Health Hygiene & Sanitation

Lesson 04 : Determinants Of Health

Behavioral And Socio Cultural Conditions

This is also known as ’life style’ or ‘the way people live’. This reflects whole range of social values, attributes and activities. It is composed of cultural and behavioral patterns and personal habits (smoking, alcoholism). Life styles are learnt through

1. Social interaction with parents, peer groups, friends, siblings
2. School and
3. Mass media

Health requires acquiring of healthy lifestyle. Recognising the relation between lifestyle and health, ‘life style disorders’, is the recent alternative term used for non-communicable diseases.
Major life style disorders once common in developed countries are now seen even in developing countries -

1. Coronary heart disease
2. Obesity
3. Lung cancer
4. Diabetes

Along with these life style disorders, developing countries like India also witness diseases related to behavioral defects and socio-cultural patterns. To mention a few

1. Infections due to unsanitary conditions
2. Fads and fallacies
3. Ignorance
4. Poor nutrition
5. Wrong food habits
6. Lack of personal hygiene
7. Customs
8. Poor economic conditions.

All life style factors are not harmful. Many of them like good sleep patterns, adequate nutrition, sufficient physical activity etc. can promote health.

Adopt Healthy life Style, Attain Optimum Health.