smc-5800-15-Protective/risk factors

HMS, HIC 2019 HSC 28b

Explain the factors which may adversely affect the health of young people and the strategies implemented to overcome them. (12 marks)

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Individual factors adversely affect young people’s health through predetermined characteristics and personal behaviours. Low self-esteem and risk-taking attitudes increase vulnerability to substance abuse and unsafe sexual practices. This occurs because adolescent brain development affects decision-making capacity. Male young people experience higher injury rates due to impulsivity and peer pressure influences. Consequently, motor vehicle accidents and sporting injuries represent leading causes of youth mortality and morbidity.
Socioeconomic factors create health disparities through family income and educational access. Low socioeconomic status limits access to healthy food choices and recreational facilities. This leads to higher rates of obesity and mental health issues among disadvantaged youth. Family breakdown and unemployment contribute to social isolation and stress-related conditions. Therefore, young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds experience poorer health outcomes across multiple indicators.
Environmental factors influence health through geographical location and infrastructure availability. Rural and remote young people face reduced access to healthcare services and mental health support. This results in delayed treatment for chronic conditions and higher suicide rates. Poor housing conditions and overcrowding expose young people to infectious diseases and respiratory problems. Additionally, limited transport optirestrict ons participation in health-promoting activities and social connections.
Strategies address these factors through targeted interventions and policy changes. Youth mental health services like headspace provide accessible support for psychological wellbeing issues. These services work by offering early intervention and culturally appropriate care in community settings. School-based health education programs develop health literacy and decision-making skills among adolescents. This approach enables young people to make informed choices about substance use and sexual health practices, reducing risk-taking behaviours significantly.

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Individual factors adversely affect young people’s health through predetermined characteristics and personal behaviours. Low self-esteem and risk-taking attitudes increase vulnerability to substance abuse and unsafe sexual practices. This occurs because adolescent brain development affects decision-making capacity. Male young people experience higher injury rates due to impulsivity and peer pressure influences. Consequently, motor vehicle accidents and sporting injuries represent leading causes of youth mortality and morbidity.
Socioeconomic factors create health disparities through family income and educational access. Low socioeconomic status limits access to healthy food choices and recreational facilities. This leads to higher rates of obesity and mental health issues among disadvantaged youth. Family breakdown and unemployment contribute to social isolation and stress-related conditions. Therefore, young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds experience poorer health outcomes across multiple indicators.
Environmental factors influence health through geographical location and infrastructure availability. Rural and remote young people face reduced access to healthcare services and mental health support. This results in delayed treatment for chronic conditions and higher suicide rates. Poor housing conditions and overcrowding expose young people to infectious diseases and respiratory problems. Additionally, limited transport optirestrict ons participation in health-promoting activities and social connections.
Strategies address these factors through targeted interventions and policy changes. Youth mental health services like headspace provide accessible support for psychological wellbeing issues. These services work by offering early intervention and culturally appropriate care in community settings. School-based health education programs develop health literacy and decision-making skills among adolescents. This approach enables young people to make informed choices about substance use and sexual health practices, reducing risk-taking behaviours significantly.

♦♦ Mean mark 50%.

HMS, HIC 2019 HSC 28a

Describe the nature and extent of ONE major health issue that affects young people. (4 marks)
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Explain risk factors and protective factors related to the major health issue identified in part (i). (4 marks)

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i. Health issue – Mental health

Mental health conditions represent a significant health issue affecting young Australians aged 12-25 years.
The nature of mental health issues includes anxiety disorders, depression and stress-related conditions that impact psychological and emotional wellbeing.
These conditions affect daily functioning, academic performance and social relationships among young people.
The extent of the issue demonstrates widespread impact across Australian youth populations.
Nearly two in five young people aged 16-24 experience mental health conditions within a 12-month period.
Females experience higher rates than males, with anxiety disorders being most prevalent.
Mental health issues represent the leading cause of disease burden for young Australians, indicating substantial impact on quality of life and long-term health outcomes.

ii. Health issue – Mental health

Risk factors increase vulnerability to mental health conditions among young people. Academic pressure and social media exposure contribute to anxiety development. This occurs because unrealistic expectations create stress and comparison behaviours. Family breakdown and substance abuse lead to emotional instability and poor coping mechanisms.
Protective factors reduce mental health risks through supportive environments. Strong family relationships and peer support networks provide emotional stability during challenging periods. This helps because social connections offer resilience and coping strategies. Regular physical activity and adequate sleep patterns strengthen mental wellbeing by improving mood regulation and stress management.

