Health Risk Assessment for Individuals and Families

Running head: HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 1
Health Risk Assessment
Name
Institution

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 2
Health Risk Assessment
Health risk assessment is a questionnaire or survey used to gather any information that is
relevant regarding the status of health and the health risk factors of a population or an individual.
The assessment is an approach done systematically to retrieve data and analyse a specific group
or family. The information collected includes nutrition, lifestyle, family and individual medical
history, biometrics, demographics, exercise and diet, the self-perceived status of health and
willingness to change (Rolfes, Pinna, Whitney & Whitney, 2018). On a family level, health risk
assessment aims at the patient’s family dynamics (Stuck et al., 2015). Family health assessment
plays an integral part that provides a holistic view to assisting nurses in determining which areas
to focus. This paper will identify health issues that are common in my family.
Health risk assessment was carried out in a family of six members, with father, mother,
two brothers and two sisters. Unfortunately, all my grandparents had passed away; hence, they
could not be assessed. I never took the time to learn to learn the health history of my family
because I was part of it. My mother is a tutor, and my father is a security guard. My brother and
sister are all in school at the current time. I took data and analysed it to formulate a nursing
diagnosis. The universal health issues in my family were diabetes, hypertension and cancer. My
elder sister had been diagnosed with cancer. The family history showed that none of the family
members had been diagnosed with cancer before. None of our family members had prepared for
this disease, as it is perceived as a dangerous illness and foremost being feared.
I am a five-year-old with the total moderate physical activity of 1 hour four days a week.
I eat four portions of fruits and 200 grams of vegetables a day. I have a mean blood pressure of
130/80 mm/Hg. As suggested by Poortaghi, Salsali, Ebadi, Rahnavard & Maleki, (2015), the
questions asked include:

HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 3
 What is your height? 5 feet and 3 inches
 What is your weight? 55 Kgs
 In general, how would you rate your health? Good
 Do you exercise regularly or take part in a physical program of exercise? Yes,
more than 3
 What medical conditions do you have or have you had in the past? Anxiety,
 How often do you take medications? As needed
 When was the last time you smoked or used any tobacco products? Never
 Do you drink alcohol? No
 Have you ever used drugs to ease withdrawal symptoms, or to avoid feeling low
after using drugs or alcohol? No
 Do you ever choose not to seek medical care because of religious or personal
beliefs? No
Nutrition
The nutrition of my family consists of a balanced diet. They consume a diet rich in
cheese, meat, sausages, vegetables and fruits. They try using vegetables and try to use other
foods. The family eats three main meals per day with snacks in between the meals. Since my
sister was diagnosed with cancer, my family started avoiding any cancer-causing foods like fast
foods, processed foods and high sugar foods.
Exercise
My father likes to cook and to walk around when he is free while my mother loves
swimming. My sister walks three times in a week since she was diagnosed with cancer. My two