Integrative Review of Related Factors and Defining Characteristics of Lack of Family Integrity

Emphasizing the need to integrate and teach sociocultural determinants of health in undergraduate nursing curricula

Sociocultural determinants affect health and illness experiences, care choices, and preferences of patients. Nursing curricula include limited content about sociocultural determinants of health in clinical courses. Nevertheless, nursing students must be prepared to understand the complexities of nursing practice beyond acute care and to examine the influence of sociocultural determinants and their linkages to health behaviors of various patient populations. The purpose of this discussion is to emphasize the need for greater integration and teaching of social determinants of health in undergraduate nursing curricula.

Family and Social Variables Associated with Family Health

The current study examined the interrelationships among potentially relevant family and social factors associated with family health. A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting demographic information from 432 families, including family typology, family life cycle (FLC), and social status as well as social support and stressful life events (SLEs), with self-perception of family health being measured as a dependent variable. Descriptive analysis of the sample and univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Multivariate analyses showed that the FLC stage of families as launching centers, lower educational level of household heads, and impact of SLEs were negatively associated with family health, whereas adequate perceived social support and the number of close friends and relatives were positively associated with family health. Therefore, these factors must be considered by family nurses to promote family health and prevent family dysfunction.