This report will be exploring health promotion and health protection strategies where
I will be going in to detail about assessing and evaluating the strategies and methods
used to help raise awareness and disease prevention from occurring. As well as
exploring method on a communicable and non-communicable disease and what is in
place to help prevent and control these. In addition, I will look at different methods
and their effectiveness in helping to protect and promote public health.
P5/M3
Health promotion is the encouragement on following healthy behaviours that
are placed and promoted towards the public to help stop making decisions
that impact and are potentially damaging their health. There are many health
promotion methods/interventions out there especially through campaigns
where they promote health and healthy living/behaviours. Health promotion is
to enable people to take more control and improve their health and wellbeing
through modifying the behaviour of individuals to improve their own choices.
As the aim of health promotion is to reduce disease and ill health.
An example of health promotion is health education activities such as ‘healthy
eating campaigns. One healthy eating campaign is the ‘Change4life’ which is a
Government initiative that aims to prevent childhood obesity as this is a major
risk factor which can cause life-threatening and long-term conditions such as
type 2 diabetes, heart disease and strokes. This public health programme is to
help improve health behaviours with poor diet and lack of physical activity that
can contribute to obesity. Especially within children as according to
Change4Life, 9 out of 10 children today could grow up with dangerous
amounts of fat in their bodies and due to ‘modern life’, many people are less
active or physical activity, and many are eating to accessible and available
convenience and fast food instead of healthy eating. Change4Life. (N/D) About
Change4Life. [Online] [Accessed on 11th December 2018]
https://change4life.service.nhs.uk/change4life/about-change4life.
Although this campaign exists and is there to support people, it also has its
advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are is it one the most recognised
campaigns in health improvement with high levels of trust and involvement from both
public and private sectors with providing families and individuals tips, recipes,
activities to make healthier changes. It allows people from a young age to form a
healthy lifestyles as healthy eating and exercising habits can be carried forwards into
adulthood and passed down to children. Another advantage is as it takes a holistic
approach to weight and health problems as people are encouraged to improve diet
and physical activity and lifestyle for their future health and wellbeing and for their
children. Where Change4life covers in school with flexible teaching resources for
primary schools to make healthy choices with ideas and activities with teaching
healthy eating and being active and in school lunches. As well as with having
teacher support where it provides practical tips, support and advice and can engage
parents to encourage parents to promote and reinforce healthy lifestyle choices at
home. Another advantage is it has become successful with the help from academic
and commercial marketing promotion where it reaches target audiences and more of
families with children who are aged under 11 and can be addressed to other at-risk
1
, Unit 12: Public Health
groups. As Change4Life focuses on prevention and aims to change the behaviours
and circumstances with encourage and support. It has helped to reach out to at-risk
families where they learn and understand health consequences to create desires to
change and prioritise healthy lifestyles like healthy eating with feeding the right foods
such as consuming your recommended 5 a day which can contribute to have a
positive impact on their long-term health over themselves and their children.
Changes in diet, sufficient physical activity and lifestyle help before long term
condition start developing. the nsmc. (N/D) Change4Life. Pg 1 & 2. [Online]
[Accessed on 11th December 2018]
http://www.thensmc.com/sites/default/files/Change4Life%20SUMMARY_4.pdf. In
addition, the Change4Life campaigns has an advantage where it has a free apps on
available to download. Including ‘Change4Life Food Scanner’ where you can scan a
food or drink to see how much salt, sugar and saturated fat is in our food which can
help families to cut down especially in sugar intake within drinks and food. The app
can also identify healthier snack choices and tips to help make healthier choices.
Alongside ‘Change4Life Smart Recipes’ help families to cook tasty and healthier
meals. These help health promotion as these free resources help and support
families providing many ways to stay active, eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle as
they gain an understanding on health and health consequences with the likes of
providing a personal action plan or a kid personalised action plan where you can fill a
questionnaire.
The disadvantages of Change4Life is even though many are aware of this campaign,
they still will make choices with continuing poor diet. Where families may lack in
knowledge, skills and confidence to cook healthier options and may resort to just
buying convenience and fast food as it more accessible to them. Or they may not be
able to afford the alternative healthier options to provide and cook for themselves
and their families and have to buy cheap convenience in order to feed their family.
As well as poor lifestyle choices where they may lack in inspiration, motivation or
confidence to be more active and rather stay at home/indoors where they hardly to
any physical activity. Lack of physical activity has risk of cardiovascular disease and
developing high blood pressure and become overweight or obese. Even with the
high promotion of Change4Life, parents may not recognise their families are at risk
of obesity or be fully aware of the health consequences as well as the chance of the
consequences and continue living a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle. the nsmc.
(N/D) Change4Life. Pg 2. [Online] [Accessed on 11 th December 2018]
http://www.thensmc.com/sites/default/files/Change4Life%20SUMMARY_4.pdf
Another way to promote public health is by the use of ‘Stoptober’. This Public
Health England campaign challenges smokers to give up cigarettes for 28
days in the month of October which is aimed at smokers to help them quit
smoking with the right support. Public Health England say based on research,
if you can stop smoking for 28 days, you are 5 times more likely to stay smoke
free for good. Stoptober is now positioned within the wider One You
programme that is ran by Public Health England which helps adults make
small changes to that can create a big impact on their future health.
This campaign also has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of
Stoptober are that the campaign has been effective as it has driven over 1 million
quit attempts which is the biggest mass quit attempt in the country. It also has the
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