CHAPTER 11
HUMAN FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH, ACCIDENTS, CRISIS AND DISASTERS
ILL-HEALTH, ACCIDENTS, CRISIS AND DISASTERS
Human factors that cause ill-health are aspects for which we are responsible – not causes that are beyond our
control – these can be prevented, avoided, or controlled
ILL-HEALTH
Ill health means you are sick – bad lifestyle choices can lead to ill-health
ACCIDENTS
Accidents happen unexpected and unplanned bad things happen to a person
CRISIS
A crisis is an emergency situation that causes great distress and upheaval – humans can cause crises
DISASTERS
A disaster is a great tragedy or devastation – it can be caused by nature or people
PHYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND REIGIOUS FACTORS
CULTURAL PRACTICES AND DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE PERSPECTIVES
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• Psychological factors are the mental and emotional aspects of being a human being – the mind and body
interact closely
• Can cause illness and illness can sometimes cause psychological effects
• Negative self-image and low self-esteem – you may not think that you are worth demanding safe sex or
condom – can lead to having HIV
• PSYCHOMATIC ILLNESS - sickness that involves both the mind and the body - may start emotional stress and
can become physical (stress can cause an ulcer or a stroke)
SOCIAL FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• Involve people, the community, and the public
• How people behave towards each other and their social conditions that they live in
• Violence can lead to injury and stress (like gender-based violence is caused by abuse and causes STI’s and
low self-esteem)
• FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS)
- Result of mother drinking alcohol while they are pregnant – no amount of alcohol is safe
- Risk mental and physical developmental problems – cause learning problems – leads to poverty
• ENVIRONMENTAL HARM CAUSED BY POLLUTION
- Learners suffer from asthma due to sir pollution
- Poisonous sprays used on food crops – contaminate food and cause cancer
- Some plastic bottles cause cancer when heated
RELIGIOUS FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• Religious and belief systems may help heal people but can also cause ill-health - their religion may prevent
them from taking medication or having a blood transfusion – could lead to serious illness or death
• There are people who have such strong religious beliefs that they say that only their God can sure them and
thus refuse medical treatment
• In certain religions various potions and medicines are mixed and given to sick people
• Some religions forbid the use of condoms – this means that STI’s easily spread
, CULTURAL PRACTICES THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• The way that we look at health, illness, and treatment as well as our behaviour towards our health
• All cultures have beneficial and harmful practices – there are many cultural practices that are helpful and
healing
• Harmful cultural practices are often aimed at benefitting males and thus cause harm to females
MALE CHILD (SON) PREFERNCE
- In some cultures, male children are preferred to female children – this may lead to the female fetus
being aborted or the female baby being killed at birth
- Usually has harmful effects because often the best food is kept for the male child – the female child
suffers from malnutrition and general neglect
- Have harmful psychological effects on girls – more vulnerable to risky behaviour due to low self esteem
CIRCUMCISION
- Male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of the male penis – can be useful to help reduce the
transmission of HIV
- When conducted by untrained or careless people who use unsterilized instruments can cause infections
and lead to them having their penises amputated
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND CUTTING
- Involves the surgical removal of parts of or all of the female genital organs
- It is believed that by mutilating a female’s genital organs her sexuality can be controlled
- It is also done to ensure a female’s virginity before marriage - Leads to serious illness, hemorrhaging or
bleeding - This infection may cause infertility, anemia, and difficult childbirth
ARRANGED MARRIAGES
- Sometimes girls as young as 11 are married off as fourth or fifth wives who are a lot older than them
- The parents usually do this to get money or to pay a debt
- Leads girls to not having childhoods, lack of schooling as well as difficult childbirth due to them being too
young
WIFE INHERITANCE (UNKUNGENA)
- This cultural practice forces a widowed female to marry a male relative of her dead husband – this could
be a brother or a cousin
- Wife or bride inheritance involves forced sex for the widow – can cause the rapid spread of STI’s as well
as psychological problems
CULTURE OF SILENCE
- In some cultures, it is taboo to speak about sex, incest, relationships between genders pregnancy etc.