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i. Health issue – Mental health

Mental health conditions represent a significant health issue affecting young Australians aged 12-25 years.
The nature of mental health issues includes anxiety disorders, depression and stress-related conditions that impact psychological and emotional wellbeing.
These conditions affect daily functioning, academic performance and social relationships among young people.
The extent of the issue demonstrates widespread impact across Australian youth populations.
Nearly two in five young people aged 16-24 experience mental health conditions within a 12-month period.
Females experience higher rates than males, with anxiety disorders being most prevalent.
Mental health issues represent the leading cause of disease burden for young Australians, indicating substantial impact on quality of life and long-term health outcomes.

ii. Health issue – Mental health

Risk factors increase vulnerability to mental health conditions among young people. Academic pressure and social media exposure contribute to anxiety development. This occurs because unrealistic expectations create stress and comparison behaviours. Family breakdown and substance abuse lead to emotional instability and poor coping mechanisms.
Protective factors reduce mental health risks through supportive environments. Strong family relationships and peer support networks provide emotional stability during challenging periods. This helps because social connections offer resilience and coping strategies. Regular physical activity and adequate sleep patterns strengthen mental wellbeing by improving mood regulation and stress management.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 429

Body image concerns and disordered eating patterns significantly impact the physical and mental health of young Australians.

Analyse the protective factors that can prevent these issues and the skills and actions that young people can develop to promote positive body image and healthy eating behaviours. (8 marks)

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ANSWER STYLE #1: General Points to use within student-chosen answer structure

*Recommended words/phrases to convey relationships and implications are bolded.

Overview Statement

Protective factors including support networks, health literacy, and critical thinking skills can shape and reinforce personal actions to help prevent body image issues.
These factors influence young people’s relationships with food and body image through multiple pathways.

Support Networks and Health Literacy

Strong family support in combination with accurate nutritional knowledge helps foster a strong protection against disordered eating.
This reveals that emotional support combined with factual information prevents harmful diet trends
In this way, relationships and knowledge work together to build realistic body perspectives.
This means that protection requires both emotional and educational components.

Critical Thinking and Personal Actions

Media literacy skills directly influence young people’s ability to set health-focused goals.
This works by teaching young people to spot fake images, which empowers them to reject unhealthy weight-loss goals.
Young people who critically analyse advertising tactics develop wellbeing goals that prioritise energy and fitness. This is a clear illustration of critical thinking transforming into positive health behaviours.
As a consequence, understanding media manipulation promotes sustainable lifestyle choices over quick fixes.

Implications and Synthesis

These protective factors form an integrated defence system against body image issues.
This analysis indicates that skills development must combine with supportive environments to be most effective.
Consequently, when schools and families are dealing with issues of body image and eating disorders, they must combine both education and emotional support.
The significance is that isolated interventions fail while comprehensive strategies can create lasting protection.

ANSWER STYLE #2: Highly structured (PEEL)

*PEEL – Solution is structured using an adjusted PEEL method; [P] Identify components and their relationship, [E] explain the interaction/influence between them, [Ev] provide evidence showing the relationship in action, [L] linking sentence back to question.

[P] Personal support networks and critical thinking skills combine to protect against body image issues.
[E] The relationship between family support and media literacy creates multiple defence layers against harmful messages.
[Ev] Young people with strong family connections who also possess media analysis skills are at much less risk of developing eating disorders.
[L] This interaction demonstrates how protective factors work together to prevent body image concerns.
[P] Health knowledge and assertiveness skills work together to help young people make informed food choices.
[E] Access to dietitian advice directly influences young people’s ability to resist harmful diet trends on social media.
Ev] Teens who consult qualified professionals develop confidence to challenge peer pressure about restrictive eating.
[L] These elements working together enable young people to maintain healthy eating behaviours despite external pressures.
[P] Individual resilience skills and community advocacy create a reinforcing cycle of positive body image.
[E] When confident individuals take action, they can change the attitudes of those around them.
[Ev] Students who promote body diversity at school feel better about themselves while helping classmates accept different body types.
[L] This relationship reveals how personal skills translate into broader protective environments.
[P] Goal-setting focused on wellbeing rather than weight operates on multiple levels of protection.
[E] Health-focused objectives promote action and influence psychological attitudes.
[Ev] For example, young people pursuing fitness goals experience improved mental health regardless of body shape changes.
[L] Together, these protective factors and skills and actions determine long-term resilience against disordered eating patterns.

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*Recommended words/phrases to convey relationships and implications are bolded.

Overview Statement

Protective factors including support networks, health literacy, and critical thinking skills can shape and reinforce personal actions to help prevent body image issues.
These factors influence young people’s relationships with food and body image through multiple pathways.

Support Networks and Health Literacy

Strong family support in combination with accurate nutritional knowledge helps foster a strong protection against disordered eating.
This reveals that emotional support combined with factual information prevents harmful diet trends
In this way, relationships and knowledge work together to build realistic body perspectives.
This means that protection requires both emotional and educational components.

