Lifestyle and Choices
Course Description
This course introduces students to a holistic concept of health and the components of a health-enhancing lifestyle. Students will be invited to reflect on their own experience of health, recognizing challenges and resources that can impact lifestyle choices. Students will be introduced to a model that can be applied in other courses to understand the multi-faceted aspects of health and healing.
Minimum course hours: 30
Learning Outcomes
- Discuss the interrelationship of physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual dimensions and the determinants of health:
- 1.1 Describe health as a process (health as a journey not a destination).
- 1.2 Discuss the physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual dimensions of health.
- 1.3 Describe the interrelatedness of the dimensions of health.
- 1.4 Discuss health as it relates to lifestyle choices.
- 1.5 Describe the determinants of health and discuss how they can create health inequalities and impact the dimensions of health.
- Discuss how lifestyle choices and behaviours contribute to physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual health:
- 2.1 Discuss the positive effects of regular exercise and physical self-care.
- 2.2 Describe the elements of a nutritious diet.
- 2.3 Discuss elements of healthy weight management.
- 2.4 Describe the adverse effects of common harmful substances.
- 2.5 Discuss the interaction between emotions/perceptions and physical well-being.
- 2.6 Describe the effects of stress.
- 2.7 Recognize aspects of the HCA role that could lead to unhealthy stress.
- 2.8 Describe a variety of approaches to stress management.
- 2.9 Discuss the cognitive components of health.
- 2.10 Describe how one’s ability to think, reason, interpret, remember, assess, and solve problems is related to health.
- 2.11 Discuss the importance of social support in personal wellness.
- 2.12 Recognize cultural and societal influences on lifestyle choices.
- 2.13 Describe the spiritual components of health.
- 2.14 Discuss how clarification of one’s values and beliefs might relate to lifestyle choices.
- 2.15 Identify personal focuses and activities that enrich, refresh, and create meaning in one’s life.
- 2.16 Describe how one’s choices affect one’s environment.
- 2.17 Discuss environmental influences on health.
- Explain the complexity of the change process in relation to health promotion:
- 3.1 Describe how critical thinking and problem-solving relate to lifestyle change.
- 3.2 Demonstrate how to set achievable goals, use appropriate motivators, and set a realistic change agenda.
- 3.3 Discuss the complexities involved in lifestyle change.
Course Content
Understanding Health
- Health as a process (health as a journey not a destination).
- Physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual dimensions of health.
- Interrelatedness of all aspects of health: introduction of the health wheel.
- Health as it relates to lifestyle and choices.
- The 12 determinants of health (as defined by the Government of Canada).
- The impact of the determinants of health on health inequalities and the dimensions of health.
Components of Health
- Physical components of health:
- Physical activity.
- Physical self-care.
- Sleep and rest.
- Nutrition, including nutrition throughout life, factors that affect eating and drinking, and Canada’s Food Guide.
- Weight management.
- Avoiding or limiting harmful substances (including licit and illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vaping, and caffeine).
- Environment.
- Psychological or emotional components of health:
- Interaction between emotions and perceptions and health.
- Psychologically safe environments.
- Stress and stress management.
- Common responses and effects of stress.
- Common stressors related to work of the HCA.
- Burnout and compassion fatigue.
- Strategies for self-assessment and wellness intervention.
- Cognitive components of health:
- Rational thinking and perceiving.
- Ability to reason, interpret, and remember.
- Ability to sense, perceive, assess, and evaluate.
- Problem-solving ability.
- Creativity.
- Social (interactive) components of health:
- Social bonds and social supports in relation to health.
- Cultural, societal, and traditional influences on lifestyle and choices.
- Spiritual components of health:
- Awareness of personal values and beliefs.
- Finding meaning and purpose in life.
- Participating in activities that enrich, inspire, and refresh.
- Appreciation for different ways of knowing and being.
Lifestyle Change
- Complexity of the lifestyle change process.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving as they relate to lifestyle and choices.
- Self-reflection and self-evaluation in relation to challenges and resources.
- Setting achievable goals, using motivators, setting a realistic change agenda.
- Recognizing difficulties inherent in personal change.
