What term refers to factors that make a client more likely to develop a health problem?

• A. Risk Factors
• B. Defining Characteristics
• C. Etiology
• D. Readiness for Enhanced Wellness

Answer: (A)

Understanding risk factors is about identifying what makes someone more likely to develop a health problem in the future. These are characteristics, behaviors, or conditions—such as age, genetics, smoking, or obesity—that increase the probability of disease but do not guarantee its occurrence. This concept differs from etiology, which seeks the actual cause of a disease, and from defining characteristics, which are the signs and symptoms that describe an existing problem. Readiness for Enhanced Wellness is a nursing diagnosis focused on motivation toward better health, not on susceptibility. So, the best term for factors that raise the likelihood of a health problem is risk factors.