The health and well being of people in society is dependent on a large number of factors in relation to lifestyle choices, environmental conditions and the ability of society to provide treatment and adequate health facilities. Organizations globally such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed that there are five main risk factors that influence the prevalence of disease in society including: behavioral factors, biomedical factors, environmental factors, genetic factors and demographic factors (Capewell, 2015). A number of lifestyle choices can assist in controlling and possibly eliminating these factors to promote better living and health throughout society.
Behavioral factors focus on our intentional lifestyle choices such as alcohol intake, smoking, poor dietary habits, lack of physical activity, lack of sleep, unprotected sexual activity and exposure to the natural elements such as the sun. These factors can be effectively controlled by limiting our exposure to these factors and controlling the influence that they might have on us. For example, using sunscreen can control the impact of the sun on our skin and the chances of sunburn and potential outbreak of melanoma (DPHS, 2015). Biomedical factors are influenced by a combination of factors and can include diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. These factors increase the likelihood of a person contracting life threatening cardiovascular diseases. They can be controlled by health living, the combination of different vitamins and drugs. Environmental factors such as extensive pollution and disposal of chemical waste can cause disease and genetically modify cells in the body (AIHW, 2015). They can be controlled by using protective equipment when dealing with toxic waste and taking the necessary precautions to limit exposure to them. Genetic risk factors focus on the history of disease in an individual’s family and any modifications that may have naturally occurred. Some contracted diseases are hereditary such as diabetes (AIHW, 2015). They can be effectively controlled by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being cognizant of the impacts of external environmental and biomedical factors. Demographic factors focus on the higher likelihood of certain ethnicities and groups of people contracting diseases. They can be controlled via the integration of particular medical therapies and healthy living (DPHS, 2015).
In conclusion, risk factor analysis can focus on these detrimental factors to our health and appropriately recommend courses of action to lower a person’s risk of contracting them in the future. Ultimately, the best means of reducing the risk of disease in society is healthier living. It is most cost effective and can add years onto our lives, which can be spent pursuing interests and relationships with others.
- AIHW. (2015). Risk Factors to Health. Australian Government, Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/risk-factors/ Accessed on 24 July 2015.
- Capewell, S. (2015). Cardiovascular risk factor trends and potential for reducing coronary heart disease mortality in the United States of America. World Health Organization, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Retrieved from http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/2/08-057885/en/ Accessed on 24 July 2015.
- DPHS. (2015). Your Disease Risk Assessment Tool. University of Washington School Of Medicine, Retrieved from http://www.publichealthsciences.wustl.edu/en/Community-Focus/Your-Disease-Risk-Assessment-Tool Accessed on 24 July 2015.
- SCC. (2015). Your Disease Risk. Siteman Cancer Center, University of Washington School Of Medicine, Retrieved from http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/YDRDefault.aspx?ScreenControl=YDRGeneral&ScreenName=YDRHome.htm Accessed on 24 July 2015.
