Risk and protective factors are aspects that make it less likely or more likely for people to undergo a certain problem, or make distinguished outcomes in their lives.
Risk factors
The most vivid risk factors in Aaliyah’s case are; she smokes and drinks alcohol from time to time, she works and studies at the same time, and she also drinks three or more cups of coffee at night. Her act of smoking is a risk factor as it can result to coughing, asthma, wheezing, lung cancer, pneumonia as well as emphysema. Drinking alcohol could also lead to lung infections, cancer (Bagnardiet al., 2001), hypertension, inflammation of the pancreas, chronic diseases in kidney, weight gain as well as weight gain (Sayon-Orea et al., 2011) The act of studying and working at the same time is a good idea, but it is a risk factor as it can lead to fatigue, making it too hard to do her daily activities successfully. Again, after realizing she cannot remain awake for as long as she needs, she is given coffee and this develops into a habit, making her to drink more than three cups of coffee at night. Taking too much coffee as she does is a risk factor as it contains caffeine that may lead to restlessness, insomnia, increased breathing rate and heartbeat, nausea, stomach upset as well as headache and anxiety.
Protective factors
At the age of 18yrs old, Aaliyah moved out of her parent’s house so as to walk away from her dad’s alcohol use, and she also wants a career change from the contracting company she works for. The act of moving out of her parents’ house is a protective factor as she moved away from possible abuse such as rape, oppression, assault as well as domestic violence (George & Stoner, 2000). Again, the change of career was a protective factor as it prevented her from working in an environment she was never comfortable in. working is not all about how much one is paid, but the satisfaction of doing what you love, and that is what Aaliyah did to avoid any discomfort as well as regrets that may arise in the construction company.
One protective factor to consider
The one most protective factor that has not been mentioned in the case of Aaliyah is exercise. As stated, her act of smoking and drinking alcohol puts her in a high risk of suffering from heart diseases as well as high cancer. Besides, she works hard every day in both the school and at work, so as to accomplish her dreams, and this brings about fatigue. Therefore, exercise would be a perfect protective factor for her, as it would improve her health making it impossible to suffer from cancer and heart diseases anytime in the future. In addition, exercise would improve her moods (Peluso & Andrade, 2005), which is probably the thing she needs to cope well with her studies even without coffee. Most importantly, exercise controls weight and boosts the energy which she needs to work and to study in order to achieve her goals and excel in both workplace and school.
Implying risk and protective factors on substance abuse
Considering future substance use, these risk and protective factors imply the need to educate the society on the health and development issues. It is all about examining the problem and associating with the effects, and then come up with strategies to solve those problems. Therefore, the best way to prevent substance abuse is to use risk and protective factors to conduct treatment to show young people the kind of healthy activities they may engage in, being role models are keeping their principles of saying no to drug and substance use.
References
Bagnardi, V., Blangiardo, M., La Vecchia, C., & Corrao, G. (2001). A meta-analysis of alcohol drinking and cancer risk. British journal of cancer, 85(11), 1700.
George, W. H., & Stoner, S. A. (2000). Understanding acute alcohol effects on sexual behavior. Annual review of sex research, 11(1), 92-124.
Peluso, M. A. M., & Andrade, L. H. S. G. D. (2005). Physical activity and mental health: the association between exercise and mood. Clinics, 60(1), 61-70.
Sayon-Orea, C., Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2011). Alcohol consumption and body weight: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, 69(8), 419-431.