Critical Thinking and Personal Actions

Media literacy skills directly influence young people’s ability to set health-focused goals.
This works by teaching young people to spot fake images, which empowers them to reject unhealthy weight-loss goals.
Young people who critically analyse advertising tactics develop wellbeing goals that prioritise energy and fitness. This is a clear illustration of critical thinking transforming into positive health behaviours.
As a consequence, understanding media manipulation promotes sustainable lifestyle choices over quick fixes.

Implications and Synthesis

These protective factors form an integrated defence system against body image issues.
This analysis indicates that skills development must combine with supportive environments to be most effective.
Consequently, when schools and families are dealing with issues of body image and eating disorders, they must combine both education and emotional support.
The significance is that isolated interventions fail while comprehensive strategies can create lasting protection.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 418

Explain the protective factors that can reduce alcohol-related harm among Australian youth. (5 marks)

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*PEEL – Solution is structured using an adjusted PEEL method to show cause and effect: [P] State the cause/factor [E] Show how it causes the effect [Ev] Evidence demonstrating why/how [L] Reinforce the causal relationship.

[P] Personal skills like assertiveness and decision-making protect youth from alcohol harm.
[E] This occurs because these skills enable young people to refuse drinks and resist peer pressure.
[Ev] Research shows teens with assertiveness training are much less likely to binge drink at parties.
[L] Therefore, strong personal skills create self-protection against risky drinking.
[P] Community alcohol-free venues and events reduce youth drinking.
[E] This works by providing alternative social spaces where teens can have fun without alcohol.
[Ev] Youth centres with late-night programs report that participants exhibit significantly lower underage drinking rates.
[L] This demonstrates why safe community spaces effectively prevent alcohol-related harm.
[P] Positive family role-modelling protects adolescents from alcohol misuse.
[E] The reason for this is that parents who drink responsibly teach healthy attitudes through example.
[Ev] Research shows that teens whose parents set clear alcohol rules have fewer drinking incidents.
[L] This relationship results in family influence creating lasting protective behaviours against alcohol harm.

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[P] Personal skills like assertiveness and decision-making protect youth from alcohol harm.
[E] This occurs because these skills enable young people to refuse drinks and resist peer pressure.
[Ev] Research shows teens with assertiveness training are much less likely to binge drink at parties.
[L] Therefore, strong personal skills create self-protection against risky drinking.
[P] Community alcohol-free venues and events reduce youth drinking.
[E] This works by providing alternative social spaces where teens can have fun without alcohol.
[Ev] Youth centres with late-night programs report that participants exhibit significantly lower underage drinking rates.
[L] This demonstrates why safe community spaces effectively prevent alcohol-related harm.
[P] Positive family role-modelling protects adolescents from alcohol misuse.
[E] The reason for this is that parents who drink responsibly teach healthy attitudes through example.
[Ev] Research shows that teens whose parents set clear alcohol rules have fewer drinking incidents.
[L] This relationship results in family influence creating lasting protective behaviours against alcohol harm.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 413

To what extent can protective factors prevent substance misuse among young Australians. (12 marks)

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Judgment Statement

Protective factors can significantly prevent substance misuse among young Australians.
Evidence shows family connections, personal skills, and community engagement substantially reduce risk.

Family and Personal Protective Factors:

Research has consistently shown that strong family relationships significantly reduce the risk of any individual becoming a drug addict.
Young people with parents who model responsible attitudes and communicate openly about risks show markedly lower substance use rates.
Clear family expectations create boundaries that guide decision-making during peer pressure situations.
One major reason why these factors work is that they establish healthy normative beliefs before exposure to substances.
Additionally, self-regulation skills provide crucial alternatives to substance use when facing stress.
Youth who learn mindfulness and healthy coping mechanisms show resilience in stressful situations that increase the risk for substance use.
These combined family and personal factors form powerful prevention barriers.

Community and School Connections

Community engagement through sports, arts, and volunteering creates protective social networks.
These activities provide identity, purpose, and recognition that reduce needs for substances as social tools.
School connectedness adds another protective layer through adult supervision and future goal orientation.
However, it is important to consider that some youth lack access to these protective environments.
Socioeconomic and cultural barriers can limit participation in activities or create family stress that undermines protection.
Despite this, protective factors remain the stronger influence on young Australians.

Reaffirmation

The evidence demonstrates protective factors significantly prevent youth substance misuse.
Multiple protective layers working together create resilience stronger than individual risk factors.
Implications suggest that investing in family support, personal skill development and community programs will further increase the most influential protective factors for young people.

Show Worked Solution

Judgment Statement

Protective factors can significantly prevent substance misuse among young Australians.
Evidence shows family connections, personal skills, and community engagement substantially reduce risk.

