Does Social Class Predict Diet Quality? Coursework Example

Environmental Factors

There are many external factors that may lead to obesity. First, there are many new advances in technology that limit the amount of movement that people have to make. For example, kids are playing video games instead playing outside. Outside activities such as basketball, football, skating, and running have been replaced by virtual activities. In some cases, people might not live in areas where they have access to a safe place to use for outside exercise. While others work long hours and have no extra time to get in the needed exercise. People who are obese suffer from many health issues. They may have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, type II diabetes, and cancer. High blood pressure occurs when the force of the blood pushing against the arteries is very forceful. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes the victim to stop breathing during their sleep. Diabetes occurs when the levels of insulin in the blood are not balanced. Although cancer has not been linked to being overweight, studies have concluded that person’s overweight have a higher probability of getting cancer. These health issues can be eliminated or limited if the person would adopt a healthier lifestyle. Many celebrities are trying to entice people to become more active. For example, Mrs. Obama spearheaded the “Get Moving” campaign where she urged people to get out and exercise.

Perception

Perceived Seriousness is the individual’s belief about the seriousness of a disease or ailment. A person’s perception may be based upon medical information or their concept of how this illness may hinder their life. Perceived Susceptibility is what promotes a person to try to become healthier. When a person feels that they are not susceptible to a disease or illness, they may participate in risky behaviors. Perceived Benefits are the person’s opinion of the usefulness of a certain behavior. If a behavior is to be adopted, it has to be perceived as beneficial to the adoptee. Perceived Barriers is what the individual believes may cause him/her to be unable to accomplish the new healthy habits. All of these components work together to help an individual adopt a new lifestyle, but barriers are the most significant in determining the individual’s outcome.

Psychology

Human behavior has been baffling for years. Many want to understand why some people behave the way they do. James Watson and Ivan Pavlov, two psychologists who attempted to explain behavior. They believed that psychology should only deal with observable behaviors. They believed that human actions could be controlled by thought processes. In cognitive behavior therapy the individual’s actions are dictated by beliefs, language, and attitudes; thus, behaviors can be changed by thinking processes. Next, the human behavior theory is a reaction to the cognitive theory. They conveyed that humans are motivated by social and environmental factors.  . The social/cultural theory proposes that humans are more influenced by culture, social, and other outside factors (Pollack, 1998).

Communication

The Shannon-Weaver concept conveys that certain barriers in communication can affect the intended outcome of scenarios. This is quite possible when trying to reach a community about health related issues. Some non-native English speaking people may have difficulty understanding concepts, while others who have certain eating habits due to their culture may not be susceptible to adjusting eating habits. According to Darmon,  & Drenowski,   risk and protective factors “are the aspects of a person (or group) and environment or personal experience that make it more likely (risk factors) or less likely (protective factors) that people will experience a given problem or achieve a desired outcome”( 2008 ) In many poor communities, the members are considered at poverty level. As a result, they buy food for quality, not quantity. Consequently, what they eat might not be the healthiest choice. For example, if a person eats McDonald’s meal four days out of the week because that’s all they can afford, but does not eat anything on those other three days, both risk and protective factors are present. The risk of heart disease is higher for those who eat fast food several days a week, but studies have indicating that selective fasting is a good way to rid the body of toxins and other carcinogens ( Damon & Drenowski, 2008  ).

Intervention 

Community intervention is a concept used when an entire community is trying to implement a target goal, while intervention in the community occurs when a target goal is being sat for community using various members of the community to implement the target. Heart disease is a prevalent disorder in many communities, especially within African American communities. One study conducted in an African American community concluded the effectiveness of a program may be very dependent upon perception. This study attempted to shed light on how cultural and perceptual views of health affect members of African American communities. One factor that was uncovered in this study was the fact that exercise or lack of exercise is directly linked to diabetes and heart disease. Likewise, it was discovered that many African Americans have the same perspective about health issues (Ham, Kruger, & Locke, 2009). However, there was also a link between a person’s willingness to exercise and eat healthier when it was directly correlated with better health.  Formative Research has been defined as “research looks at the community in which an agency is situated, and helps agencies understand the interests, attributes and needs of different populations and persons in their community. Formative research is research that occurs before a program is designed and implemented, or while a program is being conducted.” Finally, the famous quote “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” simply means that humans must learn from prior mistakes. If one came from a family that died prematurely due to poor eating habits and lack of diet, it would behoove him/her to not try to live and eat healthier.

References

Darmon, N & Drenowski, A. (2008). Does social class predict diet quality? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 87(1).

Ham, Sandra A.; Kruger, Judy; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; (2009) Participation by US Adults in Sports, Exercise, and Recreational Physical Activities. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. (6). pp. 6-14.

Pollack, M. H. (1998).  Rate of improvement during cognitive-behavioral group treatment for panic disorder.  Behavior Research and Therapy, 36, 665-673.