Strategies of Health Promotion
CHE 6303, Strategies of Health Promotion 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Apply health-related information to educate the public with the intent to reduce the risk of disease and enhance quality of life. 1.1 Identify and explain social and environmental factors or determinants of health. 1.2 Understand various influences on health behavior. 1.3 Identify social aspects or risk factors of disease.
3. Explain how different areas of health are interrelated.
3.1 Describe behaviors related to obesity and its consequences on people’s health outcomes. 3.2 Analyze major theories of disease causation.
Required Unit Resources Chapter 1: Introduction: The Links Between Health and Behavior Chapter 2: Health Issues and Behavior
Unit Lesson What Is Health? Many scholars, scientists, and medical professionals describe health as the absence of disease. The World Health Organization (WHO, 1948) provides a different view and describes health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being” (para. 1). Which definition do you agree with? There are many definitions and theories of how and why diseases occur. The main contributing factors for the occurrence of disease fall into five main categories. The first is some kind of serious injury. This could be either a physical injury or an emotional injury like severe stress. Others are some type of bacterial infection, certain genetic abnormalities, and unhealthy lifestyles like consumption of unhealthy foods, lack of physical exercise, smoking, drug use, or the consumption of large quantities of alcoholic beverages. The final contributor is certain environmental factors such as bad air quality (a high level of pollution) or poor drinking water quality. Each of these factors typically cause some form of acute or chronic diseases in many people around the world. Specific ailments include heart diseases, strokes, various cancers, respiratory diseases, which can be due to smoking or poor air quality, and diabetes. Determinants of Health More often in recent years, an emphasis has been placed on certain social and environmental factors or determinants of health. Many countries around the world recognize the importance of these determinants, and the local and national governments have been putting forth more effort in order to improve these conditions so that the population’s health will improve. There is a known correlation between a person’s income and social status and that individual’s attention to his or her health and health services. Secondly, a person’s feeling of love received from his or her close family, relatives, or friends as well as belonging or associating with a group of people who are considered to be that person’s support system all have a positive effect on an individual’s health condition. Also, a person with a higher level of education generally has better health outcomes as compared to a person that has limited or no formal education. This could create a more secure and a more
UNIT I STUDY GUIDE
Health Issues & Behavior
CHE 6303, Strategies of Health Promotion 2
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stable environment for that individual, and he or she can spend more time and/or make better and healthier choices. Another factor that might be affecting a person’s health has to do with his or her safe and unhazardous working conditions and his or her employment situation. There are many laws and regulations in place to offset occupational hazards, but these still occur. Another aspect has to do with long periods of unemployment, as this would affect a person’s emotional state and increase his or her stress levels, which in turn could have a negative effect on his or her health. Another category has to do with an individual’s ability to successfully and effectively handle life’s many challenges. The ability to balance a career, professional education, family, and personal life can be challenging. Lastly, a very important factor that we will be exploring throughout this class has to do with our ability to receive healthcare services that are being delivered to us and effectively promoted to us by our communities and the overall healthcare structure so we can maintain our health and prevent the occurrence of diseases. More emphasis and resources are being allocated to preventing diseases as we progress within our healthcare system. For example, it is much easier to prevent heart disease than it is to treat someone who has had a heart attack. Risk factors: Below you will find specific examples of social aspects or risk factors of disease.
• Poverty: This can be caused by disparities within the social and economic environment, physical environment, and services available.
• Low education/occupational status: For example, a high school dropout would have fewer opportunities and access to healthcare as compared to someone with a graduate degree.
• Dangerous, stressful work: An example of this would be a scaffold worker. He or she would be subjected to ongoing danger and stress due to the requirements of the job.
• Dangerous, polluted environment: These are generally found in urban areas, but they can also be found in industrial and farming areas.
• Low political and economic power: An example of this would be one end of the city (poorer area) seeking the same services as the other end of the city (affluent area). This can be seen in the area’s hospitals, schools, and access to quality care.
Physiological factors: Hypertension, a compromised immune system, and genetic issues are all physiological factors that could cause additional health ailments. These factors may not be able to be cured, but the quality of life and symptoms can be supported for the patient and his or her family. Psychosocial factors: These are often referred to as mental health issues. Many symptoms associated with psycho-social factors include the following items:
• isolation,
• lack of social support,
• low self-esteem,
• self blame,
• low perceived power and control,
• hopelessness,
• stress,
• depression, and
• anxiety. Behavioral risk factors: Behavioral health issues such as smoking, diet, exercise, and alcohol and drug use also have direct correlation with your health. If an individual lives in poor living conditions and works at a factory where he or she is being exposed to pollution or a dangerous work environment, eats unhealthy foods, smokes, lacks some sort of social support (i.e., isolation), and might have some genetic health predisposition, it is highly probable that his or her health
CHE 6303, Strategies of Health Promotion 3
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will deteriorate significantly. The conclusion is this: your lifestyle choices and social behaviors will have a direct impact on your health. Lastly, let’s discuss how the social and economic conditions of people living in particular world regions affect their overall health. In this section you will learn about key conclusions regarding the impact of social class on health and specific contributors that lead to some health outcomes. Once you analyze these, you might see and conclude why some of the more developed industrialized countries, for example, might be healthier when compared to some of the developing countries. Let’s outline those contributors. They include social standing, stress, early life, social exclusion, work, unemployment, social support, addiction, food and nutrition, and physical exercise.
