ANSWER
Introduction
Lifestyle is used by people, groups, and nations and is formed in specific geographical, economic, political, cultural, and religious texts. Lifestyle is referred to the characteristics of inhabitants of a region in a particular time and place. It includes daily behaviors and functions of individuals in jobs, activities, fun, and diet.
In recent decades, lifestyle as an essential health factor has been more interesting to researchers. According to WHO, 60% of related factors to individual health and quality of life are correlated to lifestyle (1). Millions of people follow an unhealthy lifestyle. Hence, they encounter illness, disability, and even death. Problems like metabolic diseases, joint and skeletal issues, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, being overweight, violence, and so on can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle. The relationship between lifestyle and health should be highly considered.
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Today, broad changes have occurred in the life of all people. Malnutrition, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug abuse, stress, and so on are the presentations of unhealthy lifestyles that are used as a dominant form of lifestyle. Besides, the lives of citizens face new challenges. For instance, emerging technologies within IT, such as the internet and virtual communication networks, lead our world to a significant challenge that threatens individuals’ physical and mental health. The challenge is the overuse and misuse of technology.
Therefore, according to the existing studies, it can be said that: lifestyle significantly influences the physical and mental health of human beings. There are different forms of such influences. Consanguinity in some ethnicity is a dominant form of lifestyle that leads to genetic disorders. The reformation of this unhealthy lifestyle is a preventing factor for decreasing the rate of genetic diseases (2). In some countries, the overuse of drugs is a primary unhealthy lifestyle. Iran is one of the 20 countries using the most medications. They prefer pills to other interventions.
Furthermore, in 15–40% of cases, they use medications about without a prescription (3). Pain relievers, eye drops, and antibiotics have the most usage in Iran. While self-medications such as antibiotics harm the immune system, if the individual is affected by infection, antibiotics will not be effective in treatment. Overall, 10 percent of self-medicated patients will experience severe complications such as drug resistance. Sometimes drug allergy is so powerful that it can cause death (4).
Finally, variables of lifestyle that influence health can be categorized into some items:
Diet and Body Mass Index (BMI): Diet is the most significant factor in lifestyle and has a direct and positive relation with health. Poor diet and its consequences, like obesity, is a typical health problem in urban societies. BMI can measure an unhealthy lifestyle. Urban lifestyle leads to the nutrition problems like using fast foods and poor foods, increasing problems like cardiovascular (5).
Exercise: For treating general health problems, conditioning is included in lifestyle (6). Continuous practice along with a healthy diet increases health. Some studies stress the relation of an active lifestyle with happiness (7, 8).
Sleep: One of the bases of healthy life is sleep. Rest cannot be apart from life. Sleep disorders have several social, psychological, economic, and nutritional consequences. Lifestyle may affect sleep, and sleep has an evident influence on mental and physical health (9).
Sexual behavior: Normal sex relation is necessary for a healthy life. Dysfunction in sexual relations is a problem in most societies, and it has a significant effect on mental and physical health. It can be said that dysfunctional sex relations may result in various family problems or sex-related illnesses like; AIDS.
Substance abuse: Addiction is considered an unhealthy lifestyle. Smoking and using other substances may result in various problems; cardiovascular disease, asthma, cancer, and brain injury. According to recent studies in Iran, 43% of females and 64% of males experience the use of hubble-bubble (10). A longitudinal study shows that 30% of people between 18 and 65 smoke cigarettes permanently (11).
Medication abuse: It is a common form of using medication in Iran, and it is considered an unhealthy lifestyle. Unhealthy behaviors in using medicine are as follows: self-treatment, sharing medication, using medications without a prescription, prescribing too many drugs, prescribing a large number of each drug, unnecessary drugs, bad handwriting in medicine, disregarding to contradictory drugs, ignore for harmful effects of drugs, not explaining the effects of drugs.
Application of modern technologies: Advanced technology facilitates the life of human beings. Misuse of technology may result in unpleasant consequences. For example, using a computer and other devices up to midnight may affect the sleep pattern and may disturb sleep. Addiction to using mobile phones is related to depression symptoms (12).
Recreation: Leisure pass time is a sub-factor of lifestyle. Neglecting leisure can bring negative consequences. With disorganized planning and unhealthy leisure, people endanger their health.
Study: Study is the exercise of the soul. Placing study as a factor in lifestyle may lead to more physical and mental health. For example, the prevalence of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, is lower in educated people. The study could slow the process of dementia.
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Conclusion
Considering existing studies in the health domain, nine key factors can be suggested for a healthy lifestyle (Fig. 1). Regarding each element, systematic planning at micro and macro levels can be established. It can provide a social and individual healthy lifestyle.
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Fig. 1:
Nine critical factors that form healthy life style
QUESTION
How do family, friends, and community influence individual health and lifestyle? Identify at least 3 positive and 3 negative effects.