Impact

of the media, peers and family on percep4ons of health.

An individuals peers and family and the mass media can all be inuen7al on the
development of personal values and beliefs.
Media can play a major role in the way an individual perceives and reacts to health
issues. The media has an inuence on the peers and family of an individual as well. Peers
and family o?en reinforce the percep7ons that have already been absorbed through the
media, and as such have an inuence in the health status of the individual. Health messages
transmiCed through the media can be posi7ve or nega7ve. Adver7sements in the print media or
electronic media that encourage unhealthy ea7ng and alcohol consump7on are common. On the
other hand, there are also many adver7sements, programs and ar7cles that reinforce healthy diet
and responsible alcohol consump7on.
Peers can have a powerful inuence on a young persons percep7ons of health. Most
young people belong to a social group made up of like individuals who provide support and
friendship to their friends. People within the group o?en share similar goals and values. It is typical
that group members will reinforce posi7ve and negat ive inuences on a persons percep7ons of
health. Some peer groups have a more posi7ve inuence on health than others. They may value
physical ac7vity, friendship and contribu7on to family and community and may be suppor7ve of
dierent aspects of health behaviour. For example, a group of friends may inuence an individual
to par7cipate in physical ac7vity, which is posi7ve, but also to drink alcohol excessively, which is
nega7ve. Other peer groups may cause emo7onal stress through their demands on the individual
to conform to poor behavioural norms.
The nature of the rela7onship the individual has with the peer group is cri7cal. The
inuence of the peer group on individual percep7ons of health may hinge largely on the
individuals capacity to resist nega7ve peer inuences and support posi7ve inuences. The
most important inuence of all is the actual belonging. Individuals who struggle to connect
with others and establish social networks are at greater risk of poor health than others.
A number of determinants can inuence an individuals rela7onship with peers and
the subsequent inuence of peers percep7ons of health. These include:
Socioeconomic status: Lower levels of socioeconomic status relate closely to poorer levels of
health. This can o?en be caused by limited access to transport and facili7es, such as health
professionals and clinics.
Employment: Unemployment contributes strongly to poor health status. The opportunity
of the unemployed or those in lower paid jobs to purchase healthy foods and to live in safer and
beCer quality housing is compromised.

 Educa7on: Groups that have lower levels of educa7on are less likely to be able to access support
services that can assist in raising the levels of health.
These determinants can also aect the percep7ons of health in family rela7onships,
inuencing the general health status and health behaviours of the family, which in turn will
inuence the individuals percep7ons of health. Some examples of this include parents who
encourage children to par7cipate in physical ac7vity, reinforcing this as healthy lifestyle behaviour.
Conversely, parents who allow their children to eat junk food on a regular basis will aect their
percep7ons of health. Young people tend to accept the basic principles of lifestyle based on the
prac7ces they have experienced throughout their own childhood. ATtudes to health experienced
in childhood are more likely to carry through to adulthood than to shi? drama7cally. Hence the
family has the most profound inuence on the individuals percep7ons of health. Schools can have
some inuence too.