Family and Personal Protective Factors:

Research has consistently shown that strong family relationships significantly reduce the risk of any individual becoming a drug addict.
Young people with parents who model responsible attitudes and communicate openly about risks show markedly lower substance use rates.
Clear family expectations create boundaries that guide decision-making during peer pressure situations.
One major reason why these factors work is that they establish healthy normative beliefs before exposure to substances.
Additionally, self-regulation skills provide crucial alternatives to substance use when facing stress.
Youth who learn mindfulness and healthy coping mechanisms show resilience in stressful situations that increase the risk for substance use.
These combined family and personal factors form powerful prevention barriers.

Community and School Connections

Community engagement through sports, arts, and volunteering creates protective social networks.
These activities provide identity, purpose, and recognition that reduce needs for substances as social tools.
School connectedness adds another protective layer through adult supervision and future goal orientation.
However, it is important to consider that some youth lack access to these protective environments.
Socioeconomic and cultural barriers can limit participation in activities or create family stress that undermines protection.
Despite this, protective factors remain the stronger influence on young Australians.

Reaffirmation

The evidence demonstrates protective factors significantly prevent youth substance misuse.
Multiple protective layers working together create resilience stronger than individual risk factors.
Implications suggest that investing in family support, personal skill development and community programs will further increase the most influential protective factors for young people.

HMS, HIC EQ-Bank 412

Using ONE health-related issue affecting young people, evaluate the effectiveness of social justice principles in addressing health inequities experienced by young Australians. (12 marks)

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Health related issue: Youth violence and bullying

Evaluation Statement

Social justice principles are partially effective in addressing youth violence and bullying among young Australians.
This evaluation examines equity in access to anti-violence programs and empowerment through participation.

Equity in Access to Programs

Equity principles partially fulfil the goal of equal protection from violence for all youth.
Evidence supporting this includes school-based anti-bullying programs reaching diverse student populations.
However, rural and remote communities have limited access to specialised support services. For example, Indigenous youth experience 2.5 times higher bullying rates despite targeted interventions.
While strong in metropolitan areas, programs show limitations in addressing geographic disparities.
Socioeconomic barriers prevent some families accessing private counselling when school programs prove insufficient.
A critical weakness is inconsistent program quality across different schools and regions.

Empowerment Through Participation

The participation principle strongly meets youth empowerment objectives.
Student-led anti-bullying committees are self reported by participants as more effective than adult-imposed policies.
Evidence indicates peer mentoring programs reduce bullying incidents by 30% in participating schools.
Research confirms youth-designed campaigns achieve higher engagement than traditional approaches. These campaigns promote young people’s leadership skills while creating culturally relevant solutions.
This comprehensive involvement addresses root causes rather than just symptoms.
The evidence indicates that meaningful participation transforms students from victims to advocates.

Final Evaluation

Weighing these factors shows social justice principles achieve moderate success overall.
The strengths in participation partially compensate for equity limitations.
Although effective for empowering engaged students, social justice principles prove less suitable for reaching marginalised youth
The overall evaluation demonstrates need for better resource distribution to underserved communities.
Implications suggest combining strong participation frameworks with targeted equity investments. This process will address both empowerment and access barriers simultaneously.

Show Worked Solution

Health related issue: Youth violence and bullying

Evaluation Statement

Social justice principles are partially effective in addressing youth violence and bullying among young Australians.
This evaluation examines equity in access to anti-violence programs and empowerment through participation.

Equity in Access to Programs

Equity principles partially fulfil the goal of equal protection from violence for all youth.
Evidence supporting this includes school-based anti-bullying programs reaching diverse student populations.
However, rural and remote communities have limited access to specialised support services. For example, Indigenous youth experience 2.5 times higher bullying rates despite targeted interventions.
While strong in metropolitan areas, programs show limitations in addressing geographic disparities.
Socioeconomic barriers prevent some families accessing private counselling when school programs prove insufficient.
A critical weakness is inconsistent program quality across different schools and regions.

Empowerment Through Participation

The participation principle strongly meets youth empowerment objectives.
Student-led anti-bullying committees are self reported by participants as more effective than adult-imposed policies.
Evidence indicates peer mentoring programs reduce bullying incidents by 30% in participating schools.
Research confirms youth-designed campaigns achieve higher engagement than traditional approaches. These campaigns promote young people’s leadership skills while creating culturally relevant solutions.
This comprehensive involvement addresses root causes rather than just symptoms.
The evidence indicates that meaningful participation transforms students from victims to advocates.

Final Evaluation

Weighing these factors shows social justice principles achieve moderate success overall.
The strengths in participation partially compensate for equity limitations.
Although effective for empowering engaged students, social justice principles prove less suitable for reaching marginalised youth
The overall evaluation demonstrates need for better resource distribution to underserved communities.
Implications suggest combining strong participation frameworks with targeted equity investments. This process will address both empowerment and access barriers simultaneously.