Based on the tallied results of the life expectancy quiz, my life expectancy figure years is about 100 years, which is very uplifting for me, considering that some people are not expected to live that long. It reinforced my resolve to maintain if not improve my positive habits, not just my diet and physical activity but also my emotions and identify bad habits where I can improve (FLAG, 2013).
I expected that factors such as my family history, age, gender, diet, and lifestyle would affect my life expectancy. However, I am surprised that “little things” such as my educational attainment, marriage, home address, and even my driving habits could affect my life expectancy. Even though I answered N/A for my cholesterol level, blood pressure, and other questions, I believe my probable answers to them would not have dragged down my life expectancy results because of my healthy lifestyle (FLAG, 2013).
I should adopt a holistic approach to enable my older years to be healthy and positive. On the health front, I should continue getting regular medical checkups that should include tracking my cholesterol and other blood chemistry levels, blood pressure, keeping a healthy lifestyle, etc. On the psychological and social fronts, I should keep a positive outlook on life, control stressful emotions, maintain a vibrant social life, and avoid high-risk activities. These steps are doable since I have yet to reach my senior years (FLAG, 2013).
The results of this life expectancy quiz are valuable for my personal health, for which I have already set new goals, and nursing practice. I can use it to educate patients who may be aware of the effects of drinking, smoking, weight, diet, stressful emotions, and family history on their life expectancy but unaware that their educational attainment, social life, hobbies, even driving habits, and other factors can also shorten or prolong their life (FLAG, 2013).
Reference
FLAG. (2013). Life Expectancy Quiz. (PDF).
