Addressing Future Health Challenges: Strategies for a Healthier Population
As we strive to extend the span of healthy life, it’s essential to focus on reducing health disparities influenced by socio-economic factors such as age, income, education, ethnicity, and occupation. The healthcare system faces challenges including controlling costs, high technology demands, and unnecessary diagnostics driven by liability. Health psychologists can play a key role in behavioral change and preventative measures to lower costs. For college students, risks include injuries, alcohol use, and violence. Emphasizing holistic health, we advocate for balanced mental and physical care and encourage adopting healthy lifestyles.
Addressing Future Health Challenges: Strategies for a Healthier Population
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Presentation Transcript
Challenges for healthier people Increasing the span of healthy life Not life expectancy Reduce health disparities Social and economic factors Age, income, education, ethnicity, occupation
Challenges for health care • Controlling costs • High technology • Physician specializing • Unneeded diagnostics for liability • Profit orientation • Effective lobbying efforts to reduce control • Health Psychologists can help by • Changing unhealthy behaviors • Prevention to reduce health costs
Reducing costs • Switch from hospital based care to prevention, home and electronic monitoring, and self care.
Factors encouraging the growth of Health Psychology • Equality between mental and physical health • More holistic view of health • Increased focus of behavioral factors
What are college students most at risk for? • Injuries • Car crashes • Alcohol • Cell phones • Sexual and partner violence • Suicide
Adopt a healthy lifestyle • Don’t smoke • Don’t drink (or in moderation) • Regular exercise • Maintain a healthy weight • Get 7-8 hours of sleep
