AQA · GCSE · Biology
Course version: 8461 · Version from Sept 2018
Other factors including diet, stress and life situations may have a…
Full specification wording
Health issues: Other factors including diet, stress and life situations may have a profound effect on both physical and mental health.
Health is influenced by many factors beyond diseases.
Checked against the AQA 8461 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 4 of 10
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Health is influenced by many factors beyond diseases. Diet, stress and life situations can have profound effects on both physical and mental well-being. A balanced diet provides essential nutrients and energy, supporting physical health; a poor diet can lead to malnutrition, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and can also affect mental health. Stress, especially when prolonged, can cause physical symptoms such as high blood pressure and increase the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Life situations include housing, income, education, employment and social support. Poor housing or financial hardship can increase stress and limit access to healthy food and healthcare, worsening both physical and mental health. These factors often interact; for example, stress may lead to unhealthy eating, which further affects health.
What earns the marks
- Diet affects physical health; a balanced diet is needed for good health, while poor diet can cause malnutrition or obesity.
- Diet can also affect mental health; for example, deficiencies in certain nutrients may affect mood and brain function.
- Stress can have physical effects, such as increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease.
- Stress can have mental effects, such as anxiety and depression.
- Life situations include housing, income, education, employment and social support.
- Poor life situations can increase stress and limit access to healthy food and healthcare, affecting both physical and mental health.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Thinking that only diseases affect health.
Put it right: Diet, stress and life situations also have profound effects.
Believing that stress only affects mental health.
Put it right: Stress can also cause physical problems such as high blood pressure.
Assuming that diet only affects physical health.
Put it right: Diet can also influence mental well-being.
Exam tips
- When discussing factors affecting health, always consider both physical and mental aspects.
- Use specific examples to illustrate how diet, stress or life situations can affect health.
- Link factors together to show interactions, such as how stress might lead to poor diet.
Try the lesson
The start of the Health issues: Other factors including diet, stress and life situations may have a profound effect on both physical and mental health. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Alongside disease, which other factors may have a profound effect on both physical and mental health?
Listen
Health is influenced by many factors beyond diseases. Diet, stress and life situations can have profound effects on both physical and mental well-being. A balanced diet provides essential nutrients and energy, supporting physical health; a poor diet can lead to malnutrition, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and can also affect mental health. Stress, especially when prolonged, can cause physical symptoms such as high blood pressure and increase the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Life situations include housing, income, education, employment and social support. Poor housing or financial hardship can increase stress and limit access to healthy food and healthcare, worsening both physical and mental health. These factors often interact; for example, stress may lead to unhealthy eating, which further affects health. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Diet affects physical health; a balanced diet is needed for good health, while poor diet can cause malnutrition or obesity. Diet can also affect mental health; for example, deficiencies in certain nutrients may affect mood and brain function. Stress can have physical effects, such as increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Stress can have mental effects, such as anxiety and depression. A common slip: Thinking that only diseases affect health. Instead, diet, stress and life situations also have profound effects. Exam tip: When discussing factors affecting health, always consider both physical and mental aspects.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Diet and nutrition
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Stress
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Life situations
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Factors affecting health
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See every definition
- Diet and nutrition
- A balanced diet is needed for good health, while a poor diet can cause malnutrition or obesity and can also affect mental health.
- Stress
- Prolonged stress can cause physical symptoms such as high blood pressure and increase the risk of mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
- Life situations
- These include housing, income, education, employment and social support, and poor ones can increase stress and limit access to healthy food and healthcare.
- Factors affecting health
- Diet, stress and life situations may have a profound effect on both physical and mental health, and these factors often interact.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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