SHERWIN M. MANUEL MSN.
RN
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
INITIAL DATA BASE FOR FAMILY
NURSING PRACTICE
a comprehensive assessment tool used to gather information about a
family's health, environment, and social context.
DATA COLLECTION: FIRST LEVEL DATA
A. Family Structure Characteristics and Dynamics
1. Members of the household and relationship to the head of the family.
2. Demographic data-age, sex, civil status, position in the family
3. Place of residence of each member-whether living with the family or elsewhere
4. Type of family structure-e.g. patriarchal, matriarchal, nuclear or extended
5. Dominant family members in terms of decision making especially on matters of health
care
6. General family relationship/dynamics-presence of any obvious/readily observable
conflict between members; characteristics, communication/interaction patterns among
members.
B. Socio-economic and Cultural Characteristics
1. Income and expenses
a. Occupation, place of work and income of each working member
b. Adequacy to meet basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter)
c. Who makes decision about money and how it is spent
2. Educational Attainment of each Member
3. Ethnic Background and Religious Affiliation
4. Significant others-role (s) they play in family’s life
5. Relationship of the family to larger community-nature and extent of
participation of the family in community activities
C. Home Environment
1. Housing
a. Adequacy of living space
b. Sleeping in arrangement
c. Presence of breeding or resting sites of vector of diseases (e.g. mosquitoes,
roaches, flies, rodents, etc.)
d. Presence of accident hazard
e. Food storage and cooking facilities
f. Water supply-source, ownership, pot ability
g. Toilet facilities-type, ownership, sanitary condition
h. Garbage/refuse disposal-type, sanitary condition
i. Drainage System-type, sanitary condition
2. Kind of Neighborhood, e.g. congested, slum etc.
3. Social and Health facilities available
4. Communication and transportation facilities available
D. Health Status of Each Family Member
1. Medical Nursing history indicating current or past significant illnesses or
beliefs and practices conducive to health and illness
2. Nutritional assessment (especially for vulnerable or at risk members)
Anthropometric data: measures of nutritional status of children-weight,
height, mid-upper arm circumference; risk assessment measures for
obesity : body mass index(BMI=weight in kgs. divided by height in
meters
To calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI), you'll need your weight in
kilograms (kg) and your height in meters (m). Then, divide your weight in
kilograms by your height in meters squared.
Here's how to calculate it step-by-step:
1.Convert your weight to kilograms: If you have your weight in pounds,
divide it by 2.205.
2.Convert your height to meters: If you have your height in feet and inches,
convert it to inches, then to centimeters (2.54 cm per inch), and finally to
meters (100 cm per meter).
3.Calculate your BMI: Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in
meters squared (BMI = weight (kg) / height² (m²)).
Example:
Let's say you weigh 150 pounds and are 5'6" tall.
1.Weight in kilograms: 150 lbs / 2.205 = 68.01 kg
2.Height in meters:
5'6" = (5 * 12) + 6 = 66 inches
66 inches * 2.54 cm/inch = 167.64 cm
167.64 cm / 100 cm/m = 1.67 m
3.BMI: 68.01 kg / (1.67 m)² = 68.01 kg / 2.7889 m² = 24.38
Therefore, your BMI would be approximately 24.38.
BMI Interpretation:
Under 18.5: Underweight
18.5 to 24.9: Healthy weight
25.0 to 29.9: Overweight
30 or higher: Obese
Note: BMI is a general measure and may not be accurate for everyone, especially
athletes or individuals with high muscle mass. Consult with a healthcare
professional for personalized advice.
2), waist circumference (WC: greater than 90 cm. in men and greater than 80 cm. in
women), waist hip ratio (WHR=waist circumference in cm. divided by hip
circumference in cm. Central obesity: WHR is equal to or greater than 1.0 cm in men
and 0.85 in women)
dietary history specifying quality and quantity of food or nutrient per day
Eating/ feeding habits/ practices
3. Developmental assessment of infant, toddlers and preschoolers - Ex. Screening
test
4. Risk factor assessment indicating presence of major and contributing modifiable
risk factors for specific lifestyle diseases-e.g. hypertension, physical inactivity,
sedentary lifestyle, cigarette/ tobacco smoking , elevated blood lipids/ cholesterol,
obesity, diabetes mellitus, inadequate fiber intake, stress, alcohol drinking, and other
substance abuse.
5. Physical Assessment indicating presence of illness state/s (diagnosed or
undiagnosed by medical practitioners )
6. Results of laboratory/diagnostic and other screening procedures supportive of
assessment findings.
E. Values, Habits, Practices on Health Promotion, Maintenance and Disease
Prevention.
Examples include:
1. Immunization status of family members
2. Healthy lifestyle practices. Specify.
3. Adequacy of:
Rest and sleep
Exercise/activities
Use of protective measure-e.g. adequate footwear in parasite-infested areas; use of
bed nets and protective clothing in malaria and filariasis endemic areas.
Relaxation and other stress management activities
4. Use of promotive-preventive health services
THANK YOU
