking cessation interventions have shown to increase the chance of successfully quitting smoking by up to 50%.

Global health is also shaped by political and policy climates. The growing noncommunicable disease pandemic requires an associated increase in dedicated resources and coordinated action by many stakeholders. Nurses can play a critical role in advocating for policy change. On a practical level, addressing the NCD pandemic demands a unified focus on primary health care with sufficient financial and resource capacity.

Roots
The origins of health often take root deep beneath the surface with factors outside of our immediate control.
The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. This distribution of resources affects access within health care systems, socioeconomic conditions and ultimately, individual health. Family history is important because family members may share not only genes but also environmental conditions, behaviors and lifestyles. Being aware of innate and conditional risks can serve to motivate individuals to minimize these risks and promote general wellness. If a close family member suffers from diseases such as asthma, certain cancers, diabetes and/or heart disease, an individual may have a higher risk of developing these diseases. Screening tests (such as mammograms and cancer screenings) can detect some diseases at an early stage when they are most treatable. Screening tests can also detect risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which can be treated to reduce the chances of developing a disease. Gender differences can lead to health disparities related to social, cultural and biological inequalities. Gender can be a strong determining factor when it comes to health predisposition, access to care and personal behaviors. When engaging with patients it is important to consider how gender differences may affect health and wellness. This is true in relation to how patients may experience pain, express symptoms of a particular disease or respond to treatment options. Additionally, gender norms should be taken into consideration as they too may affect health. Gender, family history and social determinants of health deserve consideration when engaging with individuals or communities on the issue of non-communicable disease. They can affect prevalence, clinical presentation and treatment strategies, as well as health outcomes.