The Family
Family is a fundamental and a universal institution. It is a basic of social structure. Social organisation or dis-organisation is dependent upon family. It is a best example of primary group.
The Origin of the word family is from the Latin word "Famulus" which was used for group including parents, children, servants and slaves. By the word family usually mean husband, wife and their children. Sociologists have been defined as following:
"Family is a group of a person whose relations to one another are based on consangunity and who are kins to one another." -Davis
"Family is more or less durable durable association of husband and wife with or without child or a man or woman alone, with children." -M.F. Nimkoff
"The Family is the biological social unit composed of husband, wife and children." -Eliot and Merrill
"The Family is the household group, in which parents and children live together; in origin form of couple and their offsprings." -Summar and Keller
"Family makes definite provision for sex relations and child rearing" -Maciver and Page
"Family is a group of persons united by ties of marriage, blood or adoption constituting a single household interacting and inter- communicating with each other in their respective social roles of husband and wife, father and mother, son and daughter, brother and sister, creating a common culture" -Burgess and Locke
Family as a Unit of Community Health Service
Family as a social institution is the basic unit of heath service. It is focal point of health care and the right place for integrating, preventing, promotive and curative service. The Health behaviour including health values, health habits and health risk perceptions are developed, organised and performed, The inter- relationship between health, health behaviour have a dramatic effect on others.
Definitions of Family Health
Family health is the continuing ability of the family to meet defined functions in the interaction with other society, political, economic and health service.
Factors Related to Health Service
1. Family income:- Health service level of poor families can be low. Information about Family budget, importance of small family norm and knowledge about government etc.
2. Literacy of Family:- Lack of education or illiteracy can give birth to disease and superstition, while higher education assists in the understanding of new thoughts
3. Culture and Environment:- Customs and beliefs and traditions, nuclear or joint family system and behaviour of community towards aged, children and women influence the health and welfare of individual and family.
Other aspect of culture are also related to the level of health. All environmental factors: air, water, sanitation, light, sound, temperature, house, waste, disposal, etc. Affect the family status.
4. Availability of Health service:- Availability, use, quality and specialization of community health service, also affect the health of family.
Family Health and Community Health Nurse
A through knowledge of the above factors obtaining in her particular area is very essential for the community health nurse to assess the health illness situation that affect family health. She identifies the key issues and plays the multiple role such as counsellor, teacher, coordination facilitator, case finder, supervisor and refers to monitor the health and welfare of families in her particular area.
Family as a Unit of Health Care Service
Family is the most important and universal unit among all social institution. Genetic factors, socialization, personal health, family economy, emotional aspects, mental, physical and social security, surroundings of family etc, are closely related to health care service.
1. Health of an individual depends upon the health of the family.
2. Family members have the interpersonal relationship and dependency on each other. This relationship and inter- dependency creates awareness about health among family members.
3. Family size, structure, income, educational standard, environment etc. after health standard of the family members.
4. In health care needs, family support group plays an important role.
5. Illness of one family member affects the total health care of the family.
6. Individual health problems can be tackled and solved easily through family health care.
7. Customs, traditions, habits, and social-cultural aspect of family are closely related to health risks, illness and health behaviour of the family member.
8. The successful family life cycle can be achieved by the family health care service.
9. Comprehensive health care (preventive, curative, promotive and rehabilitation) can be provided to community through family health care service.
Family and Health
1. Genetic Effect:- Some disease like diabetes, high blood pressure, hemophielia etc, are transmitted from parents through heredity. A person's health is affected by heredity traits. A person's physical structure and mental stability depends on chromosomes, to a great extent.
2. Socialization:- To each human behaviour to an individual is an important function of family. Unsocial person may be considered as an unhealthy individual. Though many other institution like school, help in the process of socialization. The role of a family is most significant.
3. Personal Health:- To develop good and healthy habits in childhood, is the responsibility of the family. If healthy habits are developed in childhood, the child will never forget its importance throughout life. The role of family in maintaining health, starts early in life, cleanliness of body, bathing, sleep, exercise etc. are some of such habits.
4. Mental security:- In situation of mental illness, depression, tension and problems, individuals get support from family members. Love, sympathy, health re-creation, sense of belonging etc. helps a person to be healthy, mentally. In the struggle of life, family help person to fullfil his ambitions, which is turn promotes mental health.
5. Broken family and Health:- A healthy family promotes the health of his members, families, disorganised due to divorce, separation or constant quarries, affect health adversely. Members of such families may suffer from various physical or mental ailments.
6. Emotional effect:- This differs according to status and role of the sick persons within the family.
7. Illness and Family:- When one family member falls sick, all others get worried. In treatment, operation or rehabilitation process the family members help financially and psychologically. In case of children, old people, pregnant women, the role of family is very significant.
Basic Needs of the Family
Family is an important institution fulfilling many basic needs. Healthy family makes healthy citizens. The needs of the family may be:
1. Physical:- Food, clothing, housing, safe physical environment (e.g. safe drinking water, proper disposal of waste).
2. Biological:- Freedom from communicable disease, control of pests, insects, vectors, control of rodents, planned parenthood.
3. Socio-cultural psychology needs:
a. Education
b. Recreation
c. socialisation
d. Moral and religious needs
4. Physiological needs:- A happy homes, a safe working environment, freedom from property, adquate medical medical care, social security, for all its members, care of special groups - mother and children, aged, handicapped, women.
General Characteristics of a Family
1. A mating relationship:- A family comes into existence when a man and a woman establish a mating relationship between them.
2. Selection of mates:- Wife or husband may be be selected by parents or by elders or the choice may be left to the wishes of the individuals concerned.
3. A system of name:- Every family is known or recognised by a distinctive name.
4. A common residence:- A Family needs a home or household for its living.
5. An economic provision:- Family provides for the satisfaction of the economic needs of its members.
6. A form of marriage:- The mating relationship is established through the institution of marriage. The Marriage is an institutional arrangement made by society according to which individuals establish marital relationships among themselves. Marriage may assume any of the forms - monogamy, polygamy, polyandry or group marriage.
