Family health values, beliefs, and priorities are established through family traditions and culture and are dependent on resources available to support healthy living and accessibility of health care. Family health beliefs are based on shared definitions of health and include informal guidelines for promoting and sustaining health as well as caring for family members who are sick or injured. Family health values relate to the overall importance of health in daily life. Family health priorities are based on available resources (time, money, food, health care services, etc.) needed to sustain health and are often balanced with other family needs. This entry examines family health values, beliefs, and priorities through an ecological perspective beginning with the family unit and expanding to influences in the larger community ...