Promoting Health by Preventing Disease1 Running head: PROMOTING HEALTH BY PREVENTING DISEASE

Promoting Health by Preventing Disease FREESO PALACKAL Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V 01/08/2012

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The most frequently cited definition of health comes from the World Health Organization (WHO), which states that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO 1946). Health promotion defined as the science and art of helping people change their lifestyle to move toward a state of optimal health (ODonnell (1987, p.4). Health promotion is the process of advocating health in order to improve the likelihood that personal (individual, family, and community), private (professional and business), and public (federal, state, and local government) support of positive health practices will become a societal norm (Kreuter & Devore, 1980, p. 26). Health promotion is a vital part of nursing practice (nursing and midwifery council 2004). The provision of information, education and intervention designed to initiate and encourage lifestyle changes has the potential to save human lives and dramatically reduce the severity of disability, and consequently the associated economic costs to the health and social care services and, the personal cost to individual and their family. Health education enables individuals and communities to modify risks caused by unhealthy life style behavior and the environment (Lawrence, et at (2009). Thereby people able to prevent disease and promote health. Nurses are responsible to teach their patients, how to prevent and manage disease. The focus must be on teaching people how to stay healthier. Nurse must have an evidence based understanding of the significant impact that can be making through health promotion interventions, and communicate this knowledge to public. As more people grow in their knowledge of healthy life style and activities that leads to acceptable health, and become knowledge about their own health status and their families. This will lead to improve overall health of the population (Chiverton et al, 2003).

Promoting Health by Preventing Disease3 Implementing health promotion in various methods Medical: To identify those who are at risk from disease by primary health care consultation. Measurement of body mass index is an example. Behavioral changes: One-to -one advice, information, mass campaigns, and dietary messages to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health and choose healthier life style. Educational method: Developments of skill to explore the attitudes through small group work. Womens health group to increase the knowledge and skills of healthy lifestyles consider as an example. Empowerment: Advocacy, negotiation, networking and facilitation, e.g. Womens obesity group to work with clients or communities to meet their perceived needs. Social change: Development of organizational policy, for example, hospital catering policy, public health legislation, for example, food labeling, to address inequities in health based on class, race, gender and geography. Comparison of each level of health promotion by disease prevention Primary health promotion / disease prevention: The goal is to protect the healthy people from getting disease, avoid accidents, and injuries at the first place. Promoting healthy people to do their regular health check up to monitor their blood pressure, and cholesterol level, to prevent getting heart diseases is an example. Educating people about maintaining a normal blood pressure and cholesterol level by healthy lifestyle like regular physical exercises, healthy diet, adequate rest, uninterrupted sleep and stress free lifestyle will prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke like serious diseases. Educate people about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and drug uses. Immunization against infectious disease, control hazards at home and in the work places is examples of primary health promotion. Biggest issue with hypertension (high blood pressure) is, most of the time it is

Promoting Health by Preventing Disease4 asymptomatic and people will live without notice it (Williams et al, 2004). Addition to Hypertension, high cholesterol level, make the situation worse by plaque formation inside the arteries and eventually block the arteries and end up in myocardial infarction or stroke. Regular physical check up and blood work identify the abnormal values that need to take care of. Secondary health promotion / disease prevention: It happens after the diagnosis of an illness or serious risk factors. The goal is to cease or slow down the process of disease or risk factors in its earliest stages. Educate patients to take a low dose of aspirin to prevent either first or second heart attack or stroke is an example. Educate patient to follow up with regular examinations and blood work to monitor the progress of disease and early dictation reoccurrence. Hypertension control, lipid control, and exercise levels are worth it in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (Campbell, 2004). Educating patients to take their medication as prescribed with monitoring their blood pressure, and activity and make notes will assist the physician to evaluate the patient. Tertiary health promotion / disease prevention: It focuses on reducing the complication of irreversible conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, musculoskeletal pain (Bennett, C., Perry, J., & Lawrence, Z. (2009). For example, cardiac rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, chronic pain management programs, patient support groups etc. Health promotion starts from healthy people individual, family and community. This article has provided an over view of some of the key issues that nurses need to be aware of to promote the health of the community in which they work. It outlines the concept of health and factors that affect health promotion, health education, health protection and public health.

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References Bennett, C., Perry, J., & Lawrence, Z. (2009). Promoting health in primary care. Nursing Standard, 23(47), 48-56. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010367201&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Promoting Health by Preventing Disease6 Campbell NC (2004) Secondary prevention clinics: improving quality of life and outcome. Heart 90(Suppl 4): iv2932 Chiverton PA, Votava KM, Tortoretti DM 2003. The future role of nursing in health promotion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14621418 Edelman, Carole Lium, Mandle, Carol Lynn (092009). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span [7] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://pageburstls.elsevier.com/books/9780323056625/id/B9780323056625000012_f001 5 Hypertension in primary and secondary prevention of CVD. (2010). British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 5(7), 322. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true &db=rzh&AN=2010708541&site=ehost-live&scope=site Lawrence, M., Kerr, S., Watson, H., Jackson, J., & Brownlee, M. (2009). A summary of the guidance relating to four lifestyle risk factors for recurrent stroke. British Journal Of Neuroscience Nursing, 5(10), 471-476. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire ct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010454584&site=ehost-live&scope=site M. O'Donnell: Definition of health promotion. American Journal of Health Promotion. 1(1), 1987, 45. M. Kreuter, R. Devore: Update: Reinforcing the case for health promotion. Family & Community Health. 10, 1980, 106.

Promoting Health by Preventing Disease7 Williams B, Poulter N, Brown MJ et al (2004) Guidelines for management of hypertension: report of the fourth working party of the British Hypertension Society, 2004 BHS IV. J Hum Hypertens 18:13985 World Health Organization (1946) Constitution of the World Health Organization. WHO, Geneva.