Course Overview: Health Promotion and Illness Prevention

Week 4 Lecture by Gemma Richer

Acknowledgements:

Colleen Van Lochem

Course Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze health and wellbeing in the context of biological, social, economic, environmental, and cultural determinants.

• Relate the principles of primary health care to nursing practice.

• Apply health promotion strategies at individual, community, and population levels.

• Discuss the significance of Australia’s National Health Priority Areas.

Weekly Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the role of the Ottawa Charter in Australian Health Promotion.

• Identify approaches to health promotion and illness prevention.

• Identify health promotion programs and strategies.

• Discuss health promotion challenges and successes.

• Explain the importance of health promotion and illness prevention in keeping individuals, communities, and families healthy.

Health Promotion Definition:

Health Promotion: Process of enabling people to gain control over and improve their health (WHO, 1986). Fundamental element of primary health care. Decreases health care costs and targets individual behaviors. Comprehensive approach addressing health factors and determinants beyond education.

Ottawa Charter Initiatives:

• Build Healthy Public Policy: Ensure awareness of health consequences among policymakers. Combine legislation and taxation for health promotion. Aim to make healthier choices easier for policymakers.

• Create Supportive Environments: Address changing life, work, and leisure patterns impacting health. Organize societal work to foster healthy communities.

• Strengthen Community Actions: Empower communities to identify health priorities and strategies. Facilitate access to information and funding support for decision-making.

• Develop Personal Skills: Promote skill development through education and information. Support individual control over health decisions in various settings.

• Reorient Health Services: Share health promotion responsibilities among individuals, communities, health services, and governments. Shift focus from a biomedical approach to prevention and community engagement.

Intersectoral Collaboration:

Collaborate with non-health sectors for improved health outcomes. Empower individuals and communities, develop health-supportive environments, and enhance health literacy.

Inclusion of Social Determinants:

Consider individual factors (age, sex, genetics) and modifiable behaviors (smoking, nutrition). Address social determinants impacting health (conditions of birth, living, work, and aging).

Historical Health Promotion Challenges:

Previous campaigns focused on coercion and behavior change, leading to victim-blaming. Noted disparities in health message uptake and decision-making power among different social classes.

Current Health Promotion Challenges:

• Budget constraints against commercial advertising.

• Diverse media channels complicating effective health message dissemination.

• Increasing prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Strengths-Based Approach:

Focus on community strengths rather than deficits. Design health promotion strategies based on community-identified needs.

Illness Prevention Initiatives:

Provide prenatal care and education, early screening, immunization, and health promotion in various settings. Investment in preventative health targeting priority populations.

Health Literacy:

Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to access, understand, and apply health information to make informed health decisions. It encompasses a range of competencies, including:

• Functional health literacy: The basic skills needed to read and understand health information such as prescription labels, appointment slips, and health-related brochures.

• Interactive health literacy: The ability to engage with health care providers, ask questions, and communicate effectively about health.

• Critical health literacy: The skills required to critically analyze health information, challenge misinformation, and advocate for health needs in various contexts.

Empowering individuals with health literacy promotes better health outcomes by facilitating informed decisions about health behaviors, treatments, and navigating health systems. Programs focusing on health education often include personalized strategies that take into account varied literacy levels and learning preferences.

Success Stories in Australian Health Promotion:

Notable achievements in reducing neural tube defects, dental decay, and road tolls. Decrease in smoking prevalence and mortality from specific cancers.

National Health Promotion Strategies:

• National Preventative Health Strategy 2021-2030.

• National Obesity Strategy 2022-2032.

• National Men’s and Women’s Health Strategies 2020-2030.

• Healthy Cities Initiative: WHO initiative focusing on incorporating social determinants into urban planning. Emphasizes healthy living environments and community participation.

Health Education and Literacy:

Focus on community empowerment, knowledge, and capacity to address health issues. Develop tailored health education strategies considering literacy levels and cultural contexts.