NUR 232 Week 2

Health Promotion, Immunity and Nutrition

  • Course Title: NUR 232

  • Week: 2

Health Promotion Defined

  • Definition: Enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health.

  • Encompasses:

    • Health

    • Wellness

    • Disease

    • Illness

  • Scope: Behavioral practices that promote optimal health across the lifespan within an individual, family, community, population, and environment.

Stages of Prevention in Health Promotion

  • Primary Prevention: Interventions implemented before evidence of disease.

    • Intent: Reduce or eliminate causative risk factors (risk reduction).

  • Secondary Prevention: Interventions after disease onset but before symptoms appear.

    • Intent: Early identification through screening and treatment.

  • Tertiary Prevention: Interventions implemented after a disease or injury is established.

    • Intent: Prevent sequelae and improve quality of life.

Examples of Prevention

  • Primary Example: Immunizations and nutritional counseling.

  • Secondary Example: Developmental screenings and substance abuse screenings.

  • Tertiary Example: Chronic disease management such as obesity counseling.

Attributes and Criteria of Health Promotion

  • Focus Areas:

    • Optimization of health.

    • Maintenance of high-level wellness.

    • Early detection and management of disease.

  • Evidence: New knowledge generated through research and practice guidelines.

Pediatric Exemplars in Health Promotion

Primary Prevention

  • Injury prevention (e.g., car seats, helmets).

  • Environmental exposure avoidance, vaccinations, physical activity, and nutritional counseling.

Secondary Prevention (Screening)

  • Developmental, hearing, vision, BMI, blood pressure screenings.

Tertiary Prevention

  • Chronic disease management such as obesity and post-myocardial infarction (MI) rehabilitation.

Immunity

  • Definition: Physiological process providing protection or defense from disease.

Types of Immune Response

  • Optimal Immune Response: Protects from infections and removes damaged cells.

  • Suppressed Immune Response: Occurs in immunocompromised patients; influenced by age, illness, and lifestyle.

  • Exaggerated Immune Response: More common in certain demographics, may cause allergies.

Types of Immunity

Innate Immunity

  • Present at birth and provides a nonspecific response.

Active Acquired Immunity

  • Results from exposure to an antigen; antibodies developed naturally or through vaccination.

Passive Acquired Immunity

  • Introduction of preformed antibodies either naturally (from mother) or artificially (through transfusion).

Warning Signs of Immunodeficiency in Infants

  1. Severe infections: fungal, viral, or bacterial.

  2. Persistent diarrhea.

  3. Delayed umbilical stump fall.

  4. Family history of immunodeficiency.

  5. Persistent lymphocytopenia.

Immunizations: Recommended Schedule (Infants)

  • At Birth: Hepatitis B.

  • 2 Months: Hep B, DTaP, RV, Hib, IPV, PCV.

  • 4 Months: DTaP, RV, Hib, IPV, PCV.

  • 6 Months: Hep B, DTaP, RV, Hib, IPV, PCV, Flu.

Immunizations: Recommended Schedule (Toddlers)

  • 12-15 Months: IPV, MMR, Hib, PCV, Varicella, Hep A.

  • 15-18 Months: DTaP.

Immunizations: Recommended Schedule (School Age & Adolescents)

  • 11-12 Years: TDAP, HPV, MCV4.

  • 12-18 Years: MCV4 Booster, Annual Flu vaccine.

Nutrition

  • Definition: Science of cellular metabolism and its impact on health.

Optimal vs. Sub-optimal Nutrition

  • Optimal Nutrition: Balanced intake for health.

  • Sub-optimal Nutrition: Malnutrition factors include age, race, genetics, lifestyle.

Nutrition Assessment

  • Components:

    • History and examination findings.

    • Diagnostic tests: Protein status, glucose metabolism, electrolytes.

Childhood Obesity

  • Most common nutritional issue in American children.

  • Defined as BMI at or above the 95th percentile.

Contributing Factors

  • Lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, increased screen time.

Health Risks

  • Hypertension, altered glucose metabolism, dyslipidemia.

Nutrition by Age Group

Infant Nutrition (Birth-12 months)

  • Breastfeeding or iron-fortified formula.

  • Introduction of solids at 4-6 months.

Toddler Nutrition (1-2 years)

  • Limit juice to 4-6 oz/day.

Preschool Nutrition (3-6 years)

  • Serve 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

School-age Nutrition (6-12 years)

  • Encourage steady eating habits and regular meals.

Adolescent Nutrition (12-18 years)

  • Increased calorie needs due to growth spurts; focus on iron intake.