Benchmark: Human Experience Across the Health-Illness Continuum

This assignment analyzes the health-illness continuum, a graphical illustration of human wellbeing ranging from illness to wellness. It explores the continuum's importance in healthcare, emphasizing its role in patient care, emotional and mental development, and personal wellness assessment. The assignment details the student's personal experiences, including lifestyle challenges like overweight and pain, and outlines strategies for improvement, such as healthy eating, exercise, and seeking knowledge through lessons. It also discusses the impact of the continuum on the student's lifestyle and how it has fostered a positive outlook toward health. Furthermore, the assignment highlights the role of healthcare providers in promoting awareness and values related to wellbeing, including the importance of both physical and mental calmness. The student's reflections demonstrate an understanding of the continuum's principles and its application to personal health goals.

Running head: BENCHMARK-HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM
Health assessment
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BENCHMARK-HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM 2
Question one
Fries, (2019) stated that health- illness continuum refers to a graphical illustration that is based
on the idea of human wellbeing. Apart from that, it dwells on the emotional and mental issues
concerning human being. There are many cases where one is depressed but do not show clear
signs and symptoms of depression or anxiety, at this stage the person continues to complain of
unfitness in the body. The concept of wellness of the body differ from one person to another.
However, many people think that wellness is a situation where an individual lacks physical
illness in the body. Consequently, there are other people who are convinced by healthy eating or
lifestyle. In the illness-wellness continuum, the graph ranges from left to right. On the left side it
indicate the degree of illness while the right side indicate levels of wellness according to Sperber,
(2020). However, it is a dynamic graph. One of the things that contribute to wellness of an
individual is vision. An individual who has positive vision will always bend towards the right
side of the continuum. The graph is as shown.
The graph is according to Sperber, (2020).
On the other hand, the perspective is important in caring for patients. The first reason for its
importance is that it contribute to both emotional and mental development of the patient. The
scale acts as a measure of the wellness, when the patient make a move it is a sign of development

BENCHMARK-HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM 3
of the patient. The importance of this graph to human health is that one can use it measure the
status of his or her wellness. Every time an individual makes a move, for instance, an obsess
individual, the graph will assist him or her gage the progress. Positive move will contribute to
emotional and physical stability of the individual.
Question two
Understanding health-illness continuum assist health care givers in many ways. The first thing is
that the idea in the continuum can assist nurses to develop the capacity of advising different
patients. The health care providers create the standards of treatment. Having the standards means
they can create awareness to the patients on how to take care of themselves. There is another
issue of emotional and physical wellbeing. The health care providers can change the way people
view these two issues. Many people view wellbeing differently and it is the role of the health
care provider to assist them in understanding the situation. Whitehead, (2017) stated that the
healthcare providers have to explain that it is not only absence of illness that proves wellbeing of
an individual but also calmness of the mind. Creating awareness is another point of improving on
the values. Healthcare providers have the duty to make people knowledgeable. They are able to
create positive outlook that promote emotional and mental wellbeing according to Jones et al,
(2019).
Understanding the continuum has also helped to promote values in that I have developed positive
eating lifestyle. Apart from that, I have created awareness to other friends who may be in the
same condition like me. For example, when am going to run, I invite my friends and that have
become my lifestyle. The improvement is as a result of understanding continuum
Question three

BENCHMARK-HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM 4
There multiple activities that contribute to wellness of people. Some of these activities include
healthy eating, exercising and workout. Consequently in my case, what I consume on daily basis
and the activities I take part in contribute my general emotional, mental and physical
development. For example, in my case I am 22 years old six inch tall and having a BMI of 25. I
have abnormal body weight and this is causing emotional disturbance in my case. For example, I
cannot run long distance races. The reason is that I constantly feel pain on my joints according to
Sperber, (2020). My normal meal consumption include proteins and a lot of milk. My situation
have forced me to take a walk thirty minutes every day. Apart from that I go to the gym on daily
basis. The lifestyle I have developed will assist me to reduce my body weight.
From above situation, I personally feel that I am able to correct my situation when I get enough
knowledge I can improve my situation. However, the situation have escalated and I have taken
personal lessons to learn on healthy lifestyle. From these lessons I believe that I will learn
clinical measures that will ensure I improve my lifestyle.
Poor eating lifestyle is one of the behaviors that have detracted me from achieving positive
health according to Swanson et al, (2019). Apart from that, I lack proper exercise which affect
my lifestyle. Consequently, the behaviors I have developed which include going to the gym and
taking lifestyle lessons will change my situation. I also run thirty minutes a day and that gives me
hope of a better lifestyle. Right now, I fall on the right side of the continuum because I have
started having positive health. The reason is because of the continuous awareness.
Question four
Some of the lifestyle challenges that I have include overweight and pain on the bones. However,
I have some options that can help me move forward towards achieving wellness. The first option

BENCHMARK-HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM 5
is to take part in daily exercises. Running on daily basis will help me burn excess calories.
Another option I have is to change my eating lifestyle by reducing the amount of protein I
consume. The last option is to get knowledge on daily basis through lessons. These activities will
assist me to prevent any chronic diseases that might attack me due to obesity. Therefore, I will
have manageable body weight.

BENCHMARK-HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS THE HEALTH-ILLNESS CONTINUUM 6
References
Fries, C. J. (2019). Healing health care: from sick care towards salutogenic healing
systems. Social Theory & Health, 1-17.
Sperber, A. D. (2020). Multicultural factors in the treatment of patients with functional
gastrointestinal disorders. In Clinical and Basic Neurogastroenterology and Motility (pp.
567-575). Academic Press.
Swanson, C., Thompson, A., Valentz, R., Doerner, L., & Jezek, K. (2019). Theory of Nursing for
the Whole Person: A Distinctly Scriptural Framework. Journal of Christian
Nursing, 36(4), 222-227.
Whitehead, D. (2017). A 4 lifespan and settings-based approach to mental health promotion. An
Introduction to Community and Primary Health Care. Second edition. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 52-68.
Jones, J. R., Berney, S., Connolly, B., Waterland, J. L., Denehy, L., Griffith, D. M., &
Puthucheary, Z. A. (2019). Socioeconomic Position and Health Outcomes Following
Critical Illness: A Systematic Review. Critical care medicine, 47(6), e512-e521.
Sperber, A. D. (2020). Multicultural factors in the treatment of patients with functional
gastrointestinal disorders. In Clinical and Basic Neurogastroenterology and Motility (pp.
567-575). Academic Press.