UNIT 3: LIFESTYLE DISEASES: CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
3.1 Contributing factors to lifestyle factors
I am Responsible. We are Responsible, South Africa is Taking Responsibility has
been the slogan for recent health promotion campaigns.
Lifestyle factors that contribute to diseases
Lifestyle Factor Example At risk for…
Unsafe sexual Sex without a condom, HIV/AIDS, STI’s, Cervical
behaviour multiple sex partners cancer in women
Substance abuse Alcohol abuse Prostate cancer in men,
Hypertension
Heart Problems
Drug Abuse Hepatitis B
Poor eating habits Eating too much TB
Not eating enough Hypertension
healthy food Diseases of the Heart
(malnutrition) and circulatory system
Lack of Vitamins and
essentials
Eating too much
(Obesity)
Tobacco use Smoking TB, Hypertension,
Diseases of the heart,
Lung cancer
Lack of Exercise Not doing enough Hypertension,
exercise Heart problems
3.2 Intervention strategies: prevention, control and
early detection of lifestyle diseases
An intervention strategy is a way to help, get involved and to do something.
Intervention strategies to counter lifestyle diseases could
include:
Ban smoking in public places
Raising taxes on tobacco and alcohol
Warnings about the dangers of Tobacco use
Educate people about healthy lifestyles
Educate people about HIV and STI’s
Ensuring that every school is a Health Promoting School (HPS)
Limiting access to alcohol
Banning alcohol advertising
Encouraging regular physical activity
Educating people about the importance of early detection, regular
screenings and visits to the clinic
, Prevention Factors
Avoid, abstain and adapt
Prevention means to stop something from happening. The best way to prevent or
lower the risk of lifestyle diseases is to avoid the habits and behaviours that
contribute to them. To prevent diseases of the heart and circulatory system:
Avoid all tobacco products
Get regular physical exercise
Keep a healthy weight
Go for regular health screenings
Rather eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day
The best way to prevent STI’s is to:
Abstain from sexual intercourse
Use a condom properly every time
Have sex only with a person whom you know has been tested for STI’s
Reducing risk of prostate cancer by adapting to a diet so that it is:
Low in dairy products
Rich in soya beans and red beans
Low in flour and in bread
Low in sugary cakes and deserts (more examples in textbook)
Vaccinations
Vaccinations, where available, may prevent certain cancers.
Control
If you control something, you manage it so it does not become a crisis or a
disaster.
To avoid getting TB or to control the spread of TB, you can:
Help and encourage people who have TB to follow the treatment
instructions and take their medication.
If you have hypertension, you can control it, so that you don’t have a heart
attack or a stroke, if you:
Eat healthy
Get regular physical exercise
Lose weight
Stop smoking
Deal with your stress and apply relaxation methods
To control the spread of STI’s:
Stay faithful in a relationship
Tell your partner if you have an STI
FACTORS AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
3.1 Contributing factors to lifestyle factors
I am Responsible. We are Responsible, South Africa is Taking Responsibility has
been the slogan for recent health promotion campaigns.
Lifestyle factors that contribute to diseases
Lifestyle Factor Example At risk for…
Unsafe sexual Sex without a condom, HIV/AIDS, STI’s, Cervical
behaviour multiple sex partners cancer in women
Substance abuse Alcohol abuse Prostate cancer in men,
Hypertension
Heart Problems
Drug Abuse Hepatitis B
Poor eating habits Eating too much TB
Not eating enough Hypertension
healthy food Diseases of the Heart
(malnutrition) and circulatory system
Lack of Vitamins and
essentials
Eating too much
(Obesity)
Tobacco use Smoking TB, Hypertension,
Diseases of the heart,
Lung cancer
Lack of Exercise Not doing enough Hypertension,
exercise Heart problems
3.2 Intervention strategies: prevention, control and
early detection of lifestyle diseases
An intervention strategy is a way to help, get involved and to do something.
Intervention strategies to counter lifestyle diseases could
include:
Ban smoking in public places
Raising taxes on tobacco and alcohol
Warnings about the dangers of Tobacco use
Educate people about healthy lifestyles
Educate people about HIV and STI’s
Ensuring that every school is a Health Promoting School (HPS)
Limiting access to alcohol
Banning alcohol advertising
Encouraging regular physical activity
Educating people about the importance of early detection, regular
screenings and visits to the clinic
, Prevention Factors
Avoid, abstain and adapt
Prevention means to stop something from happening. The best way to prevent or
lower the risk of lifestyle diseases is to avoid the habits and behaviours that
contribute to them. To prevent diseases of the heart and circulatory system:
Avoid all tobacco products
Get regular physical exercise
Keep a healthy weight
Go for regular health screenings
Rather eat fresh fruit and vegetables every day
The best way to prevent STI’s is to:
Abstain from sexual intercourse
Use a condom properly every time
Have sex only with a person whom you know has been tested for STI’s
Reducing risk of prostate cancer by adapting to a diet so that it is:
Low in dairy products
Rich in soya beans and red beans
Low in flour and in bread
Low in sugary cakes and deserts (more examples in textbook)
Vaccinations
Vaccinations, where available, may prevent certain cancers.
Control
If you control something, you manage it so it does not become a crisis or a
disaster.
To avoid getting TB or to control the spread of TB, you can:
Help and encourage people who have TB to follow the treatment
instructions and take their medication.
If you have hypertension, you can control it, so that you don’t have a heart
attack or a stroke, if you:
Eat healthy
Get regular physical exercise
Lose weight
Stop smoking
Deal with your stress and apply relaxation methods
To control the spread of STI’s:
Stay faithful in a relationship
Tell your partner if you have an STI
