The Importance of a Health History Questionnaire

Have you ever wondered when you are filling out a health history questionnaire for personal training why it matters whether or not you have a relative who had high diabetes or high blood pressure?

Your medical history questionnaire should contain both your personal and your family health history. This will show details about any health issues you’ve ever had, and a family history details any health problems that your blood relatives had during their lives.

Such information should provide all sorts of important clues to your doctor regarding what could possibly be happening with your health, given that many diseases are genetic. Also, your medical history will inform what other diseases you are prone to have in the future. For example, if your doctor knows that both your parents have diabetes, they should focus on monitoring your blood sugar levels more frequently at a younger age than someone who doesn’t have a family history of diabetes.

It is mandatory to have a health history questionnaire for personal training, as it can be a liability due to any possible health issue a person can suffer when hiring the services of a personal trainer to help them reach their training goals. If you have a family history of heart disease or low blood sugar, for example, then the training program must be designed with that in mind and your health goals. Many gyms will require a health history questionnaire for personal training when you are applying for a membership.

Doing your own health questionnaire will be a self-study test that will require you to fill it as candidly and broadly as you can. Remember that you should include only people that are your blood relatives such as your parents, grandparents, uncles and siblings.

If you were adopted, then you’re are less likely to know the health history of your birth parents, and it can raise concerns about your own health risks. You will need to check your local laws, but in most states and countries it is possible to access your biological parents’ family medical history once you are over 18 years old.

Keep in mind that you should know the health history of relatives who passed away as well. This should be possible through health and death certificates, and with the assistance of your living relatives that can know more details.

What can you do once you fill your own health history questionnaire for personal training or some other reason? Your questionnaire will enable powerful choices for yourself. For instance, if you are aware that there are relatives with a heart condition, then you may decide to make changes in your lifestyle that should benefit your own heart and lower your risks, like losing weight, quitting smoking and exercising.

Also, this information can be useful to your doctors to give you specific screening tests, such as cancer-oriented ones, at an early stage. There are countless ways that your medical history can be beneficial to help your doctor’s investigation on certain diseases and obviously, to your own personal health.