1. RICHES
Tis the Season for Sharing their health and to record test results.
The Men’s Body Maintenance Manual
Your Health History also includes a family health history
section. Both publications are free and
It's the holiday season. For most it is a available on the Foundation's website
time for planning special gatherings with (click on catalog).
family and friends and celebrating the
spirit of giving. It is also a perfect time
for individuals to share their health
history with loved ones. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and When compiling a family health history, the
Prevention (CDC), 96% of Americans Mayo Clinic advises individuals to include
believe that their family history is the following information:
important to their health. However, only
30% have tried to collect and organize Sex
their family history. Date of birth
Ethnicity
Diseases or other medical conditions
If you're a healthcare professional Age when disease was diagnosed
encourage your clients to discuss and Diet, exercise habits, smoking habits
or history of weight problems
document their health history and any
For deceased relatives, age at the
disease and/or medical condition in their time of death and cause of death
family.
According to the U.S. National Library of
Medicine, a complete family health
history includes information from three The CDC also recommends that individuals
generations of relatives including: take note of the following:
children, brothers and sisters, parents,
aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, Diseases that occur at an earlier age
grandparents and cousins. The North than expected (10 to 20 years before
Carolina Healthy Start Foundation’s My most people get the disease)
Health Journal includes a section for Disease that does not usually affect a
documenting family health history. This certain gender (for example, breast
self-help, interactive booklet was cancer in a male)
developed in response to RICHES Certain combinations of diseases
Project participants (Resources In within a family (for example, breast and
Communities Helps Encourage ovarian cancer or heart disease and
Solutions) asking for a tool to help diabetes)
women document questions regarding
2. The RICHES Project is dedicated to educating and
training community-based organizations on ways to
address the health and health-related needs of
women within their communities. Through RICHES,
organizations are able to form partnerships, network
and share resources to better serve their clients. The
ultimate goal is to improve the health of women of
reproductive age, particularly those of low economic
status and/or who are ethnic or racial minorities, to
adopt healthier lifestyles and behaviors.
For more information on RICHES and how you can join, please visit
www.NCHealthyStart.org (on homepage or click on For Professionals, then
Partnerships) or email RICHES@NCHealthyStart.org.