Part I: The Definition and Practice of Family Health

Family health was identified as a dynamic and complex construct consisting of multiple member interactions within and across the boundaries of households nested within social contexts.

Abstract

Although the literature reflects wide use of the term family health, the concept is ambiguous and lacks conceptual clarity. An ethnographic study about family health was conducted to identify how family health was actually defined and practiced within family households. Multiple members of rural Appalachian families and community informants participated in taped and later transcribed interviews. Family health was identified as a dynamic and complex construct consisting of multiple member interactions within and across the boundaries of households nested within social contexts. Family members used communication, cooperation, and caregiving to develop and sustain individual and family health routines. Family health was influenced by the participants’ embedded cultural context and characterized by highly interactive functional, contextual, and structural perspectives.