Issue 3.11
One goal you may consider for 2011 is to talk to relatives and learn more about your family history. One thing you may not have considered asking about is your family’s health history. The Utah Department of Health has developed a free toolkit to help. The toolkit is designed to help you:
1. Talk about your family health history
2. Write it down
3. Share your family health history with your doctor and family members
The toolkit comes in PDF format and is also available in Spanish. In addition, there is a version specifically designed for seniors. Take advantage of this great resource and protect your future by knowing more about your past.
The Internet address for the free toolkit is: http://health.utah.gov/genomics/familyhistory/toolkit.html
Use the Family Health History Toolkit to help you talk about your family health history, write down what you learn, and then share it with your doctor and family members. Due to loss of funding, the Utah Department of Health is unable to provide printed copies of the toolkits. You can still get the pdf version. (“PDF” stands for Portable Document Format. A PDF file encapsulates a complete fixed-layout document that you can print.)
Health problems that run in your family can increase your chance of developing the problem. This is because families share their genetics, environment, and habits. These can be passed down in families and affect your health. But by knowing your past you can make choices to protect your future.
The Family Health History Toolkit will help you talk about your family health history, write down what you learn, and then share it with your doctor and family members. Take it to your next family get-together and make family health history a tradition.
Health problems that run in families include the following: Alzheimer’s disease or dementia,
Arthritis, Asthma, Birth defects, Cancers (breast, colon, lung, prostate, ovarian, and others),
Diabetes, Depression, Heart disease or sudden heart attack, High blood pressure and high cholesterol, Pregnancy losses (stillbirths and miscarriages), and Stroke or blood clots.
If you don’t know the cause of death, you can search for obituaries or death certificates, or even family stories. Bring as much family health history as you can to your next family gathering. This will jump-start a conversation. Then ask other family members to help you find missing pieces of information.
Shanna Sullivan Jones is a professional genealogist. For additional information, Shanna can be reached at (435) 628-4900 or shannasjones@msn.com