lesson 3 taking charge of your health. do now journal entry #1 what do you think are the most...

Lesson 3Lesson 3

Taking Charge of Your HealthTaking Charge of Your Health

Do NowDo Now

Journal Entry #1Journal Entry #1

What do you think are the most What do you think are the most serious health problems for teens serious health problems for teens today? Why?today? Why?

How have these things affected How have these things affected your daily life?your daily life?

Chapter 1- Lesson 3Chapter 1- Lesson 3ObjectivesObjectives

ObjectivesObjectivesAfter this lesson you will be able to:After this lesson you will be able to:1.1. Explain how accepting responsibility Explain how accepting responsibility

for your own health and the health of for your own health and the health of others is a step towards wellness.others is a step towards wellness.

2.2. Discuss how risk factors can be offset Discuss how risk factors can be offset by healthy behaviors.by healthy behaviors.

3.3. Describe how abstinence from sexual Describe how abstinence from sexual activity before marriage and how activity before marriage and how avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and other avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs can contribute to health.drugs can contribute to health.

Lesson 3Lesson 3GoalGoal

You may be responsible for decisions You may be responsible for decisions such as buying your own clothes such as buying your own clothes and for managing your schedule. As and for managing your schedule. As you move toward adulthood, you you move toward adulthood, you become increasingly responsible for become increasingly responsible for more decisions regarding your more decisions regarding your health. The goal lesson is to help health. The goal lesson is to help you learn how to make choices to you learn how to make choices to help you live a long and healthy life. help you live a long and healthy life.

Taking Charge of Your Taking Charge of Your HealthHealth

Activity 1 – Independent WorkActivity 1 – Independent Work

List three rights or privileges you List three rights or privileges you have been given in previous have been given in previous years. Next to each, write the years. Next to each, write the responsibility that goes along with responsibility that goes along with that right or privilege. that right or privilege.


Health ConceptsHealth Concepts Accepting responsibility for your own Accepting responsibility for your own

health and for the health of others is a health and for the health of others is a positive step toward wellness. positive step toward wellness.

Risk factors can be offset by behaviors, Risk factors can be offset by behaviors, including making choices and practicing including making choices and practicing habits that promote good health.habits that promote good health.

Abstinence, the conscious decision to Abstinence, the conscious decision to avoid harmful behaviors, can increase avoid harmful behaviors, can increase your chances of a long, happy, and your chances of a long, happy, and healthful life. healthful life.


Activity 2 – turn to a neighborActivity 2 – turn to a neighbor

Define the following terms and Define the following terms and provide examples for each term:provide examples for each term:

1.1. Risk FactorsRisk Factors

2.2. ValuesValues

3.3. AbstinenceAbstinence

Risk FactorsRisk Factors

Risk factorsRisk factors are actions or behaviors that are actions or behaviors that represent a potential health threat. represent a potential health threat.

A first step towards bridging that gap A first step towards bridging that gap between being a teenage and becoming between being a teenage and becoming a fully responsible adult, at least where a fully responsible adult, at least where your health is concerned, is to increase your health is concerned, is to increase your awareness of risk factors in your your awareness of risk factors in your life. life.

A second step is to examine your current A second step is to examine your current behaviors and values and to make any behaviors and values and to make any necessary changes. necessary changes.

Risk Factors and TeensRisk Factors and Teens

The Center for Disease Control and The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently Prevention (CDC) has recently conducted a survey of America’s conducted a survey of America’s youth. The survey was given to youth. The survey was given to 16,000 students from 151 schools 16,000 students from 151 schools across the nation. The across the nation. The questionnaire that was given to the questionnaire that was given to the students was based on personal students was based on personal risk factors.risk factors.

Risk Factors and TeensRisk Factors and Teens

The five categories of personal health risk The five categories of personal health risk factors covered in the survey were:factors covered in the survey were:

1.1. behaviors that contribute to behaviors that contribute to unintentional and intentional injuries unintentional and intentional injuries

2.2. tobacco use alcohol and other drug use tobacco use alcohol and other drug use 3.3. sexual behaviors sexual behaviors 4.4. unhealthy eating behaviors unhealthy eating behaviors 5.5. physical inactivity physical inactivity

Examining Your Habits Examining Your Habits and Other Behaviorsand Other Behaviors One finding of the CDC survey is that One finding of the CDC survey is that

39 percent of the teens interviewed 39 percent of the teens interviewed smoked cigarettes. Another 35 smoked cigarettes. Another 35 percent admitted to having taken percent admitted to having taken part in a violent act. While these part in a violent act. While these numbers may sound alarming at numbers may sound alarming at first, they also mean that 61 and 65 first, they also mean that 61 and 65 percent of the teens surveyed, percent of the teens surveyed, respectively, did not engage in these respectively, did not engage in these high-risk behaviors. high-risk behaviors.

Cumulative RisksCumulative Risks

Cumulative risksCumulative risks are risks that increase are risks that increase gradually and may add up to a total that is gradually and may add up to a total that is greater than expected. greater than expected.

Smoking one cigarette is not likely to Smoking one cigarette is not likely to result in death. Neither is getting sunburn, result in death. Neither is getting sunburn, once. once.

However, if these habits are repeated over However, if these habits are repeated over time the negative effects accumulate will time the negative effects accumulate will lead to serious health consequences. lead to serious health consequences.

Cumulative RisksCumulative Risks(continued)(continued)

Cumulative risks may also be Cumulative risks may also be combinations of risk factors whose combinations of risk factors whose impact is more serious than that of any impact is more serious than that of any component risk alone. component risk alone.

