Health Promotion, Wellness and Disease Prevention
Health Promotion, Wellness and Disease Prevention
Instructor Details
Emily Shaughnessy: MSN, RN
Objectives
Discuss the impact of health promotion and disease prevention on health and wellness.
Discuss the impact of personal beliefs and other factors on health status.
Differentiate between the levels of disease prevention.
Discuss the connection between nurse self-care and health promotion.
Compare modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that impact both individuals and populations.
Defining Key Terms
Health: Often viewed as a comprehensive state encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being rather than merely the absence of disease.
Wellness: A positive state of health, involving spirituality, mental health, physical, and environmental aspects.
Nurses recognize that health, wellness, and illness are individual experiences shaped by each patient's unique responses.
World Health Organization (WHO, 1948) Definition: Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
The Concept of Disease Prevention
Disease Prevention: Involves proactive strategies aimed at stopping health conditions and diseases from occurring. It can be categorized into individual, community, or national levels.
Three Levels of Disease Prevention:
Primary Prevention: Reducing risk factors before a disease develops (e.g., vaccinations, lifestyle changes).
Secondary Prevention: Early detection through screening for potential diseases (e.g., regular check-ups, screenings).
Tertiary Prevention: Managing disease post-diagnosis to prevent further complications (e.g., rehabilitation).
Quaternary Prevention: Preventing unnecessary medical interventions and ensuring that healthcare practices do not cause harm.
Health Promotion
Health Promotion Definition: As defined by WHO, it is “the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health.”
Types of Health Promotion Programs:
National Level: Government initiatives like Healthy People 2030.
Community Level: Environmental protection initiatives.
Individual Level: Informational sessions, lifestyle modifications, and behavioral changes.
The Role of Nurses in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Wellness Assessment: Focusing on healthy behaviors to assess individual wellness.
Health Risk Appraisal: Identifying risky behaviors that increase disease susceptibility.
Education and Guidance: Empowering clients with knowledge to enhance and maintain wellness.
Health Promotion Settings
Healthcare Settings
Most interactions are often disease-focused, limiting health promotion activities. Examples include:
Post-surgical respiratory hygiene promotion.
Preventing constipation in hospitalized patients.
Safe positioning for newborns.
Dietary considerations for toddlers in clinical settings.
Blood glucose monitoring for diabetes management.
Local Community Settings
Examples include initiatives in:
County public health departments.
Corporate health programs sponsored by health insurance or organizations.
Senior living facilities.
Programs such as smoking cessation and weight management.
Schools and Community Education
Schools serve as ideal environments for early health promotion, integrating into curriculum and involving school nurses. Community education extends to parents and residents, covering:
Handwashing, tobacco and alcohol education, sexual health topics, and coping strategies.
Community examples include CPR, first aid training, and weight reduction programs.
Healthy People 2030
An initiative aimed at public health priorities to enhance health and wellness across the U.S. It emphasizes:
Eliminating health disparities and improving health equity.
Increasing health literacy and addressing social determinants of health.
Providing data and measurable public health goals for tracking.
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Definition: The conditions impacting environments where individuals are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age, significantly influencing health outcomes. Components include:
Economic Stability: Ability to afford necessities.
Health Care Access and Quality: Access to adequate and appropriate healthcare services.
Education: Access to quality education, associating higher education with better health outcomes.
Social Context and Community: Relationships and community support dynamics.
Neighborhood and Built Environment: Safety, cleanliness, and availability of resources such as food and green spaces.
Factors Impacting Health
Health Care Access and Quality: Availability of preventive and urgent care, mental health resources, etc.
Economic Stability: Ability to purchase healthy foods and housing.
Social and Community Context: Impact of familial and societal relationships and supports on wellbeing.
Education Access and Quality: Correlation between education level and health.
Neighborhood and Built Environment: Effects of living conditions on health, including access to clean environments and safety.
Risk Factors in Health Status
Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
Definition: Risk factors that cannot be changed. Examples include:
Age
Sex
Race/Ethnicity
Family History
Modifiable Risk Factors
Definition: Behaviors that can be changed to affect disease risk. Examples include:
Tobacco Use
Diet
Activity Level
Nurse’s Responsibilities and Self-Care in Health Promotion
Studies indicate that 68% of nurses put patient wellness before their own.
Nurses face numerous stressors such as excessive workload and lack of respect, which can lead to career-related stress and burnout.
Impact of Lack of Self-Care:
May lead to PTSD, burnout, moral distress, and compassion fatigue.
Importance of Self-Care for Nurses:
Ethical obligation to ensure personal health and model health promotion to patients.
Watson’s Theory of Human Caring: Incorporates Caritas Process emphasizing the support for nurses’ self-care practices.
Self-Care Strategies for Nurses
Engage in conversations and socialization with coworkers.
Employ mindfulness tools and techniques to manage stress.
Utilize cognitive therapy principles addressing emotional regulation.
Schedule quiet time or breaks during shifts.
Maintain openness to personal growth and unexpected positive outcomes.
Health Promotion Process
Assessment:
Health history and physical examination; review risk factors and beliefs.
Diagnosis:
Clinical judgment about an individual or community’s motivation for well-being; using NANDA-I health promotion labels.
Planning:
Identifying goals and planning interventions.
Implementation:
Conducting wellness interventions, getting to know resources, etc.
Evaluation:
Measuring the effectiveness of health promotion measures.
Levels of Prevention
Primary Prevention: Activities to prevent or slow the onset of disease.
Examples: Healthy diet, exercise, vaccinations, safety laws.
Secondary Prevention: Screening activities aimed at early illness detection.
Examples: Annual physical exams, blood pressure screenings.
Tertiary Prevention: Focuses on stopping disease progression and returning to pre-illness condition.
Examples: Rehabilitation after surgery, physical therapy.
Example Scenarios for Levels of Prevention
Primary Prevention: Safe car seat use class, administering flu vaccines.
Secondary Prevention: Educating about self-exams, providing screening clinics.
Tertiary Prevention: Speech therapy after a stroke.
Case Studies and Exam Questions
Case Study: A 62-year-old with a recent myocardial infarction receiving medications for blood pressure is an example of Tertiary prevention strategies.
Question: Teaching community about routine cancer screening is an instance of Secondary prevention.
Conclusion
Understanding and improving health promotion, disease prevention, and the social determinants of health can significantly enhance health outcomes and reduce disparities in communities.