- This secrecy can lead to misinformation, myths and lack of knowledge as well as stigmas and
discrimination
DRY SEX
- Dry sex is the vaginal drying that leads to friction of the genital area and causes injury to the membrane
lining of the vagina and uterine wall - This scarring of tissue puts women more at risk of contracting HIV
- This also removes the bacteria that assists in fighting infection - There is a higher risk that a condom can
tear during dry sex – also leads to a greater risk of STI’s
NUTRITIONAL HARM
- Nutritional taboos – means that some foods may not be eaten
- Usually set for girls and pregnant mothers – this can have a harmful effect on pregnant mothers as their
babies because they are not getting all the nutrients – they are therefore more vulnerable to infections
and illness
HUMAN FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH, ACCIDENTS, CRISIS AND DISASTERS
ILL-HEALTH, ACCIDENTS, CRISIS AND DISASTERS
Human factors that cause ill-health are aspects for which we are responsible – not causes that are beyond our
control – these can be prevented, avoided, or controlled
ILL-HEALTH
Ill health means you are sick – bad lifestyle choices can lead to ill-health
ACCIDENTS
Accidents happen unexpected and unplanned bad things happen to a person
CRISIS
A crisis is an emergency situation that causes great distress and upheaval – humans can cause crises
DISASTERS
A disaster is a great tragedy or devastation – it can be caused by nature or people
PHYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND REIGIOUS FACTORS
CULTURAL PRACTICES AND DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE PERSPECTIVES
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• Psychological factors are the mental and emotional aspects of being a human being – the mind and body
interact closely
• Can cause illness and illness can sometimes cause psychological effects
• Negative self-image and low self-esteem – you may not think that you are worth demanding safe sex or
condom – can lead to having HIV
• PSYCHOMATIC ILLNESS - sickness that involves both the mind and the body - may start emotional stress and
can become physical (stress can cause an ulcer or a stroke)
SOCIAL FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• Involve people, the community, and the public
• How people behave towards each other and their social conditions that they live in
• Violence can lead to injury and stress (like gender-based violence is caused by abuse and causes STI’s and
low self-esteem)
• FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS)
- Result of mother drinking alcohol while they are pregnant – no amount of alcohol is safe
- Risk mental and physical developmental problems – cause learning problems – leads to poverty
• ENVIRONMENTAL HARM CAUSED BY POLLUTION
- Learners suffer from asthma due to sir pollution
- Poisonous sprays used on food crops – contaminate food and cause cancer
- Some plastic bottles cause cancer when heated
RELIGIOUS FACTORS THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• Religious and belief systems may help heal people but can also cause ill-health - their religion may prevent
them from taking medication or having a blood transfusion – could lead to serious illness or death
• There are people who have such strong religious beliefs that they say that only their God can sure them and
thus refuse medical treatment
• In certain religions various potions and medicines are mixed and given to sick people
• Some religions forbid the use of condoms – this means that STI’s easily spread
, CULTURAL PRACTICES THAT CAUSE ILL-HEALTH
• The way that we look at health, illness, and treatment as well as our behaviour towards our health
• All cultures have beneficial and harmful practices – there are many cultural practices that are helpful and
healing
• Harmful cultural practices are often aimed at benefitting males and thus cause harm to females
MALE CHILD (SON) PREFERNCE
- In some cultures, male children are preferred to female children – this may lead to the female fetus
being aborted or the female baby being killed at birth
- Usually has harmful effects because often the best food is kept for the male child – the female child
suffers from malnutrition and general neglect
- Have harmful psychological effects on girls – more vulnerable to risky behaviour due to low self esteem
CIRCUMCISION
- Male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin of the male penis – can be useful to help reduce the
transmission of HIV
- When conducted by untrained or careless people who use unsterilized instruments can cause infections
and lead to them having their penises amputated
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND CUTTING
- Involves the surgical removal of parts of or all of the female genital organs
- It is believed that by mutilating a female’s genital organs her sexuality can be controlled
- It is also done to ensure a female’s virginity before marriage - Leads to serious illness, hemorrhaging or
bleeding - This infection may cause infertility, anemia, and difficult childbirth
ARRANGED MARRIAGES
- Sometimes girls as young as 11 are married off as fourth or fifth wives who are a lot older than them
- The parents usually do this to get money or to pay a debt
- Leads girls to not having childhoods, lack of schooling as well as difficult childbirth due to them being too
young
WIFE INHERITANCE (UNKUNGENA)
- This cultural practice forces a widowed female to marry a male relative of her dead husband – this could
be a brother or a cousin
- Wife or bride inheritance involves forced sex for the widow – can cause the rapid spread of STI’s as well
as psychological problems
CULTURE OF SILENCE
- In some cultures, it is taboo to speak about sex, incest, relationships between genders pregnancy etc.
- This secrecy can lead to misinformation, myths and lack of knowledge as well as stigmas and
discrimination
DRY SEX
- Dry sex is the vaginal drying that leads to friction of the genital area and causes injury to the membrane
lining of the vagina and uterine wall - This scarring of tissue puts women more at risk of contracting HIV
- This also removes the bacteria that assists in fighting infection - There is a higher risk that a condom can
tear during dry sex – also leads to a greater risk of STI’s
NUTRITIONAL HARM
- Nutritional taboos – means that some foods may not be eaten
- Usually set for girls and pregnant mothers – this can have a harmful effect on pregnant mothers as their
babies because they are not getting all the nutrients – they are therefore more vulnerable to infections
and illness
