When assessing the external variables that influence a client’s health

When assessing the external variables that influence a client’s health beliefs and practices, the nurse must consider his:

1. Income status
2. Religious practices
3. Educational background
4. Reaction to the heart disease

ANSWER

ANS: 1
External variables influencing a person’s health beliefs and practices include family practices, cultural background, and socioeconomic factors, such as income. Economic variables may affect a client’s level of health by increasing the risk for disease and influencing how or at what point the client enters the health care system. A person’s compliance with the treatment to maintain or improve health is also affected by economic status.
Religious practices are one way that people exercise spirituality. Spirituality is considered to be an internal variable.
Educational background is an internal variable that can influence the health beliefs and practices of a client.
An example of an internal variable that can influence health beliefs and practices of a client in-cludes emotional factors, such as the reaction to heart disease.