Introduction To Family Health: DR - Fatima Al-Khalidi M.B.CH.B, F.I.C.M.S/C.M

Introduction to Family health
Dr.Fatima Al-Khalidi
M.B.Ch.B,F.I.C.M.S/C.M.
Introduction
• The family is the unit of service in all health care

delivery.
• The health of one member affects the welfare of
other members in the family.
• Every family is unique and it is affected by every
aspect of community life.
• The health service providers has to understand
family ways, traditions, customs and beliefs of the
family.
Family health
• Is part of community health
• Is more than the sum of personal health of
individual
• Is a unit of health care
Definition of Family
“Family is a group of biologically-related persons
living together and sharing the common kitchen and
purse.”
“Family is group of two or more persons related by

birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together in
a household”
US Bureau of Census 1980
The term “family” has been viewed in
number of ways:
• Biologist view:
• Psychologist view:
• Economics views:
• Sociologist views
Family Health:
“a state of positive interaction between family
members which enables each members of the family
to enjoy optimum physical, mental, social and
spiritual well being.”
“The health status of the family as a unit including the

impact of the health of one member of the family on
the family as a unit and on individual family
members; also, the impact of family organization or
disorganization on the health status of its members.”
Online medical dictionary
Functions of the family:
• Socialization of family members.
• economic stability.
• sexual needs.
• care of dependent members.
• emotional support for members.
• satisfy social, intellectual, emotional and
psychological needs of members.
Contd.
• Teaches children rules for behaviour and
socially approved conduct.
• Provides members with sense of family
identifications.
• Sickness role, interactions among family
members in health, disease, counselling and
rehabilitation.
Determinants of family health
• Living and working conditions

• Physical environment,
• Psycho-social environment
• Education and economic factors
• health practices
• Cultural factors
• Gender etc.
Scope and components of family health
1. Problems faced by family:

Broken homes, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency,
disability and rehabilitation, unmarried mothers,
teenage pregnancy
2. Reproductive health
• Safe motherhood, ANC, delivery care, PNC,
Family planning, Nutritional deficiencies, LBW
• STIs/RTIs/HIV/AIDS, legal abortion, infertility
services,
• Adolescent health (suicide, depression, STIs)
Contd.
3. Child health
• Child bearing, rearing,
• Child health services: nutrition, immunization,
Growth monitoring
• Mortality and mortality of children
• Social problems of children:
▫ Child abuse
▫ Abandoned or street children
▫ Child labour
▫ Juvenile delinquency
▫ battered baby syndrome
Contd.
4. Gender issues in family:

Girls trafficking, Gender mainstreaming,
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), female
feticide (sex-selective abortion),
5. Aging:
Problems of ageing, active ageing
6. Mental health:
situation of mental health, its causes and
prevention, National mental health policy
Roles of family and peer group in health
As there is a famous proverb, “The secret of

health lies in the family”, a family can plays
various roles to uplift the health status of its
members. The family role may be summarized as
bellow:
Family as a teacher:
Family as a health service provider:
Family as a counselor:
Contd.
Family as a motivator:
Family as a monitor:
Family as a trainer:
Family as a controller:
Family as a care taker:
peer group
• A group of friends or associates usually of similar
background social status and age who are likely to
influence a person's beliefs and behaviour
• Members of a particular peer group often have
similar interests and backgrounds, bonded by the
premise of sameness.
• Peer groups offer the chance to discuss interests
that adults may not share with their children
Role of Peer group in health
• Serve as a source of health information

• Help to reduce mental stress and anxiety
• Help to be acquainted on physical and emotional
changes
• Give support in acute as well as chronic illness
• Give support to during disability
Contd.
• Though Peer group may have very positive roles

on health but in many circumstances there may
be very harmful consequences on health like -
substance abuse, involvement in criminal
activity and sexual abuse.
Responsibilities of family in health and
disease:
1. Child rearing
2. Socialization
3. Personality formation
4. Care of dependant adult:
1. Care of sick and injured
2. Care of pregnant and childbirth
3. Care of aged and handicapped
5. Stabilization of adult personality
6. Familial susceptibility to diseases
7. Broken homes
8. Problem family
Responsible parenthood
• Responsible Parenthood is the core
responsibilities of parents to provide the needs of
the children they have in terms of the aspects in
life.
• It refers to the will, ability and commitment of
parents to respond to the needs and aspirations of
the family and children.
• It is the act of putting the needs of the child over
self.
Parenting
Definition:
“Parenting or child rearing is the process of
promoting and supporting the physical, emotional,
social and intellectual development of a child from
infancy to adulthood.”
• Parenting is usually done by the biological parents of
the child although governments and society take a
role as well.
• In many cases, orphaned or abandoned children
receive parental care from non-parent blood relations.
• Parenting may be influenced by various factors
as:
▫ Social class
▫ Economic status
▫ Education etc.
Parenting styles
• Authoritarian (very rigid and strict)
• Authoritative ( positive reinforcement)
• Permissive (freedom & autonomy)
• Uninvolved (physically, emotionally not
supportive)
Role and responsibilities of parent:
A parent must:
• Protect his/her young from physical harm.
• Provide physical necessities, such as food, water,
clothing protection from the ailments.
• Provide emotional necessities.
• Assist with education in preparation for the child
to become a productive adult.
• Provide moral guidance so that the child can turn
out to be a responsible adult.
Parenting education
• Parenting education is a course or programme

which is given to raising successful children,
creating competent, confident parents, and
building strong families and communities.
• With love, limits, and lots of involvement,
parents can have a major influence in developing
happy, healthy and well-behaved children.
Contd.
• A parent education program is a course that
can be followed to correct and improve a
person's parenting skills, such courses may be
general, covering the most common issues parents
may encounter, or specific,
for infants, toddlers, children and teenagers.
• These courses may also be geared towards parents
who are considering having a child, or adopting one,
or are pregnant.
Assessment of Risks to Poor at Critical Life-Cycle Stages
A life cycle perspective in health
• Actions, both positive and negative, taken at one
stage in a woman’s life can and will affect her
throughout her life.
For example:
Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 4-6 months provides infants
with the antibodies and nourishment needed to begin a healthy life.
A woman who develops a reproductive tract infection and does not
receive appropriate treatment can become infertile.
Girls fed inadequately during childhood may have stunted growth,
leading to higher risk of obstructed labor.
A child who got appropriate caring during his/her childhood may
develop intellectually as well as physically throughout life.
A example of life cycle perspective in MCH issues
• Over the years, women’s health needs have been
addressed through maternal and child health
programmes, focusing primarily on narrow aspect of
their lives.
• With this perspectives, women’s health is now being
viewed holistically – as a continuum of care that starts
before birth and progresses cumulatively throughout
her life.
• This lifecycle approach extends beyond women’s
reproductive role to encompass women’s health at
every stage and in every aspect of their lives.
• Through this approach, other health issues affecting
women that were previously overlooked, or thought not
to exist, have become more apparent.

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Introduction to Family health

• The family is the unit of service in all health care

“Family is group of two or more persons related by

“The health status of the family as a unit including the

• Living and working conditions

1. Problems faced by family:

4. Gender issues in family:

As there is a famous proverb, “The secret of

• Serve as a source of health information

• Though Peer group may have very positive roles

• Parenting education is a course or programme

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