Biology Forums - Study Force

The nurse investigates a family's health routines and rituals as part of the overall family assessment. Which exemplify family health routines? (Select all that apply.)
 
  A) Siblings all brushing their teeth together before bed every night
  B) Parents taking their 9-month-old child to the health clinic when he has a fever
  C) Entering a 5K run/walk charity event each year as a family
  D) Taking a walk together around the neighborhood after dinner each evening
  E) The mother having a mammogram performed every year

Ans: A, D
Feedback:
Routines are observable, repetitive patterns that involve two or more family members. These patterns are repetitive and predictable. Rituals, on the other hand, are more formal, repetitive patterns that strengthen family self-image or identity. Six categories of family health routines are as follows: self-care; safety and precaution; mental health behaviors; family care; illness care; and member care giving. Siblings brushing their teeth together before going to bed every night and the family taking a walk together each evening are examples of family health routines. Taking a child in for a sick visit is not a routine because it is not repetitive or predictable. Entering a 5K as a family each year is more of a ritual than a routine. The mother having a mammogram every year is not a family routine because she does it by herself.