In 1990, the American Red Cross (ARC) and the National Urban League launched the African-American HIV/AIDS Program to raise awareness and educate the African-American community in the area of HIV prevention. Among the culturally relevant materials created in this effort were a set of African proverb posters and greeting cards; both were imprinted with six proverbs from different African countries. Because of my visits to the local ARC to help out whenever possible, I was rewarded with a full set of both the posters and cards. Unique interpretative paintings by an African-American artist depict each proverb. On one of them, the painting of a man tightly embracing his own faded image represents a proverb from Ethiopia: "He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured." This proverb led me to contemplate how the health conditions of an individual can impact the health of his or her family members either directly or indirectly.
National Family History Day
Thanksgiving Day marks the fifth annual National Family History Day, which is a celebration initiated through the U.S. Surgeon General's office in cooperation with other agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As families gather to express thanks, they are encouraged to talk to each other about their health and the various problems that run in their families. Making known and openly discussing medical conditions that affected past and current family members is important in maintaining the best quality of life, as these same conditions could affect future generations. Moreover, risk and prevention are concepts individuals might more easily grasp when presented within the context of family. The information should be recorded in a format that can be updated as needed and made accessible to all family members.
Patients may find it difficult to accept a particular diagnosis. They might vaguely recollect that the condition runs in their family, but in many instances they simply do not know. Certain chronic diseases can result from a combination of genetic susceptibility, shared environment, and common behaviors. At some point, families need to acknowledge their family genes. A second proverb from Cameroon states, "Knowledge is better than riches." Know ledge is empowering, and empowerment can lead to positive action.
My Family Health Portrait
In an effort to make discovering and learning about one's family health history a streamlined process, the Surgeon General created My Family Health Portrait.1 This computerized tool helps users organize their information in a clear and concise manner by creating a drawing of a person's family tree and a chart of his or her family health history. This information can then be printed out and shared with one's family members and health professionals.
My Family Health Portrait is available for free to all users.1 To access this tool and create your own personalized portrait, visit https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/.
On the road
As we celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week this month, promote family history in your practices and nursing classrooms. Encourage patients to open up to their family, and help them understand how closely linked their own health is to the health of their grandparents, parents, and children. Understanding one's family medical history is a great place to start on the road to prevention.
Jamesetta Newland, RN, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP
Editor-in-Chief, [email protected]
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