Belief Statement Assignment: Aging, Christianity, and Health Promotion

This belief statement paper, written for a HLTH 380 course, explores the student's personal philosophy of aging, deeply rooted in their Christian worldview. The author reflects on the importance of respecting and caring for the elderly, drawing from personal experiences with family members and the teachings of the Bible. The paper addresses key questions about aging, including the impact of Christian values, the role of health promotion as a form of ministry, and professional perspectives on working with the elderly. The student emphasizes the need for providing elders with love, respect, and necessary care, including social engagement and health awareness. The paper also incorporates references to academic research and biblical texts, and it highlights the importance of a holistic approach to aging, addressing both physical and psychological well-being.

Running head: BELIEF STATEMENT
Belief Statement
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Authors note:

1BELIEF STATEMENT
In Bible, respecting elders is the most important culture that a child is taught (Version,
2017). As a Christian child, I have been always taught to respect elders and treat them with
love. Aging is the complex biological process that every person will undergo. We must
respect the process of aging as well as the aged people rather them treating them badly. We
must always keep in mind that our parents are the one for whom we on this world.
I am born and brought up in a family that is cultural and theist. My family has always
followed the holy bible and I have been brought up as a theist. According to bible, to be a
leader you need to be elder as with age a person gathers knowledge as well as experience and
it is through experience that a person learns (Perry, 2015). I have been living with my
grandparents since my birth and I have been always taught to talk softly with them and give
them respect. With age, people start to easily forget things and assume that they will be left
alone. That is the reason we should pay more attention to the elders and ensure them that they
are a part of our lives and we love them.
We must aware the aged persons in our family about their health and incorporate
healthy measure for their better living. They must sleep early and sleep at least for eight to
ten hours a day, should eat healthy and live a stress free life (Fernandez, Ruiter, Markham &
Kok, 2019). The aged people must avoid smoking and alcohol in order to lead a healthy life
as well as to avoid any sort of chronic diseases (Ferguson, Savic, Manning & Lubman, 2017).
Working with the aged people is a bit difficult as they are not as flexible as the youth;
moreover, some of them also suffer from partial dementia. While I am working with the aged
people whether in work place or at home, I make sure that they are comfortable and do not
have any issues in working.
Old people often suffers from depression, it is the duty of the family to look after the
person and find out the reason of depression. There are families who are always busy and

2BELIEF STATEMENT
have hardly time for the older people of the family. They should make the initiative to adopt a
pet as the pets help them in being engaged with them, acts as a companion, moreover, the old
person do not feel left alone (Bao & Schreer, 2016). There is a tendency that aged people feel
left alone and thus it is very important that they should be given more importance and there
must be community activities for their entertainment. They should also be engaged in
activities in order not to feel lonely. I have been always loved and cared by my grandparents.
They makes sure that I am happy and I do not have any problem in my daily life. In order to
be loved by them it is crucial that I must give my all efforts for their well-being.
I have grown up watching my grandparents. They are quite healthy compared to
others of their age. My grandparents were always health conscious. They are my inspiration
when it comes to lead a healthy life. I have joined yoga and dance classes for better and
healthier old age. I hardly consume junk food or simple carbs, as they are not healthy. I am a
very social person and love to interact with several people. Thus, in my 50’s or above I want
to be engaged to various social activities like NGOs (Sol, Wal, Beers & Wals, 2017). I love
to study and listen songs thus, in my old age I will continue my habit of studying and music.
This will not only help me in socializing as well as I will be engaged in order to avoid various
psychological diseases.
Thus, it can be concluded that, old age is a period of complexities and we must handle
our elders with care and love. They must be respected and provided with all the necessities
that they require. They must be engaged in various social activities in order to avoid
psychological diseases. The old family members must be given the required attention they
need and they must be made aware of the health issues that they may face in future in order to
avoid them. The bible also mentions that the leaders or the old ones are the one who must be
given respect and treated with love.

3BELIEF STATEMENT
Reference list
Bao, K. J., & Schreer, G. (2016). Pets and happiness: Examining the association between pet
ownership and wellbeing. Anthrozoös, 29(2), 283-296.
Ferguson, N., Savic, M., Manning, V., & Lubman, D. (2017). # WaysToRelax: developing an
online alcohol-related health promotion animation for people aged 55 and older. Public
health research & practice, 27(2).
Fernandez, M. E., Ruiter, R. A., Markham, C. M., & Kok, G. (2019). Theory-and Evidence-
Based Health Promotion Program Planning: Intervention Mapping. Frontiers in Public
Health, 7, 209.
Perry, S. L. (2015). Bible beliefs, conservative religious identity, and same‐sex marriage
support: Examining main and moderating effects. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion,
54(4), 792-813.
Sol, J., van der Wal, M. M., Beers, P. J., & Wals, A. E. (2017). Reframing the future: the role
of reflexivity in governance networks in sustainability transitions.
Version, K. J. (2017). Holy Bible. Arcturus Publishing Limited.