Children's Health Promotion

Question 1

What is health promotion

Answer 1

Any planned activity designed to enhance health or prevent disease…

through a combination of legislation, the provision of preventative services (i.e. immunisation) and development of activities to promote and maintain change to a healthier lifestyle.

• Can be planned or opportunistic
• Must be long-term
• Attempts must be made to justify input of human and financial resources to health promotion

Question 2

Name 4 factors which affect health

Answer 2

Genetics
Access
Environment
Lifestyle

Bottom 3 are affected by health promotion

Question 3

Give 3 theories of health promotion

Answer 3

Educational
- provides knowledge to enable necessary skills to rate informed choices about health - i.e. smoking, diabetes, diet

Socioeconomic (radical)

• makes health choice the easy choice
• national policies i.e. about employment, redistribute income

Psychological

• complex relationship between behaviour, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs
• Activities start from an individual attitude to health and readiness to change
• Emphasis on whether individual is ready to change
• i.e. smoking, alcohol

Question 4

What is health education

Answer 4

An activity involving communication with individuals or groups…

aimed at changing knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour…

in a direction which is conductive to improvements in health

Question 5

What is Health protection

Answer 5

Activities directed at factors beyond the control of the individual.

tend to be regulations, policies, or voluntary codes of practice aimed at preventing of ill health or the positive enhancement of well-being

Question 6

What is empowerment

Answer 6

The generation of power in those individuals and groups which previously considered themselves to be unable to control situations nor act on the basis of their choices

Question 7

What does empowerment result in

Answer 7

1. An ability to resist social pressure
2. An ability to utilise effective coping strategies when faced by an unhealthy environment
3. A heightened consciousness of action

Question 8

Give 2 examples of challenges to successful health promotion

Answer 8

1. Doctors cynical about planned health promotion and question if the resources allocated to it are money well spent
2. Most health activities in primary and secondary care have never been adequately evaluated

Question 9

What are the stages of the cycle of change - use smoking as an example

Answer 9

1. Pre-contemplation - smokes regularly
2. Contemplation - considers giving up
3. Ready for action - making definite plans
4. Action - actively not smoking
5. Maintenance - not smoking
   (6. ) Regression - starts smoking again

back to step 1

Question 10

Give 2 examples of methods of primary care health promotion

Answer 10

Planned

• posters
• chronic disease clinics
• vaccinations
• QOF

Opportunistic
- advise within surgery

Question 11

Give 3 examples of methods of government health promotion

Answer 11

Legislation

• legal age limits
• smoking ban
• health and safety
• clean air act
• highway code

Economic
- tax on cigarettes and alcohol

Education
- HEBS (health education board Scotland)

Question 12

What is primary prevention

Answer 12

Measures taken to prevent onset of illness or injury

Reduces probability and / or severity of illness or injury

i.e. smoking cessation or immunisation

Question 13

What is secondary prevention

Answer 13

Detection of disease at an early (preclinical) stage in order to cure, prevent or lessen symptomatology
i.e. Screening

Question 14

What are the components of Wilson’s screening

Answer 14

Illness

• important
• natural history understood
• pre-symptomatic stage

Test

• Easy
• Acceptable
• Cost-effective
• Sensitive
• Specific

Treatment

• Acceptable
• Cost-effective
• Better if early

Question 15

What is tertiary prevention

Answer 15

Measures to limit stress or disability caused by disease

i.e. OT, care manager for MND

Question 16

Give two factors which have an early effect on lifelong health and examples of each

Answer 16

Establishment of a healthy lifestyle

• Growth and development fuelled by food
• Scotland has the highest incidence of premature death due to IHD
• High sat-fats and lower fruit and veg are associated with poorer health outcomes

Role of parenting

• habits and lifestyles are established in adolescence
• smoking >2x likely if parents smoke
• neglect and abuse occur

Question 17

What are some common examples of children for seeing GP

Answer 17

Feeding problems
Pyrexia
URTI
Coughs / colds
Rashes
Otalgia 
Sore throat 
V&D
Abdo pain 
Behavioural problems

Question 18

What are some important aspects of a consultation with a child

Answer 18

Listening
Observing
Read notes of child and parent(s)
Examining properly 
Explain clearly what you are thinking / doing
Discuss with other Health professional
Review open door policy 
Reassure parent and child
Investigate approriately
Refer appropriately 
Child protection

Question 19

What are some reasons why parents may present children when they are not clinically unwell

Answer 19

May be correct
Someone urging them to act
Inexperience 
Anxiety about normal illness
Single parent with no support 
Parenting difficulty manifesting as child illness
Parent depression / anxiety
Social issues 
Child presenting to them with difficult symptoms to interpret 
Child abuse by partner

Question 20

Give 4 examples of how to manage an overanxious parent

Answer 20

Listen, exam and explain properly
ICE - allow questions
Offer second opinion
Facilitate return visit

Question 21

What factors need to be considered with children in primary care

Answer 21

Personal 
Social 
Developmental 
Parental 
Physical 
Psychological

Question 22

What are the organisations for Child protection

Answer 22

National guidance for child protection Scotland 2010

RCCP-Safeguarding children

Question 23

What health factors concern children

Answer 23

Diet 
Exercise - 60 mins everyday
Sleep - teens 8-10 hours
Social issues 
Screen time