Session 7 - Health promotion and improvement (and obesity)

Question 1

Define health promotion

Answer 1

Process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health

Question 2

List 5 approaches to health promotion and give an example of each

Answer 2

1. Medical e.g. use of statins as a national policy
2. Behavioural change e.g. campaigns for stopping smoking
3. Educational e.g. educating children on healthy eating
4. Empowerment e.g. access to stopping smoking on the NHS
5. Social change e.g. regulation such as the smoking ban

Question 3

Outline the 3 stages of prevention

Answer 3

Primary prevention: Aims to prevent the onset of disease or injury by limiting exposure to risk factors
- 4 main approaches (immunisation, prevent contact with environmental risk factors, taking appropriate precautions and reducing risk factors from health related behaviour)

Secondary prevention: Aims to detect and treat a disease at an early stage to prevent progression
- Examples include screening for cervical caner, monitoring and treating blood pressure and screening for glaucoma

Tertiary prevention: Aims to minimise the effects of an established disease
- Examples include renal transplants, steroids for asthma

Question 4

Outline the different layers of the socio-ecological model of prevention

Answer 4

(Inside)
Individual
Interpersonal
Institutions and organisations
Community
Structures and systems
(Outside)
- Able to target each level to create change/prevention

Question 5

Explain universal and targeted approaches with examples and list the advantages and disadvantages

Answer 5

Universal approaches: aims to reduce risk across the whole population e.g. sugar tax

Targeted approaches: aims to identify those most at risk and tailor messages/approaches to those groups e.g. breastfeeding initiatives in young mums

Advantages:
Universal approach - likely to see a big impact if risk factor is common in a population
Targeted approach - approaches can be tailored

Disadvantages:
Universal approach - population risk can be affected, but the individual risk is not affected
Targeted approach - assumes that groups are the same and can lead to culture blaming (e.g. HIV)

Question 6

In terms of policy, systems and environmental change, outline the meaning of the following and give an example:

1. Social policy
2. Fiscal policy
3. Bans and restrictions

Answer 6

1. Social policy - local or national culture and policy e.g. smoking ban in public places
2. Fiscal policy - taxation or other approaches to discourage health harming behaviours e.g. tax on cigarettes
3. Bans and restrictions - reducing the availability/use in certain settings (using legal powers) e.g. restricting the sales of alcohol

Question 7

Define obesity

Answer 7

Obesity is abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health