Driving over the posted speed limit is a Driving over the posted speed limit is a risk factor that can have deadly results. risk factor that can have deadly results. Another is not wearing seat belts when Another is not wearing seat belts when you drive or ride in a car. When these you drive or ride in a car. When these two behaviors occur at the same time, two behaviors occur at the same time, the potential for harm to yourself and to the potential for harm to yourself and to others is greatly magnified. others is greatly magnified.

Cumulative risks can and do occur in all Cumulative risks can and do occur in all areas of health and safety. areas of health and safety.

Cumulative RisksCumulative Risks(continued)(continued)


Have you or someone you know been Have you or someone you know been involved in a collision in which serious involved in a collision in which serious injuries have occurred. injuries have occurred.

Analyze the risk factors that caused the Analyze the risk factors that caused the injury. For example were you or them injury. For example were you or them riding with someone you was driving too riding with someone you was driving too fast, driving while stressed, under the fast, driving while stressed, under the influence or not wearing your seat belt. influence or not wearing your seat belt.

Taking Responsibility Taking Responsibility for the Health of for the Health of

OthersOthers How you act and behave affects not How you act and behave affects not

only yourself, but others around you. only yourself, but others around you. A reckless driver risks his or her own A reckless driver risks his or her own

life as well as the lives of others. life as well as the lives of others. Taking responsibility for your health Taking responsibility for your health

includes showing concern for the includes showing concern for the health of others. health of others.

Be aware that this responsibility does Be aware that this responsibility does not end with the people in your not end with the people in your immediate environment. It extends, immediate environment. It extends, rather, to the community at large. rather, to the community at large.

Taking Responsibility for Taking Responsibility for the Health of Othersthe Health of Others

(Continued)(Continued) As you learned in Lesson 1, one of the measures As you learned in Lesson 1, one of the measures

of a health-literate person is responsible of a health-literate person is responsible citizenship. As you grow older and more mature, citizenship. As you grow older and more mature, you will be expected to behave as a responsible you will be expected to behave as a responsible and productive citizen. and productive citizen.

This includes having a concern for the welfare of This includes having a concern for the welfare of the community and a respect for public property the community and a respect for public property and for the property of others. and for the property of others.

Remember, your environment is a health Remember, your environment is a health influence you can help to control. influence you can help to control.

Your health is dependent on your environment’s Your health is dependent on your environment’s health. So is the health of those around you. health. So is the health of those around you.

Taking Responsibility for Taking Responsibility for the Health of Othersthe Health of Others

(Continued)(Continued)


Identify one way that you can Identify one way that you can better accept responsibility for better accept responsibility for your own actions.your own actions.

Protective factorsProtective factors

The Search Institute, a nonprofit group in The Search Institute, a nonprofit group in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has found that when Minneapolis, Minnesota, has found that when certain protective factors are present in a teen’s certain protective factors are present in a teen’s life, the amount of risk-taking behaviors life, the amount of risk-taking behaviors decreases and the chances for growing up as a decreases and the chances for growing up as a healthy, caring, and responsible adult increase.healthy, caring, and responsible adult increase.

Some of these factors, including having support Some of these factors, including having support and encouragement from the people in your life, and encouragement from the people in your life, are part of your social environment and were are part of your social environment and were addressed in Lesson 2. Other protective factors addressed in Lesson 2. Other protective factors include positive role models and values. include positive role models and values.

Positive Role ModelsPositive Role Models

They are peers, or others that a They are peers, or others that a young person looks up to. Positive young person looks up to. Positive role models inspire you to work role models inspire you to work harder, to look toward the future, harder, to look toward the future, and to choose healthful and to choose healthful behaviors. By behaviors. By being being a positive a positive role model, you can inspire others role model, you can inspire others around you. around you.

Positive ValuesPositive Values

ValuesValues are beliefs and standards of are beliefs and standards of conduct that you find important.conduct that you find important.

Values include character traits such as Values include character traits such as honesty, integrity, courage, loyalty, honesty, integrity, courage, loyalty, and hard work. The earliest source of and hard work. The earliest source of values for most people is the family. values for most people is the family.

Your values also reflect to some extent Your values also reflect to some extent those of society, which is governed by those of society, which is governed by a code of what is right and wrong. a code of what is right and wrong.

Abstinence and Your Abstinence and Your HealthHealth

AbstinenceAbstinence is voluntarily choosing not is voluntarily choosing not to do something.to do something.

Responsible teens, who value their health, Responsible teens, who value their health, abstain from sexual activity before marriage abstain from sexual activity before marriage and from other high-risk behaviors, such as and from other high-risk behaviors, such as using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. using tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

Abstinence from high risk behaviors is one of Abstinence from high risk behaviors is one of the most important health behaviors you can the most important health behaviors you can make as a teen.make as a teen.

Although you may not relate your present Although you may not relate your present actions to how they will affect you in the actions to how they will affect you in the future, it is important to remember that the future, it is important to remember that the behaviors you practice now are setting the behaviors you practice now are setting the stage for the health of the adult you will stage for the health of the adult you will become.become.

Lesson 3 - Lesson 3 - ReviewReview

1.1. Explain how protective factors can Explain how protective factors can offset risks. offset risks.

2.2. Explain the differences and similarities Explain the differences and similarities

between attitudes and values with between attitudes and values with respect to their role in health. respect to their role in health.

3.3. Why might a teen who is informed Why might a teen who is informed about health not practice good health about health not practice good health habits? Would the teen be considered habits? Would the teen be considered health literate? health literate?

lesson 3 taking charge of your health. do now journal entry #1 what do you think are the most...

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