1. Preliminary Core 1 :Better Health forindividualsFQ3 What
strategies help to promote the health ofindividuals?
2. What is health promotion?(DP1) Health promotion is about
achieving the best possible health for everyone. It is difficult to
improve an individuals health if the economic, environmental and
social conditions are bad. Interventions are changes made to
individual and social circumstances to maximise opportunities to
achieve good health. WHO defines health promotion as the process of
enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their
health. (1986) Health promotion is based around the saying
Prevention is better than cure and it aims at preventing morbidity
and mortality.
3. New public health approach Watch the film regarding the new
public health approach and the importance of health promotion
4. 3 levels of preventionHealth Promotion can target three
levels of prevention:1. Primary: Persons yet to display symptoms of
disease. Aimed at preventing onset of disease eg immunisation
programs.2. Secondary: Early signs of disease or risk factors are
present, aim is to halt or slow disease process. This is early
stage intervention. Eg weight loss programs3. Tertiary: Minimise
the effects of the disease. Eg: medicines
5. Who is responsible for Health Promotion? (DP2) individuals
community groups/schools non-government organisations government
international organisations, eg WHO, United Nations
6. IndividualsWhat role do individuals play in health
promotion? Individuals play a key role in promoting their health,
because personal behaviour is the major determining factor of
health status. For health promotion to be effective, individuals
need to be empowered. This refers to an individuals ability to make
decisions about, or have personal control over their life. (
Individuals working in health-related areas are able to assist
people to gain control over their health eg general practitioners,
counselors, dentists, health workers, community nurses. Other
individuals who are involved in improving health also include
health educators, social workers, community workers and
environmental health officers.
7. Individuals List the people or groups who could empower you
to improve your health
8. Community groups andschools Community groups and schools are
important settings for health promotion, after all these are the
places where we live, work and play. Communities should be able to
contribute to discussion and participate in the setting of health
policies. Our schools also need to places that promote health among
our young Australians.
9. Activity Activity: Examine one of these strategies and
explain how they are able to improve health of individuals and
communities. RRisk (http://www.ncahs.nsw.gov.au/alcohol/ )-
Promoting health among young people by focusing on alcohol, drugs
and driving. Community Health Education Groups
(http://www.ncahs.nsw.gov.au/chegs/ )provides adult/elderly
physical activity and nutrition classes around the North Coast.
Healthy Kids School Canteens (http://www.healthy-
kids.com.au/about-us) Promoting healthy food choices Secondary
Schools Nursing Program -
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/healthwellbeing/health/schoolnur
sing/secschool/default.htm Nurses promoting health in Victorian
secondary schools.
10. Non Government organisations Look at the following egs of
NGOs........ http://www.cancer.org.au/Home.htm
http://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/cgi- bin/wrapper.pl?c1=home
http://www.inspire.org.au/
11. Non-governmentOrganisations Non-government Organisations
are non-profit making organisations that operate at local, national
or international levels. They are funded from a variety of sources
including government grants, public donations and fundraising.
Non-government organisations (NGOs) play a crucial role in the
health of Australians. For example, many organisations such as
universities conduct health research into the prevention,
detection, and treatment of disease. While other NGOs contribute in
various ways, including raising funds for research, running
educational and health promotion programs, providing support
services and coordinating voluntary care.
12. GovernmentAll levels of government are responsible for
promoting betterhealth The Commonwealth Government is responsible
for planning long-term programs that address Australias health
priorities. Use the link below to explore one of the seven
Commonwealth Government Health Promotion Campaigns. Activity:
Select one of the campaigns suggested in your work booklet1.
Briefly describe the nature of this campaign2. Describe some of the
campaign materials used2. Explain why the Australian Government has
initiated thecampaign in this area of health
13. The Commonwealthgovernment The Commonwealth government is
also responsible for allocating the funding and developing systems
that all Australians have access to health services Medicare -
Australias health insurance. Medicare funds affordable primary
health care treatment for all Australian citizens. Residents with a
Medicare card can receive subsidised treatment from medical
practitioners, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals
who have been issued a Medicare provider number, and can also
obtain free treatment in public hospitals.Activity: Explain why
Medicare is an important initiative in promoting health forall
AustraliansOther Commonwealth Government websites you may be
interested in visiting:Quit now http://www.quitnow.gov.au/-
Australias National Tobacco CampaignNutrition Guidelines - The
Australian Guide to Healthy EatingGo for 2 and 5 - Fruit and
Vegetable Campaignhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1_PhPKzjoA
14. State Governments State Governments are also responsible
for campaigns that target specific health promotion and disease
prevention programs. In NSW the department of health is divided
into Area Health Services that support local needs. NSW Department
of Health. Also check out the North Coast Area Health Service for
state government initiatives in our local area.
15. Local Governments Local Governments support the state and
Commonwealth governments in implementing health promotion eg local
libraries distribute information. They are also responsible for
creating environments that support health eg providing parks,
cycleways, shade areas at local swimming pools,
16. International Organisationseg WHO. The World Health
Organisation is a specialized agency of the United Nations that
acts as the coordinating authority on international public health
issues. It provides leadership on global health concerns, monitors
disease outbreaks, assesses the performance of health systems
around the world and promotes health research. (As an example of
the role of WHO, explore the WHO response the swine flu pandemic.
Activity: Outline the functions of WHO in responding to global
health concerns. Also list some of the Programs and Projects
coordinated by WHO that affect young people